James Gandolfini, famous for the portrayal of Mafia boss Tony Soprano in the HBO TV show “The Sopranos” has died yesterday at the age of 51, in Italy.
The actor died of a heart attack. He was taken to the Policlinic Umberto I where the hospital staff found that his heart already stopped. Gandolfini was expected to attend a film festival held in Sicily.
James Gandolfini became famous for his iconic role of Tony Soprano which ran on television for eight years. The last episode of this saga of a Mafia family in New Jersey aired in the U.S. on June 11, 2007 and it was watched by several million viewers. As the last episode of the show did not give accurate explanations of Tony’s destiny, many have speculated that a feature film will follow, however producers denied it.
Described by The New York Times as “perhaps the greatest work of American culture in the last 25 years,” “The Sopranos” won, since its creation in 1999, 126 nominations and 21 Emmy awards, and five Golden Globes. Gandolfini won for his role as Tony Soprano three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe. In early June, “The Sopranos” was named best screenplay TV show in American television history, in a top of Writers Guild of America.
After “The Sopranos” James Gandolfini starred on Broadway in the play “God of Carnage” praised by critics. He also starred on Broadway in 1995, in the play “On The Waterfront.”
James Gandolfini starred in films such as “True Romance” (1993), “Italian Movie” (1993), “Get Shorty” (1995), “12 Angry Men”(1997), “The Mexican” (2001), “All The King’s Men” (2006), “Killing Them Softly “(2012).
Gandolfini produced in 2007, the documentary “Alive Day: Home from Iraq” in which he interviewed 10 veterans of the Iraq war. his second documentary was released in 2010 – “Wartorn: 1861-2010” which examines the impact of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) on soldiers who participated in the various wars in American history and on their families.
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