Bad news. Watched The Soprano's entire box set in about 3 week's not so long back. On of tv's great series! Farewell, Tony Soprano. James Gandolfini - the man who was utterly unforgettable as one of the great screen gangsters - has died suddenly, at the age of 51. Variety reports that Gandolfini was on holiday in Italy, where he suffered a suspected heart attack. The actor's tragic and untimely death was confirmed by HBO, for whom he worked on The Sopranos and Criminal Justice, a limited series that had just been given the green light. In a statement, the network said, "He was a special man, a great talent, but more importantly a gentle and loving person who treated everyone no matter their title or position with equal respect. "He touched so many of us over the years with his humor, his warmth and his humility. " In another statement, his managers said, "Our hearts are shattered and we will miss him deeply. He and his family were part of our family for many years and we are all grieving." Gandolfini, who was born in New Jersey in 1961, will always be remembered as Tony Soprano, the ruthless and tortured mob boss who was head of the eponymous family at the heart of the legendary HBO series. His nuanced and complex turn turned him into a huge star, and Tony into a cult hero. He won three Emmy awards for the role. But Gandolfini was also a film actor of rare range and class, as equally at home as a politician, a soldier and a father as he was a gangster. He gave indelible - and vastly different - turns for Tony Scott (with whom he worked on a number of occasions) in True Romance, Armando Iannucci in In The Loop, and Spike Jonze in Where The Wild Things Are, to name but three. 2012 also brought small, but memorable, roles in the likes of Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty and Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly, and a reunion with Sopranos creator David Chase on Not Fade Away. Gandolfini was last seen on the big screen in The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, while he had just completed work on Animal Rescue, which will be his final film. He was seen, quite simply, as one of the best and most versatile actors working today, and his death has already been greeted with stunned disbelief by his peers. "A lovely man and a huge talent," said Donnie Darko director, Richard Kelly. Prometheus and Star Trek Into Darkness writer Damon Lindelof, echoing the last shot of the final episode of The Sopranos, said, "You created an icon. And you cut to black way too soon." And Ron Perlman said, "Sweet journey home, James Gandolfini. The brightest stars burn the fastest..." He is survived by his wife, Deborah Lin, and two children - a son, and a baby daughter. Our thoughts are with them at this time.
i was sad to hear about this. the sopranos were epic and he has been in a fair few good films as well. tony soprano is one of the iconic tv charecters of all time and he will be missed
I was shocked as always liked him, but a bonus is that play.com have series 1-6 of the sopranos on sale at £29.99
I liked the Sopranos but i always felt he played a better gangster in True Romance when he beats the crap out of Patricia Arquette, but then i think its a great film especially Gary Oldman (rasta), Brad Pitt (Stoner on the couch), Val Kilmer (Imaginary Elvis in the mirror). RIP all the same though 51 is far to young.
Best series of all time imo - the tension between his ruthless criminality and his attempt to be a role model and keep his family together is suberb, then there's the Melfi dimension ... superb stuff.
Absolutely 100& agree. Great sets, characters, stunning twists, nobody safe from death, wonderful acting, Galdofini being absolutely flawless as Tony. Sad , sad news.
It was a good series but Twin Peaks, OZ (the american prison drama) and Game of Thrones are/were better imho
Sad news. When in first started in 1999 it was like nothing that had ever been on tv before. It was so well scripted and acted, better than most movies of the era. The sopranos definitely paved the way for all the superb tv series that have followed it. Anyone new or old, I would recommend the episode "pine barrens" as the highlight
Was an amazing series until the last episode i mean WTF!!!! That's no way to end a series of that calibre, reminded me of LOST!!!1
That ending is probably the most talked about episode of television ever and will most likely remain so. The Sopranos reminded you of Lost? Considering the Sopranos started and ended before Lost I think that's more down to the order you watched it in.
