The world lost an acting giant when James Gandolfini tragically passed away, at only fifty-one years old, back in 2013. With the release of The Many Saints of Newark this week, we decided to pay tribute to the man who made mobster Tony Soprano a household name. With his son, Michael Gandolfini paying tribute to his dad by playing the younger Tony, we dive into his career and legacy. We cover everything from his show-stopping turn in True Romance to his breakthrough with The Sopranos and powerful final roles in Killing Them Softly, The Drop and more.
So what was it about Gandolfini that made him such an exceptional actor? Here’s the thing – Tony Soprano might have been an unpalatable character with any other actor playing him. A misogynist sociopath, David Chase’s writing was sharp enough never to smooth out any of Tony’s rough edges because he didn’t need to. Yet, enough was going on behind Gandolfini’s eyes that you knew there was a human being, full of contradictions, inside. Tony was many things, but he wasn’t a thug. In the moments where he finds ducks in his backyard, delights in a relationship with his horse Pie-Oh-My, and proves to be a loving father, we see that Tony isn’t a monster – even if he does monstrous things. That’s what made him so compelling. Gandolfini made you empathize with him, a gift he used beautifully in underrated movies like The Mexican & Where the Wild Things Are and one of his final roles, Enough Said.
We Remember: a new ongoing series where we pay tribute to some of our favorite people who leave an incredible legacy behind them while they may have passed on. Previous episodes have focused on lost legends like Robin Williams, Bruce and Brandon Lee and more. Check out some episodes below:
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