Industry mourns the loss of James Gandolfini

The reaction to the passing of James Gandolfini speaks volume to his dedication to his craft and something quite rare in the entertainment industry -  his humbleness, shyness, and kindness. 


Reports state that he went into cardiac arrest while preparing to attend the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily with his son Michael and sister. Michael became concerned when his father was in the bathroom for a long time, went to check in and found James on the floor. It is believed that he was conscious during the ambulance ride, but there have been conflicting reports. 

Organizers of the Festival, Mario Sesti and Tiziana Rocca, said Gandolfini will instead be honored with a tribute “remembering his career and talent.” 

When word broke of his passing, the tributes from his industry peers came pouring in: 

Dominic Chianese, who played Uncle Junior on "The Sopranos"  and was a mentor to his TV nephew described his friend Jimmy, on Good Day New York, as "humble and thoughtful". " He was very generous..he did it from the heart and that's very rare in this world ..."



                                  
                               
                                  

                                   

                                    
     
                                   

David Chase, creator of "The Sopranos" :

“He was a genius. Anyone who saw him even in the smallest of his 

performances knows that. He is one of the greatest actors of this or 

any time. A great deal of that genius resided in those sad eyes. I 

remember telling him many times, ‘You don’t get it. You’re like 

Mozart.’ There would be silence at the other end of the phone. For 

Deborah and Michael and Lilliana, this is crushing. And it’s bad 

for the rest of the world. He wasn’t easy sometimes. But he was 

my partner, he was my brother in ways I can’t explain and never 

will be able to explain.”

                                                             James and Steve


Steve van Zandt, played "Silvio Dante" :

I have lost a brother and a best friend. The world has lost one of 

the greatest actors of all time. Maureen and I send our deepest 

sympathy and love to Deborah, Michael, Lily, and all of Jimmy’s 

family.

Sopranos Cast

Gandolfini, most famous for his role as Tony Soprano and putting his native New Jersey on the map, was remembered by NJ Gov. Christie. "Mary Pat & I express our deepest sympathies to Mr. Gandolfini's wife & children, and our prayers are with them at this terrible time. ... I have gotten to know Jimmy & many of the other actors in the Sopranos cast & I can say that each of them are an individual NJ treasure. ...I was a huge fan of his and the character he played so authentically, Tony Soprano. ... James Gandolfini's passing is an awful shock. He was a fine actor, a Rutgers alum and a true Jersey guy. 

The 3-time Emmy Award winner had several projects in the pipeline: He was scheduled to star in drama  Criminal Justice as a 7-episode  limited series, as well as 19th period comedy Bone Wars with Steve  Carrell both on HBO. He was also due to stand as  Executive Producer in a CBS comedy Taxi-22 through a deal his production company Attaboy Productions. His final project, crime drama Animal Rescue with Tom Hardy will premiere in 2014. 

    

                                                          James with wife Deborah, son Michael and ex-wife Marcy

Gandolfini will be remembered for his stellar acting and contributions to the entertainment industry. His loss is immeasurable. He leaves behind wife, Deborah Lin, and children, Michael and Liliana. 


I leave you with James discussing the beginnings of his career  on "Inside the Actors Studio".