Actor James Gandolfini dead at age 51 (Tony Soprano)

[HighestOfHigh]

James Gandolfini, best known for his role as an anxiety-ridden mob boss on HBO's "The Sopranos," died in Italy, possibly of a heart attack, an HBO spokeswoman and the actor's managers said Wednesday. He was 51. Gandolfini was on holiday in Rome, said Mara Mikialian, HBO's vice president for program publicity. The actor was expected to make an appearance at the Taormina Film Fest in Sicily this week, according to the festival. Notoriously press shy, Gandolfini found fame late in his career with the television role of Tony Soprano. He won three Emmy Awards for his portrayal of the angst-ridden mob boss who visited a therapist and took Prozac while knocking off people in "The Sopranos," which aired from 1999 to 2007. In recent years, he had starred in several movies, including the Oscar-nominated "Zero Dark Thirty," "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" and "Killing Them Softly."

"He was just so good at the emotion. A very passionate man and a very, very tender man," Matthew Warchus, who directed Gandolfini in the Broadway play "God of Carnage," told CNN. "I really loved him and admired him a great deal." News of the actor's death spread quickly, drawing shock and sadness from those who had worked with him. "James Gandolfini was a kind, funny, wonderful guy. I'm so lucky to have worked with him. Sending love to his family. Such a sad, sad day," Olivia Wilde, who starred with the actor in "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone," said in a post on Twitter. Actor Steve Carrell, who also appeared in the movie, simply said on Twitter: "James Gandolfini. What a great loss."

- http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/19/showbiz/james-gandolfini-obituary/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

So sad and rather young. RIP

 

[donkeykong]

Damn,RIP..

 

[Sunny]

Sad, RIP.

 

[Human]

Indeed very young and will be missed on the screen, RIP.

 

[klier]

I find this to be very disturbing.

I loved that guy, and The Sopranos is, bar NONE, the best series ever made.

Dead in Italy of all places.

 

[Deleted member 25]

I liked him, rip.

 

[Kowalski]

I don't mean to be an insensitive prick, but it's not really shocking considering that he was morbidly obese; so a heart attack at his age is not really a surprise. Anyway, tragic loss because he was a very good actor who always delivered a fine performance. Tragic, but avoidable had he been more careful with his health.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

what I liked about his portrayal was how well he did cold-hearted macho but there was this vulnerability in his eyes.

 

[HighestOfHigh]

While the tragic news of James Gandolfini's unexpected passing has left his many fans shocked and saddened, new details have emerged about his death. The 51-year-old was on a boys' trip to Italy with his son, Michael, according to his actor-friend Gilles Marini ("Brothers & Sisters," "Dancing With the Stars"). They were in Rome celebrating the 13-year-old's eighth-grade graduation, and then the "Sopranos" star was expected to attend the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily this weekend and receive the Taormina City Prize.

​

The New Jersey-born actor was in his hotel room at the Boscolo Exedra Roma when he became ill at about 10 p.m. local time. Antonio D'Amore, a spokesperson for the five-star hotel, told the "Today" show that the star's son called the reception desk to summon help upon discovering his father in the bathroom after he had apparently suffered a heart attack. When hotel personnel arrived, Gandolfini was on the bathroom floor with his son by his side, and he was still alive, D'Amore said. Efforts to resuscitate Gandolfini were made and continued as he was driven to the nearby Policlinico Umberto I Hospital.

​

Claudio Modini, the director of the Emergency Department of Policlinico, told ABC News that Gandolfini arrived at the hospital in cardiac arrest at 10:20 p.m. Resuscitation efforts continued for 40 minutes, at which point he was pronounced dead. His official time of death was 11 p.m. The "Zero Dark Thirty" star's cause of death is still undetermined. An autopsy will take place Friday because Italian law stipulates that an autopsy be conducted at least 24 hours after the death occurred. Also, before Italian authorities can release Gandolfini's remains for transport back to the United States, the U.S. Embassy in Rome must issue a death certificate. TMZ reports that Gandolfini's first wife, Marcy Wudarski, immediately flew to Italy to be with their son. The actor was married to Deborah Lin Gandolfini, who gave birth to the actor's second child, a daughter, last fall.

- http://tv.yahoo.com/news/sad-new-details-emerge-around-james-gandolfini-s-death-140117159.html

 

[LaArtist]

tragic, i smoked a stogie today in his honor