The late James Gandolfini wasn’t always the hulking, balding man the world came to love as the ruthless but sensitive mobster on The Sopranos.
Gandolfini was iconic for his portrayal of the scheming Tony Soprano, who was more fortunate to be loyal to his mob family than his own.
Just as playful in his younger years, decades before he played the mysterious violent sociopath on The Sopranos.
James Gandolfini, born September 18, 1961, was best known as the affable Tony Soprano, mob crime boss and family patriarch on HBO’s The Sopranos. Sometimes sensitive, sometimes sociopathic, Gandolfini’s breakthrough performance as the flawed gangster earned him numerous awards and international acclaim.
Speaking about the lovable but brutal Tony Soprano, James Gandolfini told Vogue: “I play an Italian madman from New Jersey, and that’s basically me.”
After a highly successful six-season run, the series ended in 2007, leaving fans wondering if the blacked-out screen at the end meant the anti-hero was alive or dead.
Tragedy in Rome
But along with the legendary actor, the older Soprano died on June 19, 2013, after a heart attack claimed the beloved 51-year-old star.
The Jersey-born man was traveling with his family in Italy and was in a hotel with his then 13-year-old son Michael when he suffered a heart attack and died. Gandolfini is survived by their wife Deborah Lin, whom he married in 2008, daughter Liliane (b. 2012), and Michael, whom he shares with his first wife Marcy Wudarski. Almost 10 years later, Michael landed the biggest role of his life, portraying the young Tony Soprano in The Many Saints of Newark.
In September 2021, Michael spoke to the New York Times about capturing the complexity of the character his father played so effortlessly.
“I’ve always said, ‘I want to make my dad proud.’ I want to make my dad proud.” The then 22-year-old actor continued, “I really wasn’t aware of his legacy… My dad was just my dad.”
As cliché as it is, Michael is his dad. The man inherited many of his father’s traits and characteristics, such as sleepy yet alluring eyes, a menacing smirk, and a soft voice mixed with a colorful tongue.
“The pressure is real,” he said of playing a mob don as a youngster. “Not only was it my dad’s feeling — it was like, Tony Soprano is a damn tough character.”
“The Biggest Flirt”
Before Gandolfini had three Emmys and a Golden Globe on his mantelpiece, he was an ordinary Italian-American kid growing up with his working-class family in a modest house in Westwood, New Jersey.
His father served as the head of building maintenance at a Catholic school and his mother worked as a high school snack worker. He was a “happy, cute little boy,” as childhood friend Pam Donlan described him, who went on to become a highly regarded actor in Hollywood.
In 1979, the young man, just over 6 feet tall, was a senior at Park Ridge High School in New Jersey, where he was one of the popular kids.
Excelling in both academics and extracurricular activities, the Get Shorty star developed her acting skills in high school where she studied theater. During these years, the Where the Wild Things Are star met John Travolta, whose father owned a store that Gandolfini patronized.
“My father sold tires to his father,” Travolta said after Gandolfini died. .”
Before heading to Rutgers University for a Bachelor of Arts, Gandolfini first celebrated his senior year in high school when his classmates voted him “best looking” and — not surprisingly — “biggest flirt.”
In a Facebook post shared by the Park Ridge community, an old photo of the young star with a woman, Donna Lange, portrays the two as “class flirts.” “I love] this pic of Jimmy and Donna…I always remember him like this…a happy kid with that killer smile,” writes one old friend. “This is a great picture of Jim and Donna,” shared another.
Meanwhile, Duff Lambros recalls his childhood friend as having a “quiet confidence” and “cool dignity”. He said: “The girls loved him. The boys loved him.”
Excelling in both academics and extracurricular activities, the Get Shorty star developed her acting skills in high school where she studied theater. During these years, the Where the Wild Things Are star met John Travolta, whose father owned a store that Gandolfini patronized.
“My father sold tires to his father,” Travolta said after Gandolfini died. .”
Before heading to Rutgers University for a Bachelor of Arts, Gandolfini first celebrated his senior year in high school when his classmates voted him “best looking” and — not surprisingly — “biggest flirt.”
In a Facebook post shared by the Park Ridge community, an old photo of the young star alongside a woman, Donna Lange, portrays the two as “class flirts.”
“I love] this picture of Jimmy and Donna…I always remember him like this…a happy kid with that killer smile,” writes one old friend. “This is a great picture of Jim and Donna,” shared another.
Meanwhile, Duff Lambros recalls his childhood friend as having a “quiet confidence” and “cool dignity”. He said: “The girls loved him. The boys loved him.”
The friend adds: “When he smiled, it wasn’t just his teeth, he smiled with his eyes too. It was like the sun was shining.”
Travolta, who shared the screen with Gandfolfini in several films, remembers his longtime family friend as a giant not only as an actor but also in his personal life. “He was a person first and then everything else,” Travolta said. “He was a beautiful man and I love him very much.
Despite the imposing presence of Tony Soprano, Gandolfini displayed remarkable humility and dedication. He has jokingly characterized himself as a “260-pound Woody Allen”, emphasizing his unassuming nature despite the larger-than-life figure he portrayed on screen.
What are your favorite memories of James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano or in another role? Please let us know what you think in the comments section below, and then share this story so we can hear what others have to say!