This morning I was shocked when I read the news that James Gandolfini had died at the age of 51. I always enjoyed watching his work. The Sopranos is one of my favorite TV shows ever and he had many roles I really loved (The Mexican, In the Loop and Killing Them Softly immediately jump to mind).

James Gandolfini was born on September 18, 1961 in Westwood, New Jersey. He grew up in Park Ridge in an Italian speaking home. In 1979 he graduated from Park Ridge High School where he was in school plays. He went to Rutgers University and got a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication studies. He started pursuing an acting career and his first movie was in Shock! Shock! Shock! as an orderly in 1987. He appeared in movies like True Romance, Terminal Velocity, Crimson Tide, Get Shorty and The Juror before he became a star when he starred in the TV series The Sopranos as Tony Soprano. The show would run for 6 seasons and received a lot of awards, including Screen Actors Guild Awards for Gandolfini. After the show ended he acted in various movies. He died on June 19, 2013 while visiting Italy. Continue reading →