An unlikely leading man and even more unlikely sex symbol, James Gandolfini was touted as both after his star-making portrayal of mobster Tony Soprano, a family man undergoing a mid-life crisis in the hit HBO drama, "The Sopranos" (1999-2007). Although he came to an acting career later in life, he was already a well-respected character player – one whom the audience perhaps recognized by sight if not by name – when he read the script for "The Sopranos.” Sensing the quality of the writing and responding to the well-drawn character, Gandolfini was firmly convinced he would not be cast; certain a more conventionally handsome "Irish-looking" guy would land the role. He confessed to being "shocked" when he actually nailed the role and was even more disturbed by the newfound celebrity status it brought to him.
Born on Sept. 18, 1961 and raised in Westwood, NJ, Gandolfini graduated from Rutgers and went on to work as a bouncer and nightclub manager. A friend convinced him to attend an acting class and he gamely went along. The experience left him "unsettled,” especially an exercise in which he had to thread a needle; it was enough to push him into a new line of work. After studies at the Actors Studio, Gandolfini landed stage work in small venues before finally making his Broadway debut in 1992 as Steve Hubbell (and understudy for the role of Mitch) in a revival of "A Streetcar Named Desire" starring Jessica Lange and Alec Baldwin. That same year, he made his film debut supporting Melanie Griffith in "A Stranger Among Us,” Sidney Lumet's uneven thriller set in the Hassidic community of Brooklyn.
Gandolfini first registered with viewers as the philosophizing hit man, Virgil, in "True Romance" (1993), directed by Tony Scott. On the same day that film opened, he was also starring as John Cusack's brother in "Money for Nothing.” Displaying a softer side, the actor was cast as Geena Davis' love interest in "Angie" (1994). After those mediocre offerings, the actor moved on to roles that saw him play villains such as in "Terminal Velocity" (1994) and competent men of authority, as in Scott's thriller, "Crimson Tide" (1995). Gandolfini mined the humor of the stuntman-mobster in "Get Shorty" (1995) to great effect. He gave a chilling account of an abusively drunk neighbor who tries to force himself on Robin Wright Penn in "She's So Lovely" (1997) and further displayed his versatility as the concerned father who pleads with lawyer John Travolta to represent the community in its claims of water contamination in the based-on-fact drama, "A Civil Action" (1998).
Continuing his growing resume, he essayed a creepy pornographer with a deadly secret in "8mm" (1999) and a cold-blooded killer with a sensitive side in "The Mexican" (2001), opposite A-listers, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts. Later that year, he garnered additional praise as a prison warden with a mean streak in "The Last Castle" opposite Robert Redford, and as a straying husband in the noirish "The Man Who Wasn't There,” written and directed by the Coen Brothers.
All of these roles, however, were mere warm-ups for his portrayal of conflicted mob boss Tony Soprano on “The Sopranos,” one of the richest, most layered characters in the history of the medium; certainly ever seen on original cable series. Over the course of the first season, Gandolfini was handed a plethora of emotions to portray – from exasperation at the machinations of his fellow mobsters, to the frustrations of dealing with his needy wife, growing children and overbearing mother, to the discomfort of therapy sessions with the attractive Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco). The actor masterfully conveyed the conflicting feelings with the right mix of anger and humanity. Audiences loved him and critics praised him and for his efforts. He was rewarded with a justly deserved Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2000 and repeated the triumph in 2001 and 2003.
Back on the big screen, Gandolfini's creative fortunes were not as rich – partially because he had become typecast, so powerful was his portrayal of Tony – when he appeared opposite Ben Affleck in the painfully unfunny holiday comedy, "Surviving Christmas" (2004). After appearing in John Turturro’s festival piece, “Romance and Cigarettes” (2005), Gandolfini gave typically solid performances in otherwise middling fare, including Todd Robinson’s 1940s noir, “Lonely Hearts” (2006), and Steve Zaillian’s miscalculated remake of the classic courtroom drama, “All the King’s Men” (2006).
Meanwhile – after a year off from the show – Gandolfini returned for a seventh and final season of “The Sopranos.” With so much time and emotion invested in the characters, viewers had only one question: not if, but how Tony would get whacked. The show’s creator, David Chase, kept any spoilers under lock and key. Even when the show aired, answers were not forthcoming. In perhaps one of the most talked-about season finale scenes of all time, Tony eats onion rings with Carmela (Edie Falco) and son A.J. (Robert Iler) at a diner while waiting on daughter Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) to arrive. After a mysterious man disappears into a bathroom and Meadow finally parks her car across the street, Tony suddenly looks up and the screen goes blank, leaving doubt as to whether or not he was indeed killed. While most viewers – many of whom were in the midst of “Soprano” viewing parties – were confused by the sudden cut to black – with some even thinking their cable had gone out – it became clear after unyielding Internet message board discussions that Tony Soprano was dead. It had been Chase’s decision – good or bad – to leave his antihero’s fate a question mark.
Meanwhile, Gandolfini earned his fourth Emmy nomination for the role, entering the 2007 awards show as the odds-on favorite to win for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series. Many were surprised when he lost to James Spader of “Boston Legal” (ABC, 2004-08) – who seemed surprised himself to beat the actor in his epic swan song performance. Showcasing a very different side of his personality, Gandolfini executive-produced "Alive Day Memories: Home From Iraq" (HBO, 2007), an HBO documentary in which he interviewed disabled veterans about their experiences in the Iraq War. After staying out of the spotlight for a well-deserved stretch of post-“Sopranos” peace, Gandolfini resurfaced on Broadway in Yasmina Reza’s "God of Carnage," a comedy about two sets of parents (Gandolfini and Marcia Gay Harden vs. Jeff Daniels and Hope Davis) attempting to solve a playground dispute between their children. Gandolfini was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance, while the play brought home an award for Best Direction.
While the show continued a strong run on Broadway, Gandolfini hit theaters again, playing the mayor of New York in “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3” (2009), Ridley Scott’s update of the classic 1974 thriller about a subway hijacking. He was further tapped to portray top brass in the well-received indie, “In The Loop” (2009) – a parody of British and U.S. government relations in which he starred as a military general.