James Joseph Gandolfini, Jr.
(September 18, 1961 – June 19, 2013)
One of the greatest actors of all time -- and more importantly one of the greatest human beings -- died of a heart attack at age 51 yesterday.
"He was a genius. Anyone who saw him even in the smallest of his performances knows that," "Sopranos" creator David Chase said in a prepared statement this evening. "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. ... 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."
Of course I never even met the guy, but he felt like a brother -- or at least the best friend I would have wanted. You never really know what anybody is like unless you've known them for a very long time, but by all accounts, Mr. Gandolfini was an extremely down-to-earth, humble man and respectful to all.
I admired the guy more than any actor I have ever seen. He was the middle-aged tough guy in an age when it's no longer cool to be a tough guy. He was the ordinary lug who charmed people and always got the girl. He was NOT a cry-baby, but he wasn't afraid to cry.
He was so shy and reportedly hated interviews, but he did an extended interview at the Actor's Theater that I have watched over and over (like I have every episode of the Sopranos that I have on iTunes). Please try to ignore the subtitles:
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