James Gandolfini - wikipedia James Gandolfini James Gandolfini Gandolfini in 2010 James Joseph Gandolfini Jr. ( 1961 - 09 - 18 ) September 18, 1961 Westwood, New Jersey, U.S. June 19, 2013 ( 2013 - 06 - 19 ) ( aged 51 ) Rome, Italy Cause of death Heart attack Alma mater Rutgers University Occupation Actor, producer Years active 1981 -- 2013 Spouse ( s ) Marcy Wudarski ( m. 1999 ; div. 2002 ) Deborah Lin ( m. 2008 ) Children James Joseph Gandolfini Jr. ( September 18, 1961 -- June 19, 2013 ) was an American actor best known for his role as Tony Soprano, the Italian - American crime boss in HBO 's television series, The Sopranos. He was widely hailed for his performance, winning three Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and one Golden Globe Award. His notable film roles include mob henchman Virgil in True Romance ( 1993 ), Lt. Bobby Dougherty in Crimson Tide ( 1995 ), and Mayor of New York in The Taking of Pelham 123 ( 2009 ). Other roles are enforcer and stuntman Bear in Get Shorty ( 1995 ) and impulsive `` Wild Thing '' Carol in Where the Wild Things Are ( 2009 ). For his performance as Albert in Enough Said ( 2013 ), Gandolfini posthumously received much critical praise and several accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination and the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 2007, Gandolfini produced Alive Day Memories : Home from Iraq, a documentary in which he interviewed injured Iraq War veterans and in 2010, Wartorn : 1861 -- 2010 examining the impact of posttraumatic stress disorder on soldiers and families throughout several wars in American history from 1861 to 2010. Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 Death 5 Legacy 6 Filmography 6.1 Film 6.2 Television 6.3 Video games 7 References 8 External links Early life Gandolfini was born in Westwood, New Jersey. His mother, Santa ( née Penna ), was a high school lunch lady of Italian ancestry who was born in the United States and raised in Naples. His Italian - born father, James Joseph Gandolfini Sr., was a native of Borgo Val di Taro who worked as a bricklayer and cement mason and later the head janitor at Paramus Catholic High School in New Jersey. James Sr. earned a Purple Heart in World War II. Gandolfini 's parents were devout Roman Catholics and spoke Italian at home. Due to the influence of his parents, he developed a strong sense of Italian American identity and visited Italy regularly. He had two sisters. Gandolfini grew up in Park Ridge, New Jersey and graduated from Park Ridge High School in 1979, where he played basketball, acted in school plays, and was awarded the title `` Class Flirt '' in his senior yearbook. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication studies from Rutgers University in 1982, where he worked as a bouncer at an on - campus pub. He also worked as a bartender and club manager in Manhattan prior to his acting career. He was introduced to acting as a young man living in New York City, when he accompanied his friend Roger Bart to a Meisner technique acting class, where he studied for two years under Kathryn Gately at The Gately Poole Conservatory. Career Gandolfini and Tony Sirico visit a member of the United States Air Force during a United Service Organizations visit to southwest Asia ( March 2010 ) Gandolfini with Rose McGowan in Kuwait ( March 2010 ) Gandolfini performed in a 1992 Broadway production of On the Waterfront for six weeks. One of his earlier film roles was that of Virgil, a brutal mob enforcer, in the romantic thriller True Romance ( 1993 ), for which he said one of his major inspirations was an old friend of his who was a hitman. In the film Terminal Velocity ( 1994 ), Gandolfini played Ben Pinkwater, a seemingly mild - mannered insurance man who turns out to be a violent Russian mobster. In 1995 he was in the box office hit Crimson Tide. In that same year in Get Shorty ( 1995 ), he appeared as a bearded ex-stuntman with a Southern accent, and in The Juror ( 1996 ), he played a mob enforcer with a conscience. Gandolfini received widespread acclaim for his performance as Tony Soprano, the lead character in the HBO drama The Sopranos, a New Jersey mob boss and family man whose constant existential questioning includes regular psychiatric appointments. The show debuted in 1999 and was broadcast until 2007. For his depiction of Soprano, Gandolfini won three Emmys for `` Best Actor in a Drama '' and Entertainment Weekly listed him as the 42nd Greatest TV Icon of All Time. In addition to the awards that he won, Gandolfini received numerous nominations and two SAG Awards for being a member of the series ' ensemble. In 2007 Gandolfini produced a documentary with HBO focused on injured Iraq War veterans and their devotion to America while surveying the physical and emotional costs of war. Gandolfini interviewed ten surviving soldiers, who revealed their thoughts about the challenges they face reintegrating into society and family life. They also reflected on their memories of the day when they narrowly escaped death and what life may have been like in other circumstances. That same year, Gandolfini returned to HBO as the executive producer of the Emmy - nominated documentary special, Alive Day Memories : Home From Iraq, his first project after The Sopranos and the first production for his company Attaboy Films, which was opened in 2006 with producing partner Alexandra Ryan. He returned to the stage in 2009, appearing in Broadway 's God of Carnage with Marcia Gay Harden, Hope Davis, and Jeff Daniels. He received a Tony Award nomination in the category of Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for his role in the play, but lost to Geoffrey Rush, who played the lead in Exit the King. He played the Mayor of New York in the 2009 remake of The Taking of Pelham 123. In 2010 Gandolfini produced another documentary with HBO, which analyzed the effects of posttraumatic stress disorder throughout American history, from 1861 to 2010. It featured interviews with American military officials on their views of PTSD and how they are trying to help soldiers affected by it. Letters from soldiers of the American Civil War and World War I who were affected by PTSD are examined, along with interviews with soldiers affected by PTSD and their families. Gandolfini was executive producer of the HBO film about Ernest Hemingway and his relationship with Martha Gellhorn, titled Hemingway & Gellhorn ( 2012 ). Gandolfini reunited with The Sopranos creator David Chase for Not Fade Away ( 2012 ), a music - driven production set in 1960s New Jersey, and the latter 's feature film debut. Two films which he completed before his death on June 19, 2013, were released posthumously. The first was Enough Said, a romantic comedy which he co-starred with Julia Louis - Dreyfus. The film was met with positive reviews, particularly for Gandolfini 's performance. He received posthumous Best Supporting Actor awards from the Boston Society of Film Critics and the Chicago Film Critics Association as well as multiple nominations, including a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role. His final film performance was in The Drop, a crime drama in which he co-starred with Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace. Released September 12, 2014, the film was met with positive reviews for Gandolfini 's performance. Gandolfini is credited as an executive producer on the HBO miniseries The Night Of which premiered in 2016. Gandolfini was set to star in the miniseries when it was pitched to HBO in 2013, but they ultimately decided not to go ahead with the show. HBO reversed their decision a few months later, and the show was green - lit, with Gandolfini still set to star, however he died before filming began. Actor John Turturro assumed the role intended for Gandolfini. Personal life Gandolfini maintained ties with his Park Ridge, New Jersey hometown by supporting its Octoberwoman Foundation for Breast Cancer Research. He lived in New York City and owned a lot on the Lake Manitoba Narrows. Gandolfini had lived on a 34 - acre ( 14 ha ) property in Chester Township, New Jersey. In 2009 he purchased a home in the hills of Tewksbury Township, New Jersey. GQ 's Brett Martin said about Gandolfini : `` In interviews, which the actor did his very best to avoid, the actor would often fall back on some version of ' I 'm just a dumb, fat guy from Jersey. ' '' Gandolfini and his first wife, Marcy Wudarski, divorced in December 2002. They have a son named Michael ( born 2000 ). On August 30, 2008, after two years of dating, Gandolfini married former model and actress Deborah Lin in her hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii. Their daughter, Liliana Ruth Gandolfini, was born in Los Angeles, California in October 2012. Death Gandolfini died suddenly at the age of 51 in Rome, on June 19, 2013. He was expected to travel to Sicily a few days later to receive an award at the Taormina Film Fest. After he and his family had spent a day of sightseeing in sweltering heat, his 13 - year - old son Michael discovered him unconscious at around 10 pm local time, on the bathroom floor at the Boscolo Exedra Hotel in the Piazza della Repubblica. Michael called reception, who in turn called emergency paramedics. Gandolfini reportedly arrived at the hospital at 10 : 40 pm and was pronounced dead at 11 pm. An autopsy confirmed that he had died of a heart attack. While word of his death spread, politicians such as John McCain and Chris Christie took to the Internet to respond. Christie ordered all New Jersey State buildings to fly flags at half staff on June 24, to honor Gandolfini when his body was returned to the United States. The people of Gandolfini 's hometown started a Facebook page to discuss plans to honor him, including naming a street after him and renaming the Little Theater at Park Ridge High School after him, where he did his first performances. The day after Gandolfini 's death, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which has long featured Sopranos co-star Steven Van Zandt on guitar, dedicated a performance of their classic album Born to Run ( 1975 ) by doing a rendition for Gandolfini. Gandolfini 's body was returned to the United States on June 23, 2013. Family spokesman Michael Kobold thanked both Italian and American authorities for expediting the repatriation process, which normally takes seven days. Broadway dimmed theater marquee lights on the night of Wednesday, June 26 in Gandolfini 's honor. Gandolfini 's funeral service was held on June 27, 2013, at the Episcopal Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in Morningside Heights, Manhattan. He was cremated, and his ashes were given to his family. Legacy TV Guide published a special tribute to Gandolfini in their July 1, 2013, issue following his death, devoting the entire back cover of that issue to his image. In it, columnist Matt Roush cited Gandolfini 's work as Tony Soprano as an influence on subsequent cable TV protagonists, saying : `` Without Tony, there 's no Vic Mackey of The Shield, no Al Swearengen of Deadwood, no Don Draper of Mad Men ( whose creator, Matthew Weiner, honed his craft as a writer on The Sopranos ). '' Similar testimonials were given by his costars and colleagues, including Edie Falco, who expressed shock and devastation at his death ; Sopranos creator David Chase, who praised him as a `` genius '' Bryan Cranston, who stated that his Breaking Bad character Walter White would not have existed without Tony Soprano ; and Gandolfini 's The Mexican, True Romance and Killing Them Softly co-star Brad Pitt, who expressed admiration for Gandolfini as a `` ferocious actor, a gentle soul and a genuinely funny man ''. Three months after his death, it was reported that in Gandolfini 's last will and testament, dated December 19, 2012 and filed July 2, 2013 in Manhattan Surrogate 's Court, he left a substantial portion of his estimated $70 million estate to his two sisters, widow, and daughter. The will did not state any inheritance for his only son, Michael, because Gandolfini provided for him a separate trust funded by a life insurance policy. In December 2013, following an online petition campaign started by Gandolfini 's high school classmate, Lori Fredrics, his hometown renamed its Park Avenue to James Gandolfini Way at a public ceremony attended by several of his former Sopranos co-stars. In 2014, Gandolfini was posthumously inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes Shock ! Shock ! Shock ! Orderly 1991 The Last Boy Scout Marcone 's Henchman Uncredited A Stranger Among Us Tony Baldessari Money for Nothing Billy Coyle True Romance Virgil Mr. Wonderful Mike Italian Movie Angelo Angie Vinnie Terminal Velocity Ben Pinkwater 1995 Le Nouveau monde Will Caberra Crimson Tide Lt. Bobby Dougherty Get Shorty Bear Nominated -- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture The Juror Eddie 1997 Night Falls on Manhattan Joey Allegretto She 's So Lovely Kiefer 12 Angry Men Juror # 6 Perdita Durango Willie `` Woody '' Dumas Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Diner Cook Uncredited 1998 Fallen Lou The Mighty Kenny Kane A Civil Action Al Love 1999 8mm Eddie Poole A Whole New Day Vincent The Mexican Winston Baldry L.A. Outfest Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role The Man Who Was n't There Big Dave Brewster The Last Castle Colonel Winter Surviving Christmas Tom Valco 2005 Romance & Cigarettes Nick Murder Stories of Lost Souls Vincent Segment : `` A Whole New Day '' 2006 Lonely Hearts Det. Charles Hilderbrandt All the King 's Men Tiny Duffy Club Soda The Man 2007 Stories USA The Man Segment `` Club Soda '' 2009 In the Loop Lt. Gen. George Miller The Taking of Pelham 123 Mayor of New York Where the Wild Things Are Carol Voice Welcome to the Rileys Doug Riley Mint Julep Mr. G 2011 Down the Shore Bailey Euler Violet & Daisy The Guy Cinema Verite Craig Gilbert 2012 Killing Them Softly Mickey Not Fade Away Pat Damiano Zero Dark Thirty CIA Director Leon Panetta Nominated -- Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble The Patriot of America Daniel `` Danny '' Cole Voice 2013 The Incredible Burt Wonderstone Doug Munny Nicky Deuce Bobby Eggs Enough Said Albert Posthumous release Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated -- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Nominated -- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated -- Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated -- Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male Nominated -- London Film Critics Circle Award for Supporting Actor of the Year Nominated -- Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated -- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated -- Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor 2014 The Drop Cousin Marv Posthumous release Television Year Title Role Notes 1997 Gun Walter Difideli Episode : `` Columbus Day '' 12 Angry Men Juror # 6 Television film 1999 -- 2007 The Sopranos Tony Soprano 86 episodes Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series ( 2000, 2001, 2003 ) AFI Award for Actor of the Year - Male - TV Series ( 2001 ) Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Television Series Drama ( 2000 ) Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series ( 1999, 2002, 2007 ) Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series ( 1999, 2007 ) TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama ( 1999, 2000, 2001 ) Nominated -- Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Television Series Drama ( 2000, 2001, 2002 ) Nominated -- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series ( 1999, 2004, 2007 ) Nominated -- Golden Nymph Award for Outstanding Actor -- Drama Series ( 2008 ) Nominated -- Satellite Award for Best Actor -- Television Series Drama ( 1999, 2000, 2001 ) Nominated -- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series ( 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006 ) Nominated -- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series ( 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006 ) Nominated -- TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama ( 2003, 2004, 2006 ) Nominated -- Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Actor ( 2000 ) 2002 Sesame Street Himself 1 episode Saturday Night Live Unidentified New Jersey Resident Episode : `` Ben Affleck / Nelly '' 2008 Alive Day Memories : Home from Iraq Television film ; producer Nominated -- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Nonfiction Special Wartorn : 1861 -- 2010 Television film ; producer PRISM Award for Best Documentary Program -- Mental Health 2011 Cinema Verite Craig Gilbert Television film 2012 Hemingway & Gellhorn Television film ; producer Nominated -- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie 2013 Nicky Deuce Bobby Eggs Television film 2016 The Night Of Jack Stone Unaired pilot ; also executive producer ( posthumous credit ) Video games Year Title Role Notes 2006 The Sopranos : Road to Respect Tony Soprano Voice and likeness References Jump up ^ `` James Gandolfini Is Dead at 51 ; a Complex Mob Boss in ' The Sopranos ' ''. The New York Times. Retrieved December 5, 2015. Jump up ^ `` James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano ''. HBO. Archived from the original on January 9, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Youtube interview of James Gandolfini -- Inside the Actors Studio, 2004 ''. YouTube. May 15, 2007. Retrieved April 11, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Santa Gandolfini Obituary - Search Santa Gandolfini Recent Obituaries ''. Genealogybank.com. Retrieved November 5, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` This Is James Gandolfini, He 's Not Tony, The Actor Behind The Sopranos Mob Boss Is More Like `` A 260 - Pound Woody Allen '' ``. CBS News. April 8, 2007. Retrieved April 11, 2010. Jump up ^ DAVE ITZKOFF ( June 19, 2013 ). `` James Gandolfini Is Dead at 51 ; a Complex Mob Boss in ' The Sopranos ' ''. The New York Times. Retrieved November 5, 2014. Jump up ^ Heilpern, John ( April 2009 ). `` Out to Lunch : Curtains for Gandolfini ''. Vanity Fair. Jump up ^ `` James Gandolfini -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved April 11, 2010. Jump up ^ `` James Gandolfini dies at 51 ; actor starred in ' The Sopranos ' ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 25, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Gandolfini ' displayed his usual sense of humor ' when he signed will ''. Daily News. New York. September 19, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2015. Jump up ^ Goldman, Jeff ( June 20, 2013 ). `` Yearbook photos of James Gandolfini acting, playing basketball at Park Ridge High School ''. The Star - Ledger. Retrieved June 20, 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` James Gandolfini ''. AskMen.com. June 2013. Archived from the original on February 19, 2008. Retrieved June 20, 2013. Jump up ^ `` 25 ( Not Quite ) Random Facts About James Gandolfini ''. Broadway.com : Broadway Buzz. April 9, 2009. Retrieved February 13, 2017. Jump up ^ `` R.I.P. James Gandolfini - June 19th 2013 ''. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2013. Jump up ^ Brown, Eric ( June 19, 2013 ). `` James Gandolfini : The Late Actor 's Best Scenes In ' The Sopranos, ' ' True Romance ' And More ''. International Business Times. Retrieved May 7, 2015. Jump up ^ `` The 50 Greatest TV Icons - JAMES GANDOLFINI ''. Entertainment Weekly. December 27, 2007. Retrieved June 20, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Clive James on The Sopranos ''. The Daily Telegraph. June 30, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2013. Jump up ^ `` HBO Orders Hemingway Film With Nicole Kidman and Clive Owen ''. TV Guide. Jump up ^ McNary, Dave ( January 24, 2011 ). `` Gandolfini, Chase reconnect at ' Twylight ' ''. Variety. Retrieved February 1, 2011. Jump up ^ Andreeva, Nellie ( January 24, 2011 ). `` ' Sopranos ' Big - Screen Reunion : James Gandolfini Joins David Chase 's New Movie ''. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 1, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Enough Said ''. Rottentomatoes.com. September 18, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2014. Jump up ^ `` The Drop ''. Rottentomatoes.com. September 12, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Everybody 's scared to upset Mr. Soprano ''. Winnipeg Free Press. October 17, 2007. Retrieved April 11, 2010. Jump up ^ Slaught, Veronica. `` Sopranos star James Gandolfini buys home in Tewksbury '', The Star - Ledger, September 24, 2009. Accessed May 12, 2017. `` The star of The Sopranos previously lived in a 150 - year - old colonial on 34 acres in Chester Township. '' Jump up ^ Slaght, Veronica ( September 24, 2009 ). `` ' Sopranos ' star James Gandolfini buys home in Tewksbury ''. The Star - Ledger. Retrieved June 20, 2013. Jump up ^ Martin, Brett ( July 2013 ). `` The Night Tony Soprano Disappeared ''. GQ Magazine. Jump up ^ `` James Gandolfini discovered by 13 - year - old son ''. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved June 20, 2013. Jump up ^ Nichols, Katherine ( August 31, 2008 ). `` Sopranos Star James Gandolfini Gets Married ''. People. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2013. Jump up ^ `` James Gandolfini Welcomes Daughter ''. USA Today. October 12, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2013. Jump up ^ `` James Gandolfini died of cardiac arrest ''. News24. Associated Press. June 20, 2013. Jump up ^ `` James Gandolfini Cause of Death : Autopsy Confirms Heart Attack Killed ' Sopranos ' Star, Source Says ''. The Huffington Post. Retrieved June 11, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Reactions to the Death of James Gandolfini ''. The New York Times. Retrieved June 21, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Stars share reaction to James Gandolfini 's death ''. Yahoo ! News. Retrieved June 21, 2013. Jump up ^ `` James Gandolfini 's death stirs reactions from stars ''. RGJ. Retrieved June 21, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Governor Christie orders flags at half - staff on Mon., June 24 to recognize James Gandolfini ''. northjersey.com. Archived from the original on June 26, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Ex-classmates want street named after Gandolfini ''. FIOS News 1. Archived from the original on July 11, 2013. Retrieved June 26, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Bruce Springsteen Dedicates ' Born to Run ' to James Gandolfini Onstage ''. Rolling Stone. June 21, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2013. Jump up ^ `` James Gandolfini 's Body Returned to U.S. '' People. 23 June 2013. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Broadway to dim marquee lights for Gandolfini ''. United Press International. Retrieved June 25, 2013. Jump up ^ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/10131618/James-Gandolfini-was-a-genius-says-Sopranos-creator.html Jump up ^ `` Celebrities React to the Death of James Gandolfini ''. www.tvguide.com. June 19, 2013. Jump up ^ Roush, Matt ( July 1, 2013 ). `` A Soprano 's Swan Song ''. TV Guide. pp. 18 -- 21. Jump up ^ Ross, Barbara. `` James Gandolfini ' displayed his usual sense of humor ' when he signed will prior to his death ''. The Daily News. Jump up ^ Alexander, Dan ( December 2, 2013 ). `` Park Ridge Pays Tribute to James Gandolfini ''. New Jersey 101.5. Jump up ^ `` Phoenix Film Critic Nominations Are Led by ' 12 Years a Slave ' ''. AwardsCircuit.com - By Clayton Davis. Retrieved November 5, 2014. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to James Gandolfini. James Gandolfini on IMDb James Gandolfini at the TCM Movie Database `` James Gandolfini ''. Find a Grave. Retrieved March 28, 2017. Awards for James Gandolfini Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor 1980 - 2000 Jason Robards ( 1980 ) Jack Nicholson ( 1981 ) Mickey Rourke ( 1982 ) Jack Nicholson ( 1983 ) John Malkovich ( 1984 ) Ian Holm ( 1985 ) Dennis Hopper / Ray Liotta ( 1986 ) R. Lee Ermey ( 1987 ) Dean Stockwell ( 1988 ) Danny Aiello ( 1989 ) Joe Pesci ( 1990 ) Anthony Hopkins ( 1991 ) Gene Hackman ( 1992 ) Ralph Fiennes ( 1993 ) Martin Landau ( 1994 ) Kevin Spacey ( 1995 ) Edward Norton ( 1996 ) Kevin Spacey ( 1997 ) William H. Macy / Billy Bob Thornton ( 1998 ) Christopher Plummer ( 1999 ) Fred Willard ( 2000 ) 2001 - present Ben Kingsley ( 2001 ) Alan Arkin ( 2002 ) Peter Sarsgaard ( 2003 ) Thomas Haden Church ( 2004 ) Paul Giamatti ( 2005 ) Mark Wahlberg ( 2006 ) Javier Bardem ( 2007 ) Heath Ledger ( 2008 ) Christoph Waltz ( 2009 ) Christian Bale ( 2010 ) Albert Brooks ( 2011 ) Ezra Miller ( 2012 ) James Gandolfini ( 2013 ) J.K. Simmons ( 2014 ) Mark Rylance ( 2015 ) Mahershala Ali ( 2016 ) Willem Dafoe ( 2017 ) Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Robert Young ( 1956 ) Robert Young ( 1957 ) Raymond Burr ( 1959 ) Robert Stack ( 1960 ) Raymond Burr ( 1961 ) E.G. Marshall ( 1962 ) E.G. Marshall ( 1963 ) Bill Cosby ( 1966 ) Bill Cosby ( 1967 ) Bill Cosby ( 1968 ) Carl Betz ( 1969 ) Robert Young ( 1970 ) Hal Holbrook ( 1971 ) Peter Falk ( 1972 ) Richard Thomas ( 1973 ) Telly Savalas ( 1974 ) Robert Blake ( 1975 ) Peter Falk ( 1976 ) James Garner ( 1977 ) Ed Asner ( 1978 ) Ron Leibman ( 1979 ) Ed Asner ( 1980 ) Daniel J. Travanti ( 1981 ) Daniel J. Travanti ( 1982 ) Ed Flanders ( 1983 ) Tom Selleck ( 1984 ) William Daniels ( 1985 ) William Daniels ( 1986 ) Bruce Willis ( 1987 ) Richard Kiley ( 1988 ) Carroll O'Connor ( 1989 ) Peter Falk ( 1990 ) James Earl Jones ( 1991 ) Christopher Lloyd ( 1992 ) Tom Skerritt ( 1993 ) Dennis Franz ( 1994 ) Mandy Patinkin ( 1995 ) Dennis Franz ( 1996 ) Dennis Franz ( 1997 ) Andre Braugher ( 1998 ) Dennis Franz ( 1999 ) James Gandolfini ( 2000 ) James Gandolfini ( 2001 ) Michael Chiklis ( 2002 ) James Gandolfini ( 2003 ) James Spader ( 2004 ) James Spader ( 2005 ) Kiefer Sutherland ( 2006 ) James Spader ( 2007 ) Bryan Cranston ( 2008 ) Bryan Cranston ( 2009 ) Bryan Cranston ( 2010 ) Kyle Chandler ( 2011 ) Damian Lewis ( 2012 ) Jeff Daniels ( 2013 ) Bryan Cranston ( 2014 ) Jon Hamm ( 2015 ) Rami Malek ( 2016 ) Sterling K. Brown ( 2017 ) Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Television Series Drama Mike Connors ( 1969 ) Peter Graves ( 1970 ) Robert Young ( 1971 ) Peter Falk ( 1972 ) James Stewart ( 1973 ) Telly Savalas ( 1974 ) Robert Blake / Telly Savalas ( 1975 ) Richard Jordan ( 1976 ) Edward Asner ( 1977 ) Michael Moriarty ( 1978 ) Edward Asner ( 1979 ) Richard Chamberlain ( 1980 ) Daniel J. Travanti ( 1981 ) John Forsythe ( 1982 ) John Forsythe ( 1983 ) Tom Selleck ( 1984 ) Don Johnson ( 1985 ) Edward Woodward ( 1986 ) Richard Kiley ( 1987 ) Ron Perlman ( 1988 ) Ken Wahl ( 1989 ) Kyle MacLachlan ( 1990 ) Scott Bakula ( 1991 ) Sam Waterston ( 1992 ) David Caruso ( 1993 ) Dennis Franz ( 1994 ) Jimmy Smits ( 1995 ) David Duchovny ( 1996 ) Anthony Edwards ( 1997 ) Dylan McDermott ( 1998 ) James Gandolfini ( 1999 ) Martin Sheen ( 2000 ) Kiefer Sutherland ( 2001 ) Michael Chiklis ( 2002 ) Anthony LaPaglia ( 2003 ) Ian McShane ( 2004 ) Hugh Laurie ( 2005 ) Hugh Laurie ( 2006 ) Jon Hamm ( 2007 ) Gabriel Byrne ( 2008 ) Michael C. Hall ( 2009 ) Steve Buscemi ( 2010 ) Kelsey Grammer ( 2011 ) Damian Lewis ( 2012 ) Bryan Cranston ( 2013 ) Kevin Spacey ( 2014 ) Jon Hamm ( 2015 ) Billy Bob Thornton ( 2016 ) Sterling K. Brown ( 2017 ) Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Dennis Franz ( 1994 ) Anthony Edwards ( 1995 ) Dennis Franz ( 1996 ) Anthony Edwards ( 1997 ) Sam Waterston ( 1998 ) James Gandolfini ( 1999 ) Martin Sheen ( 2000 ) Martin Sheen ( 2001 ) James Gandolfini ( 2002 ) Kiefer Sutherland ( 2003 ) Jerry Orbach ( 2004 ) Kiefer Sutherland ( 2005 ) Hugh Laurie ( 2006 ) James Gandolfini ( 2007 ) Hugh Laurie ( 2008 ) Michael C. Hall ( 2009 ) Steve Buscemi ( 2010 ) Steve Buscemi ( 2011 ) Bryan Cranston ( 2012 ) Bryan Cranston ( 2013 ) Kevin Spacey ( 2014 ) Kevin Spacey ( 2015 ) John Lithgow ( 2016 ) Sterling K. Brown ( 2017 ) Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series ( 1994 -- 1999 ) 1994 : NYPD Blue, season 1 / season 2 Clapp Franz Lawrence McDaniel O'Grady Smits Turturro 1995 : ER, season 1 / season 2 Clooney Edwards La Salle Margulies Reuben Stringfield Wyle 1996 : ER, season 2 / season 3 Clooney Edwards Innes La Salle Margulies Reuben Stringfield Wyle 1997 : ER, season 3 / season 4 Bello Clooney Edwards Innes Kingston La Salle Margulies Reuben Wyle 1998 : ER, season 4 / season 5 Clooney Edwards Innes Kingston La Salle Margulies Martin McCrane Reuben Wyle 1999 : The Sopranos, season 1 Bracco Chianese Falco Gandolfini Iler Imperioli Marchand Pastore Sigler Sirico Van Zandt Complete list ( 1994 -- 1999 ) ( 2000 -- 2009 ) ( 2010 -- present ) Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series ( 2000 -- 2009 ) 2000 : The West Wing, season 1 / season 2 Hill Janney Kelly Lowe Moloney Schiff Sheen Spencer Whitford 2001 : The West Wing, season 2 / season 3 Hill Janney Lowe Moloney Schiff Sheen Spencer Whitford 2002 : Six Feet Under, season 2 Ambrose Conroy Griffiths Hall Krause Rodríguez St. Patrick 2003 : Six Feet Under, season 3 Ambrose Conroy Foster Griffiths Hall Krause Macdissi Machado Rodríguez St. Patrick Taylor Wilson 2004 : CSI : Crime Scene Investigation, season 4 / season 5 Dourdan Eads Fox Guilfoyle Hall Helgenberger Petersen Szmanda 2005 : Lost, season 1 / season 2 Akinnuoye - Agbaje Andrews de Ravin Fox Garcia Grace Holloway Kelley D.D. Kim Y. Kim Lilly Monaghan O'Quinn Perrineau Rodriguez Somerhalder Watros 2006 : Grey 's Anatomy, season 2 / season 3 Chambers Dane Dempsey Heigl Knight Oh Pickens Pompeo Ramirez Walsh Washington Wilson 2007 : The Sopranos, season 6, part II Antonacci Bracco Falco Gandolfini Grimaldi Iler Imperioli Nascarella Schirripa Servitto Sigler Sirico Turturro Van Zandt Vincent 2008 : Mad Men, season 2 Batt Brie Gladis Hamm Hart Hendricks Jones Kartheiser Moses Moss Shipka Slattery Sommer Staton 2009 : Mad Men, season 3 Alemanni Batt Gilmore Gladis Hamm Harris Hendricks Jones Kartheiser Morse Moss Shipka Slattery Sommer Stanley Staton Complete list ( 1994 -- 1999 ) ( 2000 -- 2009 ) ( 2010 -- present ) TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Drama Andre Braugher ( 1997 ) Andre Braugher ( 1998 ) James Gandolfini / David E. Kelley ( 1999 ) James Gandolfini ( 2000 ) James Gandolfini ( 2001 ) Michael Chiklis ( 2002 ) Edie Falco ( 2003 ) Ian McShane ( 2004 ) Hugh Laurie ( 2005 ) Hugh Laurie ( 2006 ) Michael C. Hall ( 2007 ) Paul Giamatti ( 2008 ) Bryan Cranston ( 2009 ) Julianna Margulies ( 2010 ) Jon Hamm ( 2011 ) Claire Danes ( 2012 ) Tatiana Maslany ( 2013 ) Matthew McConaughey ( 2014 ) Jon Hamm ( 2015 ) Sarah Paulson ( 2016 ) Carrie Coon ( 2017 ) Keri Russell ( 2018 ) BNE : XX1166808 BNF : cb140667815 ( data ) GND : 136495699 ISNI : 0000 0001 1773 1596 LCCN : no98117890 ICCU : IT ICCU \UBOV 696485 SNAC : w6v41r1w SUDOC : 074139223 VIAF : 85707121 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Gandolfini&oldid=851059406 '' Categories : 1961 births 2013 deaths 20th - century American male actors 21st - century American male actors American male film actors American male voice actors American male stage actors American male television actors People of Campanian descent American people of Italian descent American Roman Catholics Best Drama Actor Golden Globe ( television ) winners Male actors of Italian descent Male actors from New Jersey Male actors from New York City Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Screen Actors Guild Award winners People from Chester Township, New Jersey People from Park Ridge, New Jersey People from Tewksbury Township, New Jersey People from Westwood, New Jersey People of Emilian descent Rutgers University alumni Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from August 2015 Infobox person using alma mater Articles with hCards All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from July 2013 Articles with unsourced statements from August 2015 Articles with unsourced statements from July 2017 Find a Grave template with ID same as Wikidata Wikipedia articles with BNE identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with SBN identifiers Wikipedia articles with SNAC - ID identifiers Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Acèh Aragonés Asturianu Azərbaycanca تۆرکجه Български Boarisch Brezhoneg Català Čeština Corsu Cymraeg Dansk Deitsch Deutsch Dolnoserbski Eesti Ελληνικά Español Estremeñu Euskara فارسی Føroyskt Français Gaeilge Gàidhlig Galego 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌹𐍃𐌺 한국어 Hrvatski Ido Bahasa Indonesia Íslenska Italiano עברית ქართული Kernowek Kiswahili Кыргызча Latviešu Lëtzebuergesch Magyar മലയാളം Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Occitan Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча Piemontèis Polski Português Română Runa Simi Русский Sardu Scots Shqip Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Basa Sunda Suomi Svenska Tagalog தமிழ் Türkçe Українська اردو Vèneto Tiếng Việt Walon Winaray Yorùbá 粵語 中文 69 more Edit links This page was last edited on 19 July 2018, at 19 : 50 ( UTC ). 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Question: who died in real life from the sopranos
Answer: James Joseph Gandolfini Jr.