James Gandolfini dead at 51, leaves behind baby daughter
The Sopranos star James Gandolfini died from a massive heart attack in Italy at the age of 51, his manager has confirmed. He was in Rome vacationing with his family, and was set to attend the 59th Taormina Film Festival in Sicily.
Autopsy reports confirm that the actor died of “natural causes.” While the actor had struggled with drug and alcohol abuse in the past, there was no evidence of substances in his system, according to the report.
The actor’s wife Deborah Lin gave birth to their daughter last October, and he was set to star in an upcoming HBO series called Criminal Justice. He also had a son with ex-wife Marcy Wudarski.
He was a talented actor best known for his role as Tony Soprano in the lauded HBO series The Sopranos, which was recently named The Best Written TV Show Ever by the Writer’s Guild of America. Decades from now people will probably be watching James’s outstanding performance on that show.
He got his start in 1992 when he landed a role in a Broadway production of A Streetcar Named Desire starring Alec Baldwin and Jessica Lange.
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HBO released this statement upon hearing of James’ death:
“We’re all in shock and feeling immeasurable sadness at the loss of a beloved member of our family. He was special man, a great talent, but more importantly a gentle and loving person who treated everyone no matter their title or position with equal respect. He touched so many of us over the years with his humor, his warmth and his humility. Our hearts go out to his wife and children during this terrible time. He will be deeply missed by all of us.”
RIP, Tony Soprano.
