| James Gandolfini  Born: 18-Sep-1961
Birthplace: Westwood, NJ
Died: 19-Jun-2013
Location of death: Rome, Italy
Cause of death: Heart Attack
Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Actor Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Tony Soprano wants his money American actor James Gandolfini was born and raised in New Jersey, just like his best-known character, the baby-faced mob boss on The Sopranos.
Gandolfini got a degree in communications from Rutgers, and in his early 20s tagged along with a friend to an acting lesson, where he learned he liked acting. He studied at New York's Actors Studio, but supported himself primarily as a bouncer, bartender, and night club manager in Manhattan for ten years, before his first Broadway role, a small part in A Streetcar Named Desire. He got small roles in some films, and first made an impression on audiences as the philosopher hitman in True Romance. He was also featured in a TV remake of Twelve Angry Men, and had a mid-size role in John Travolta's A Civil Action, before auditioning for the lead in The Sopranos.
He liked the script, and told himself "I could kick this [character] right in the ass, but I'll never get cast. They'll hire some fucking pretty boy... you know, one of these Irish-looking guys who are all over TV now." Instead they hired Gandolfini. In March 2003, Gandolfini held out for a huge raise, and production of the show's fifth season was postponed. HBO offered him $11 million for 13 episodes; Gandolfini wanted $27 million. According to media accounts, HBO threatened to sue Gandolfini for breach of contract, and he settled for the $11 million offer.
When he filed for divorce from Marcy Gandolfini in 2002, she reportedly responded in court papers by listing "more than two dozen names of those she believes James did drugs with, including a number of Sopranos buddies". In the settlement, she got both of their adjoining condos in New York's West Village, worth upwards of $2 million.
He stole The Mexican from Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt, and also appeared in Crimson Tide, Get Shorty, and its sequel Be Cool. Gandolfini also played a mean trumpet. He died in 2013. Father: James Joseph Gandolfini, Sr. (janitor)
Mother: Santa (lunchroom attendant)
Sister: Johanna Gandolfini
Wife: Marcy Wudarski (m. Mar-1999, div. Dec-2002)
Son: Michael Gandolfini (b. 1999)
Girlfriend: Lora Somoza (together 2004-05)
Mistress: Cynthia DeMoss (according to her)
Wife: Deborah Lin (m. 30-Aug-2008, until his death, one daughter)
Daughter: Liliana Ruth (b. 2012)
High School: Park Ridge High School, Park Ridge, NJ (1979)
University: New Brunswick College, NJ
University: BA Communications, Rutgers University (1983)
Innocence Project Artists' Committee
Emmy Outstanding Lead Actor in TV Series, Drama, The Sopranos (2000)
Golden Globe Male Actor in TV Drama Series, The Sopranos (1999)
unknown detox facility (Apr-2000)
Driving While Intoxicated Beverly Hills (Sep-1997)
Italian Ancestry
Risk Factors: Obesity, Cocaine, Alcoholism
TELEVISION
The Sopranos Tony Soprano (1999-2007)
FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
The Night Of (24-Jun-2016)
The Drop (5-Sep-2014)
Enough Said (7-Sep-2013)
Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me (19-Apr-2013) · Himself
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (8-Mar-2013)
Zero Dark Thirty (19-Dec-2012)
Not Fade Away (6-Oct-2012)
Killing Them Softly (22-May-2012)
Violet & Daisy (15-Sep-2011)
Welcome to the Rileys (23-Jan-2010) · Doug Riley
Where the Wild Things Are (13-Oct-2009) · Carol [VOICE]
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (4-Jun-2009)
In the Loop (22-Jan-2009) · Gen. Miller
All the King's Men (10-Sep-2006) · Tiny Duffy
Lonely Hearts (30-Apr-2006) · Charles Hilderbrandt
Romance & Cigarettes (6-Sep-2005) · Nick Murder
Stories of Lost Souls (2005)
Surviving Christmas (22-Oct-2004) · Tom Valco
The Last Castle (19-Oct-2001)
The Man Who Wasn't There (13-May-2001) · Big Dave
The Mexican (2-Mar-2001)
8MM (19-Feb-1999) · Eddie Poole
A Civil Action (25-Dec-1998)
The Mighty (2-Jun-1998) · Kenny Kane
Fallen (16-Jan-1998) · Lou
Dance with the Devil (31-Oct-1997)
12 Angry Men (17-Aug-1997)
She's So Lovely (15-May-1997) · Kiefer
Night Falls on Manhattan (19-Mar-1997) · Joey Allegretto
The Juror (2-Feb-1996) · Eddie
Get Shorty (20-Oct-1995) · Bear
Crimson Tide (12-May-1995)
Terminal Velocity (9-Sep-1994) · Ben Pinkwater
Angie (4-Mar-1994) · Vinnie
Mr. Wonderful (15-Oct-1993) · Mike
True Romance (10-Sep-1993)
Money for Nothing (10-Sep-1993) · Billy Coyle
Italian Movie (1993)
A Stranger Among Us (17-Jul-1992)
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