The late James Gandolfini wasn\u2019t always the hulking, balding man the world grew to love as a ruthless yet sensitive mobster on The Sopranos.<\/p>\n
Iconic for his portrayal of the philandering Tony Soprano, who had better luck being loyal to his mob family than his own family, Gandolfini was equally frisky in his younger years, decades before he played the enigmatic violent sociopath on The Sopranos.<\/p>\n
Born September 18, 1961, James Gandolfini was best known as the affable Tony Soprano, the Mafia crime boss, and the family patriarch in HBO\u2019s The Sopranos.<\/p>\n
Sometimes sensitive, other times sociopathic, Gandolfini\u2019s landmark performance of the flawed gangster earned him numerous awards and international acclaim.<\/p>\n
Speaking of the lovable but brutal Tony Soprano, James Gandolfini told Vogue: \u201cI am playing an Italian lunatic from New Jersey, and that\u2019s basically what I am.\u201d<\/p>\n
After a hugely successful six-season run, the series ended in 2007, leaving fans wondering if the blacked-out screen in the end meant the antihero is alive, or dead.<\/p>\n
Tragedy in Rome
\nBut, along with the legendary actor, the elder Soprano died on June 19, 2013, after a heart attack claimed the life of the beloved 51-year-old star.<\/p>\n
The Jersey-born man was travelling with his family in Italy and was in the hotel with his then 13-year-old son Michael when he had a heart attack and died.<\/p>\n
Gandolfini left behind his wife Deborah Lin, who he married in 2008, daughter Liliane (born 2012), and Michael, who he shares with first wife, Marcy Wudarski.<\/p>\n
Almost 10 years later, Michael landed the biggest role of his life, playing the role of a young Tony Soprano in The Many Saints of Newark.<\/p>\n
In September 2021, Michael spoke with the New York Times about capturing the complexity of the character his father so effortlessly played.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was always like, \u2018I want to make my dad proud. I want to make my dad proud.\u2019\u201d The then 22-year-old actor continued, \u201cI truly wasn\u2019t aware of the legacy of him\u2026My dad was just my dad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though it\u2019s clich\u00e9, Michael is his dad. The man inherited many of his father\u2019s features and characteristics, like the sleepy yet inviting eyes, a menacing smirk and the soft voice mixed with the colorful language.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pressure is real,\u201d he said of playing the mafia don as a youngster. \u201cNot only was it the feeling of my dad \u2013 it was like, Tony Soprano is a f***ing hard character.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Biggest flirt\u2019
\nBefore Gandolfini had three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe resting on his mantel, he was a regular Italian American kid growing up with his working-class family in a modest Westwood, New Jersey home.<\/p>\n
His father served as the building maintenance chief at a Catholic school, and his mother worked as a lunch lady in a high school. He was a \u201chappy, cute little boy,\u201d as described by childhood chum Pam Donlan, who would later become a highly respected actor in Hollywood.<\/p>\n
In 1979, the young man, who stood just over 6 ft., was a senior at Park Ridge High School in New Jersey, where he was one of the popular kids.<\/p>\n
Excelling in both academics and extra-curricular activities, the Get Shorty star developed his skills as an actor while in high school, where he studied theatre.<\/p>\n
It was in these years the Where the Wild Things Are star met John Travolta, whose father owned a store the senior Gandolfini patronized.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father sold tires to his father,\u201d Travolta said after Gandolfini died. \u201cI was his inspiration to get into the business\u2026He would see pictures of me on the wall from movies and he decided that he wanted to be an actor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before heading off to Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelors of Arts, Gandolfini first celebrated his last year at high school with classmates voting him \u201cbest looking\u201d and \u2013 not surprisingly \u2013 \u201cbiggest flirt.\u201d<\/p>\n
On a Facebook post shared by the Park Ridge community, an old photo of the young star along with a woman, Donna Lange, shows the two as \u201cclass flirts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI [love] this picture of Jimmy and Donna\u2026I always remember him like this\u2026happy kid with that killer smile,\u201d writes one old friend. \u201cIt\u2019s a great picture of Jim and Donna,\u201d shares another.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Duff Lambros remembers his childhood friend as having \u201ca \u201cquiet confidence,\u201d and \u201ca cool dignity.\u201d He said, \u201cGirls loved him. Guys loved him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The friend adds, \u201cWhen he cracked that smile, it wasn\u2019t just teeth, he smiled with his eyes. It felt like the sun was shining.\u201d<\/p>\n
Travolta \u2013 who shared the screen with Gandfolfini in several films \u2013 remembers his long-time family friend as a giant not only as an actor, but also in his personal life. \u201cHe was a people person first and then everything else,\u201d Travolta said. \u201cHe was this beautiful man and I love him very much.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite Tony Soprano\u2019s imposing presence, Gandolfini exhibited remarkable humility and dedication. He humorously characterized himself as a \u201c260-pound Woody Allen,\u201d emphasizing his unassuming nature despite the larger-than-life character he portrayed on screen.<\/p>\n
Anthony Neste\/Getty Images
\nWhat are your favorite memories of James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano, or in another role? Please let us know what you think in the comments section below and then share this story so we can hear what others have to say!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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