J
jollyjacktar
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Very sorry to hear of his passing suddenly at 51. Christ, that's my age... Loved his work, will miss him.
James Gandolfini dead at 51: The Sopranos star dies in Italy following suspected heart attackActor, 51, was on 'boys trip' in Rome with his teenage son Michael
He is survived by his wife Deborah Lin, nine-month-old daughter Liliana Ruth and son Michael
The Sopranos cast and crew led tributes to the star, with creator David Chase and co-star Steve Schirripa mourning the loss of their 'brother'
By George Stark
PUBLISHED: 23:53 GMT, 19 June 2013 | UPDATED: 10:36 GMT, 20 June 2013
James Gandolfini has died aged 51 after a suspected heart attack.
The Sopranos star was on vacation in Rome with his son Michael, wife Deborah and nine-month-old daughter Liliana Ruth ahead of the 59th Taormina Film Festival in Sicily.
Gandolfini reportedly suffered a heart attack in his hotel after a day out in Rome with his family.
The actor and his family had spent a 'beautiful day out together' in Rome before his tragic passing, according to Gandolfini's assistant, Tom Richardson.
Gandolfini seen in the first season of the hit HBO show in 1999
According to Mike Sullivan, a close friend of Gandolfini's, Richardson told him: 'When they got back to the hotel, Jimmy went to use the restroom. And something happened in there.
'His sister said he was alive when they took him out in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.' The teenager's mother, James' first wife Marcy Wudarski, is said to have
immediately booked a flight to Italy to be with her son after learning of the actor's death. He was married to Michael's mother Marcy for three years until they divorced in 2002.
Gandolfini's second wife, former model Deborah Lin, was with the star in Italy along with their daughter Liliana. Deborah gave birth to Gandolfini's second child last October, the
couple married in Hawaii in 2008. Following the birth of his daughter, a spokesperson for the actor said he was 'thrilled' at becoming a father again.
Gandolfini rose to fame playing the hit man in the 1993 film True Romance, and roles in films such as Terminal Velocity and Get Shorty followed.
However, it wasn't until his breakout role in 1999 in the hit television show The Sopranos that he became a household name.
He played the powerful mob boss Tony Soprano whose stressful gangster and family life left him needing to visit a psychiatrist (Lorraine Bracco).
His compelling portrayal of the ruthless mob boss who suffered from panic attacks saw him win three Emmy Awards for the role.
The character died in the season finale, although the audience was never shown the moment of his death.
Speaking to Vanity Fair about the ending, Gandolfini said: ‘What the f***? I mean, after all I went through, all this death, and then it’s over like that?'
In a statement Gandolfini's managers Mark Armstrong and Nancy Sanders confirmed the death, which happened on Wednesday.
'Our hearts are shattered and we will miss him deeply. He and his family were part of our family for many years and we are all grieving,' they said.
Cable channel HBO called the actor a '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.'
'We're all in shock and feeling immeasurable sadness at the loss of a beloved member of our family,' HBO said.
'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.'
The Sopranos creator David Chase called his leading actor 'a genius'.
He said: 'Anyone who saw him even in the smallest of his performances knows that. 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.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2344799/James-Gandolfini-dead-Actor-dies-Italy-following-suspected-heart-attack.html#ixzz2Wkh3CVQ4
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