ACTOR · BORN 1961 · DIED 2013
James Gandolfini
- Born
- 18 September 1961, Westwood, New Jersey, USA
- Died
- 19 June 2013
- Known for
- The Sopranos (1999), The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013), Welcome to the Rileys (2010), Lonely Hearts (2006)
25 archived facts 8 topics 2 sources Last reviewed Nov 2026
James Gandolfini (18 September 1961 – 19 June 2013) was an actor best known for The Sopranos, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone and Welcome to the Rileys.
25 Interesting Facts About James Gandolfini
Interesting Facts (2)
- #001
He first became interested in acting after attending an acting class with a friend, and subsequently studied the Meisner technique under Kathryn Gately for two years.
- #002
In Crimson Tide (1995), James refers to Robert Mitchum and Cary Grant, two actors he also references in The Sopranos (1999).
Production Story (3)
- #003
Originally cast in the role of Carl Hanratty in Catch Me If You Can (2002) but had to drop out due to The Sopranos (1999).
- #004
Had often said Robert De Niro played a considerable role in his decision to become an actor, since Gandolfini had grown up watching Mean Streets (1973) over and over again. Fittingly, in et. 2013, HBO announced that De Niro had been chosen to replace Gandolfini in the television lawyer's role he had signed to play--the lead of the drama miniseries The Night Of (2016). It's slated for production in time to premiere in summer 2014.
James Gandolfini: ManImage: Wikimedia Commons · Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley, U.S. Navy, Public domain - #005
Gandolfini was one of the actors considered for the role of Don Lino in Shark Tale before Robert De Niro was cast.
Behind the Scenes (6)
- #006
For his role as Eddie Poole in 8MM (1999), Gandolfini met a variety of real porn directors and producers to get a feel for their line of work and to get a taste of their personalities, and is said to have loosely based his character on several of them.
- #007
Was very uncomfortable performing violent scenes on The Sopranos (1999) and would sometimes stop during the middle of shooting a scene when he was unable to continue.
- #008
Trained in Krav Maga (an Israeli style of Martial Arts) which he practiced for 2 and a half years.
- #009
Lost more than 40 pounds for his role in The Mexican (2001), but had to gain it all back before shooting for the HBO series The Sopranos (1999) because executives did not believe the audience would like a "skinny" Tony.
- #010
Became close friends with his The Sopranos (1999) co-star, Lorraine Bracco, during the filming of the HBO series. During her close-ups, during their scenes, he would "moon" her to try and put her off. This was confirmed during James' interview on Inside the Actors Studio (1994).
James Gandolfini: Mike and ManImage: Wikimedia Commons · Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley, U.S. Navy, Public domain - #011
On an episode of Inside the Actors Studio (1994), he mentioned banging his head against a wall, getting very little sleep, and putting a pointy rock in his shoe as techniques to get really angry while shooting The Sopranos (1999).
Characters & Cast (3)
- #012
Has played Aida Turturro's father in Romance & Cigarettes (2005) and her brother in The Sopranos (1999).
- #013
Upon finding out that he was the only actor on The Sopranos (1999-2007) receiving a cut of the proceeds from DVD sales, he called every other cast member into his trailer and cut each a check for thousands of dollars from his amount.
- #014
Easter Eggs & References (1)
- #015
In Crimson Tide (1995), James refers to Robert Mitchum and Cary Grant, two actors he also references in The Sopranos (1999).
Deeper Meaning (1)
- #016
Although he often played thuggish or brute characters, he was actually somewhat of a pacifist off-stage; he had reservations about continuing his production contract as Tony Soprano in The Sopranos (1999) due to the series violent content and stereotype of Italian-Americans.
Career & Awards (3)
- #017
The film Her (2013) was dedicated to his memory.
- #018
Did not start acting until he was in his mid 20s.
- #019
Was introduced to acting by his friend, Roger Bart, after accompanying him to a class.
Life & Family (6)
- #020
Was on vacation with his son at the time of his passing. He and his son were celebrating his son's graduation from junior high school.
- #021
Financed the construction of a restaurant called "Vines" in Oneonta, New York for his childhood friend Clive Griffiths, who needed the money to launch it.
- #022
Became engaged to Lora Somoza.
- #023
Attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
- #024
He strongly disliked doing interviews.
- #025
He worked with Tony Scott on four films and his nephew Jake Scott on Welcome To The Rileys (2010).
James Gandolfini: Tony SopranoImage: Wikimedia Commons · Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from Washington D.C, United Sta…, Public domain
Related pages
- Tony Sirico — James Gandolfini comes up in the facts on that page
- Warfare — James Gandolfini comes up in the facts on that page
- Steven Van Zandt — James Gandolfini comes up in the facts on that page
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Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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