James Gandolfini

James Gandolfini’s first marriage was to Marcy Wudarski. He had a son named Micheal with her. They couple divorced in December 2002.

He next married Deborah Lin in August 2008 after dating her for two years. Together, they had a daughter named Liliana Ruth together.

He was found unconscious in his room in Rome on June 19, 2013, by his son. When the emergency paramedics arrived, they took him to the hospital. He was however declared dead shortly, and the cause of his death was said to be a heart attack.

James Gandolfini was born on September 18, 1961, in Westwood, New Jersey, to Sannta and James Joseph Gandolfini Sr. His mother worked as a lunch lady and was of Italian ancestry, while his father worked as a bricklayer and janitor. His father was a war veteran and had participated in World War II.

His close bond with his family and their Italian ancestry ensured that Gandolfini was ingrained with an Italian-American identity. He was raised as a Roman Catholic, and he grew up in Park Ridge, New Jersey.

He attended the Park Ridge High School. He was actively involved in sports and theatre and was also titled the ‘Class Flirt’ in the senior year. He graduated from school in 1979.

He enrolled in Bachelors program in Communication Studies at Rutgers University and graduated in 1982. While studying, he also worked as a bouncer, bartender, and a club manager.

He moved to New York City later. His stint with acting began when he visited a Meisner Technique acting class along with his friend. He was impressed with this and decided to study acting under Kathryn Gately at Gately Poole Conservatory.

James Gandolfini was first seen in ‘On the Waterfront’, a Broadway production, in 1992. The show ran for over six weeks. In his first credited feature film ‘A Stranger Among Us’, he played Tony Baldessari.

In 1993, he essayed the role of Virgil, a mob member, in the thriller ‘True Romance’. He had minor roles in other movies, such as ‘Mr. Wonderful’ and ‘Money for Nothing’.

In 1994, he played the role of a mobster cum insurance agent in ‘Terminal Velocity’. His only other big screen appearance in this year was in the romantic comedy ‘Angie’.

1995 proved to be a successful year as he starred in the commercially hit film ‘Crimson Tide’. He also played a minor role in ‘Get Shorty’. The latter fetched him a nomination at the Screen Actors Guild Award.

In the next few years, he was a part of major hits such as ’12 Angry Men’ (1997), ‘Night Falls on Manhattan’ (1997), ‘A Civil Action’ (1998), and ‘8 mm’ (1999). These movies paved his path to one of his biggest roles in his career.

James Gandolfini is best remembered for his role as Tony Soprano in the HBO hit series ‘The Sopranos’. He played the lead role of a mobster who has troubles adjusting his professional and personal life. The show ran from 1999 until 2007 and was a huge success.

Gandolfini’s most cherished movie was ‘Enough Said’ (2013), a comedy drama where he starred alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The movie became a huge hit, and he won several awards for his role.