NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Best known for his role as mob boss Tony Soprano on HBO’s crime drama series “The Sopranos”, James Gandolfini is one of the most beloved and innovative American entertainers of all time. His death shocked the world, especially the entertainment industry, but his popularity continues to grow nearly a decade since his passing.
Gandolfini’s health was reportedly a concern for HBO executives while filming the television series due to his history of drug and alcohol abuse. Yet years after “The Sopranos” ended, Gandolfini received accolades for his performances in several critically acclaimed films.
By the time of his death at the age of 51, he had received 19 acting awards and more than 50 nominations, including three Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award and three Screen Actors Guild Awards for his role in ‘The Sopranos’. .
Why is he famous?
Prior to his role and accolades in The Sopranos, New Jersey-born Gandolfini developed his career on the New York theater scene with various small gigs and film appearances before his Broadway debut in “A Streetcar Named Desire” in 1992 where he played alongside Alec Baldwin and Jessica Lange. The following year, he had his first major role in the action movie “True Romance” as hitman Virgil.
Edie Falco attended Gandolfini’s funeral in 2013 and served as his on-screen wife on the show for six seasons.
(Getty Pictures)
JAMES GANDOLFINI MADE A “CRISIS” ON THE “SOPRANOS” STAGE
However, it was his casting in the mid-1990s for the role of therapy-seeking mobster Tony Soprano that made Gandolfini a household name and a beloved New Jersey icon. The show focused on the life of Tony Soprano, a respected New Jersey mob boss who manages his home and work life while trying to resolve his mental health issues with psychiatric counseling. At the time of its airing, it was the most popular series on television and is still one of the most-watched HBO season premieres of all time.
Writers and Hollywood heavyweights have praised the late actor for his pioneering portrayal of a television anti-hero. Vincent Gilligan, the creator of “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” noted at the time of Gandolfini’s death that “without Tony Soprano, there would be no Walter White.”
“He was a genius. Anyone who has seen him, even in the smallest of his performances, knows that. He’s one of the greatest actors of this era or any era,” David Chase, the creator of “The Sopranos,” said after Gandolfini’s death in 2013. “A lot of that genius was in those sad eyes.”
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
How did he die?
Gandolfini died suddenly while vacationing in Rome with his family on June 19, 2013. His son, Michael, found him unconscious in his hotel bathroom. Paramedics transported the actor to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead of a heart attack. His funeral was attended by friends, family and numerous Soprano co-stars, including Michael Imperioli, who played his cousin Christopher on the show, and Edie Falco, his on-screen wife of eight years.
Gandolfini’s son, Michael, received millions from his father’s will after his death.
(Getty Pictures)
Who inherited his money?
After his death, Gandolfini would divide his multi-million dollar estate among his family and friends. His son Michael, who was 14 at the time, received all of his father’s clothing and jewelry as well as $7 million from a life insurance policy in a trust fund. He also shared a 50% stake with his half-sister in a property his father owned in Italy, according to the New York Post.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Additionally, the will gives his widow, Deborah Lin, control of all of his properties. Gandolfini left money for his nieces, lifelong friends and personal assistant. The rest of the estate was shared with Lin and the actor’s sisters.
We wish to thank the writer of this article for this amazing web content
How did James Gandolfini die? Inside the Sopranos star’s untimely death and lasting legacy E! News UK