James Gandolfini

James Gandolfini, born as James Joseph Gandolfini Jr. (Sept 18, 1961), was a prominent American actor, well-known for his portrayal of Tony Soprano, the Italian-American Mafia boss, in HBO's television series The Sopranos running from 1999 to 2007. A role that secured him three Emmy Awards, five Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Golden Globe Award for his excellently executed performance. His role as Tony Soprano has been deemed as one of the greatest and most influential performances in television history.

Apart from his celebrated TV roles, Gandolfini starred in several movies like True Romance (1993), Crimson Tide (1995), Get Shorty (1995) and Romance & Cigarettes (2005) and Zero Dark Thirty (2012) among others. He bagged several critics awards for his role in the romantic comedy Enough Said (2013), an unexpected shift from his gangster persona. His other notable works include Broadway productions such as A Streetcar Named Desire (1992) and God of Carnage (2009), which earned him a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play nomination. He also produced war documentaries and HBO films. Following a powerful career in Hollywood, Gandolfini's sudden death due to a heart attack in 2013, marked a significant loss to the industry.