Biography for
James Gandolfini

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Date of Birth

18 September 1961, Westwood, New Jersey, USA

Birth Name

James J. Gandolfini Junior

Apodo

Jim

Estatura

6' 0½" (1.84 m)

Mini Biography

New Jersey-born James Gandolfini began acting in the New York theater. His Broadway debut was in the 1992 revival of "A Streetcar Named Desire" with Jessica Lange and Alec Baldwin. James' breakthrough role was his portrayal of Virgil the hitman in Tony Scott's True Romance (1993), but the role that brought him worldwide fame and accolades was as complex Mafia boss Tony Soprano in HBO's smash hit series "The Sopranos" (1999). He currently lives in Greenwich Village in New York City.

IMDb Mini Biography By: A. Nonymous

Esposo/a

Marcy Wudarski

(March 1999 - 18 December 2002) (divorced) 1 child

Trade Mark

Best remembered as mob boss Tony from "The Sopranos" (1999)

Plays characters who are brutish yet charming.

Trivialidades

His sister Johanna is a prominent official with the New Jersey Family Court system.

Graduated from Park Ridge High School, Park Ridge, New Jersey (1979).

Attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

He plays the trumpet and saxophone.

Although he often plays thuggish or brute characters, he is actually somewhat of a pacifist off-stage; he had reservations about continuing his production contract as Tony in "The Sopranos" (1999) due to the show's violent content and stereotype of Italian-Americans.

TV mobster Gandolfini turned to the right side of the law when he saw a woman being mugged in his native New York recently. Passers-by were shocked to see the tough-guy step in and rescue a woman when she was knocked down and had her bag snatched whilst walking down a dimly lit street. [November 2001]

Named one of E!'s "top 20 entertainers of 2001."

Originally cast in the "Carl Hanratty" role in Catch Me If You Can (2002) but had to drop out due to "The Sopranos" (1999).

Financed the construction of a restaurant called Vines in Oneonta, New York for his childhood pal Clive Griffiths, who needed the money to launch it. Griffiths has since paid him back, and then some.

Used to bartend in Manhattan during years as struggling actor.

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 didn't believe the audience would like a "skinny" Tony.

Well trained in Krav Maga, (an Israeli style of Martial Arts) which he practiced for 2 1/2 years.

In Crimson Tide (1995), James refers to Robert Mitchum and Cary Grant, two actors he also references in "The Sopranos" (1999).

Became engaged to Lora Somoza. [January 2004]

Says he is nothing like "Tony Soprano" in real life, describing his own personality as being more like a "260-pound Woody Allen".

Has co-starred with John Travolta in four movies: Get Shorty (1995), She's So Lovely (1997), A Civil Action (1998), and Lonely Hearts (2006).

Was voted "best-looking" in high school

Is friends with former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani.

Once worked as a bouncer.

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.

In Crimson Tide (1995) he played an officer on the U.S.S. Alabama. In True Romance (1993), he beats up a woman named Alabama, played by Patricia Arquette.

Italian-American

Became engaged to Lora Somoza in January 2004. Broke up, amicably, in February 2005.

Has often said Robert De Niro played a considerable role in his decision to become an actor; grew up watching Mean Streets (1973) over and over again.

Was in attendance at Chris Penn's funeral

Was considered for the role of Ben Grimm/The Thing in Fantastic Four (2005).

Played Aida Turturro's father in Romance & Cigarettes (2005) and her brother in "The Sopranos" (1999).

Personal Quotes

"I'm a neurotic mess. I'm really basically just like a 260-pound Woody Allen".

"I'm an actor... I do a job and I go home. Why are you interested in me? You don't ask a truck driver about his job."

"I was voted best-looking kid in high school but, as you can see, things changed. I used to say I was a 260-pound Woody Allen. You can make that 295-pound now."

"I just don't think I'm that interesting. I don't think what I have to say is that interesting. To hear me go, 'Blah, blah, blah, blah'." - on why he rarely does interviews

I thought, I've never been the lead before. They're gonna hire somebody else. But I knew I could do it. I have small amounts of Mr. Soprano in me. I was 35, a lunatic, a madman. - on his reaction to "The Sopranos" pilot script.

It's been a great opportunity, but I don't have much trepidation about it ending. I think it's more than time. Part of the fun of acting is the research, finding out about other people. As much as I've explored this guy, I don't know what else to really do with him. I've been in one place for 10 years. That's enough. It's time for me to do other things. - about ending "The Sopranos"

Salario

The Last Castle (2001)

$5,000,000

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