James Gandolfini Circles Animal Rescue
March 11th, 2013
The Killing Them Softly star is in talks to join Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace in director Michael R. Roskam's crime thriller.
00
- Birth Date:September 18th, 1961 - Westwood, New Jersey, USA
- Credits: Acting
Full Bio
Born and raised in New Jersey, press-shy James Gandolfini forged a film career as a prolific character actor before finally emerging as a bona fide star in the critically-lauded HBO series The Sopranos. After earning his college degree in 1983, Gandolfini headed to New York to study at the Actors Studio. Supporting himself for almost ten years as a bartender and nightclub manager, Gandolfini's major break came in 1992 with a role in a Broadway version of -A Streetcar Named Desire starring Alec Baldwin and Jessica Lange, and his film debut in Sidney Lumet's A Stranger Among Us. Following small parts in several 1993 films, including the Quentin Tarantino-scripted True Romance, Gandolfini played more substantial roles as one of the heavies in Terminal Velocity (1994), Geena Davis' neighborhood boyfriend in Angie (1994), one of the submarine crew in Crimson Tide (1995), and a stuntman-turned-Mob enforcer in Get Shorty (1995). Equally gifted at playing characters on either side of the law, Gandolfini appeared as the violent neighbor who assaults Robin Wright Penn in She's So Lovely (1997) and a cop in Lumet's legal drama Night Falls on Manhattan (1997).
Gandolfini played supporting roles in several more films, including Fallen (1998) and A Civil Action (1998), before he was cast as the head of a dysfunctional Mafia family in The Sopranos. Anchored by Gandolfini's superbly-nuanced performance as Prozac-popping, mother-bedeviled capo Tony Soprano, The Sopranos was hailed as a TV masterpiece for its alternately funny, surreal and deadly-serious look at New Jersey Mob life. Though he was passed over for the Emmy, Gandolfini won the SAG and Golden Globe Awards for Lead Actor in a TV drama for The Sopranos' 1999 season. During the series break, Gandolfini appeared as a slimy pornographer in 8MM (1999).
Gandolfini finally added the Emmy to his trophies in 2000 for the second season of The Sopranos. Despite the inevitable criticism about the series' sophomore slump, there was no question as to Gandolfini's continuing excellence as the New Jersey Mob paterfamilias. Gandolfini followed his Emmy triumph with a supporting role as a gay hit man in The Mexican (2001), easily stealing the film from co-stars Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt. Even as he was earning The Mexican's few good notices in theaters, Gandolfini was garnering still more plaudits for The Sopranos' controversial third season, as Tony's increasingly delinquent son elicited anguished soul-searching from Tony about his legacy. Though his third Emmy nomination spoke to his formidable TV presence as Tony, Gandolfini also further burnished his movie credits with a small part in Joel Coen and Ethan Coen's ~Cannes Film Festival award winner The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), and a major starring role as a corrupt Army colonel who goes head-to-head with Robert Redford's incarcerated general in The Last Castle (2001).
Gandolfini continued to impress on The Sopranos for the next few years, but he struggled to match that success on the big screen. He was a part of the infamous bomb Surviving Christmas, and had the lead in the never released John Turturro directed musical Romance & Cigarettes. In 2006 he was a part of the high-powered ensemble for Steve Zaillian's All the King's Men that included Sean Penn, Jude Law, Anthony Hopkins, and Kate Winslet. ~ Lucia Bozzola
Gandolfini played supporting roles in several more films, including Fallen (1998) and A Civil Action (1998), before he was cast as the head of a dysfunctional Mafia family in The Sopranos. Anchored by Gandolfini's superbly-nuanced performance as Prozac-popping, mother-bedeviled capo Tony Soprano, The Sopranos was hailed as a TV masterpiece for its alternately funny, surreal and deadly-serious look at New Jersey Mob life. Though he was passed over for the Emmy, Gandolfini won the SAG and Golden Globe Awards for Lead Actor in a TV drama for The Sopranos' 1999 season. During the series break, Gandolfini appeared as a slimy pornographer in 8MM (1999).
Gandolfini finally added the Emmy to his trophies in 2000 for the second season of The Sopranos. Despite the inevitable criticism about the series' sophomore slump, there was no question as to Gandolfini's continuing excellence as the New Jersey Mob paterfamilias. Gandolfini followed his Emmy triumph with a supporting role as a gay hit man in The Mexican (2001), easily stealing the film from co-stars Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt. Even as he was earning The Mexican's few good notices in theaters, Gandolfini was garnering still more plaudits for The Sopranos' controversial third season, as Tony's increasingly delinquent son elicited anguished soul-searching from Tony about his legacy. Though his third Emmy nomination spoke to his formidable TV presence as Tony, Gandolfini also further burnished his movie credits with a small part in Joel Coen and Ethan Coen's ~Cannes Film Festival award winner The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), and a major starring role as a corrupt Army colonel who goes head-to-head with Robert Redford's incarcerated general in The Last Castle (2001).
Gandolfini continued to impress on The Sopranos for the next few years, but he struggled to match that success on the big screen. He was a part of the infamous bomb Surviving Christmas, and had the lead in the never released John Turturro directed musical Romance & Cigarettes. In 2006 he was a part of the high-powered ensemble for Steve Zaillian's All the King's Men that included Sean Penn, Jude Law, Anthony Hopkins, and Kate Winslet. ~ Lucia Bozzola
ACTING CREDITS
-
-
Violet & Daisy (2013) ...Michael
-
Down the Shore (2013) ...Bailey
-
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013) ...Doug Munny
-
Zero Dark Thirty (2013) ...C.I.A. Director
-
HEADLINES
Six Killing Them Softly Photos with Brad Pitt and James Gandolfini
November 29th, 2012Richard Jenkins and Ray Liotta also appear in this latest look at Andrew Dominik's crime thriller, in theaters this Friday, November 30th.Killing Them Softly Hi-Res Photo Gallery
May 30th, 2012Brad Pitt headlines this Andrew Dominik directed thriller alongside Richard Jenkins and James Gandolfini.James Gandolfini to Develop HBO Drama Big Dead Place
September 2nd, 2011The project is based on Nicholas Johnson's memoir about his work in the U.S. Antarctic Program.James Gandolfini Joins Twylight Zones
January 24th, 2011The Sopranos star will reunite with the show's creator, David Chase, for this 60s-set drama about an awkward teenage boy who forms a rock band.CONTEST: Win a Welcome to the Rileys Signed Poster
October 27th, 2010Stars James Gandolfini, Mellisa Leo and director Jake Scott signed this one-sheet for this new family drama.James Gandolfini and Saoirse Ronan Join Violet and Daisy
September 13th, 2010Carey Mulligan is also reportedly in talks to star in this film about two teenage girls who become assassins.James Gandolfini Eyes HBO's Cinema Verite
May 12th, 2010The actor will co-star in this telepic with Tim Robbins and Diane Lane.James Gandolfini to Ride Taxi 22 for HBO
May 5th, 2010Gandolfini is going to executive produce and possibly star in this project.
Do you like James Gandolfini?
Recent Activity
Fans of this Person (0)
No one is a fan yet. Become a Fan.