James Gandolfini former star of The Sopranos died Wednesday (June 19). The actor was 51.
Details are filing in, but a source close to HBO confirmed that Gandolfini was on vacation in Rome at the time, and may have suffered either a heart attack or a stroke. He passed away sometime this morning.
From Variety:
Three-time Emmy winner James Gandolfini has died in Italy at the age of 51 of a possible heart attack. According to HBO, he was on vacation at the time. The “Sopranos” actor appeared recently in “Zero Dark Thirty” and “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.” He had been working on Fox Searchlight’s “Animal Rescue” and TV show “Criminal Justice” as well as “Taxi 22.”
Gandolfini had six Emmy lead drama actor nominations as well as a Golden Globe for his work in the “Sopranos,” which ended in 2007. Among his film roles were “Mr. Wonderful,” “The Man Who Wasn’t There,” and “True Romance.”
He is survived by his wife, Deborah Lin, a son and a baby daughter.
Gandolfini had more than 40 acting credits to his name, but it was his award-winning role as Tony Soprano that catapulted him to fame, and immortalized him in the world of pop culture.
