James Gandolfini: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

1. Tony Soprano - The Sopranos (1999)

This probably didn't come as a surprise to anybody. Nor should it: whilst it probably didn't help a whole lot with the typecasting problem, Tony Soprano was definitely the role of James Gandolfini's career. David Chase's Mafia drama was ground breaking in terms of television dramas, paving the way for the likes of Mad Men and Breaking Bad - but also for its lead character, who was infinitely more complex and interesting than basically any TV protagonist that came before him. Well, sort of protagonist. The morals of Tony Soprano were a little skew-whiff throughout the show, something which made for both interesting plot developments and gave the character something to tell his therapist. Mobster characters - especially of the Italian-American variety - have existed in caricature for so long, Gandolfini demands praise for creating one that was so three dimensional as to be real. Horribly, terrifyingly convincing. If only the same could be said for every part in his filmography...