James Gandolfini: His 10 Best Roles
4. Virgil - True Romance
The brainchild of Tony Scott and Quentin Tarantino, in one of his first appearances on the silver screen, Gandolfini could easily have faded into the backdrop as he shared the spotlight with the likes of Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman and Christopher Hopper. In spite of this baptism by fire, Gandolfinis portrayal of Virgil (a vicious enforcer of Walkens) made an impression with audiences as he came across as a legitimately intimidating figure. In true Tarantino fashion, Gandolfini was allowed to shine in the form of a scripted monologue; convincing the viewer that this man was indeed capable of obscene acts of violence. True Romance was arguably the film which solidified Gandolfini as a major player in Hollywood.