James Gandolfini, who played New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano, sadly died in Rome on Wednesday. Aged just 51, he was due to speak at Sicilys
Taormina film festival on Saturday. It is believed that he died from a heart attack. Whilst Gandolfini was most famous for playing Tony Soprano, other career highlights included parts in True Romance, Get Shorty and Zero Dark Thirty. It was his role as Virgil in True Romance that inspired The Sopranos casting directors to ask him to audition for the part of Tony. Gandolfini won three Emmys for his works as Tony Soprano. David Chase, creator of the hit TV show, described Gandolfini as a genius. For fans everywhere, here are some of the best bits of the much-loved mob family series.
Opening Credits
From the very beginning The Sopranos stood out as something different. Even the opening credits were striking. Woke Up This Morning by Alabama 3 plays as we see Tony
driving his 4x4 from the Lincoln tunnel, via the New Jersey turnpike, into the driveway of his suburban Jersey home. The aim of the credits was to let viewers know that the show was set in New Jersey and not New York. In the first three series of the show the Twin Towers were shown reflected in Tonys side view mirror as he stops at the turnpike tollbooth. They were removed after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiDoBYu-S04