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67-659: It tells the story of a small-time criminal (Pitt) who is sent on a mission to retrieve an antique pistol in Mexico, while his girlfriend (Roberts), frustrated with their troubled relationship, finds herself entangled in a series of unexpected events. The Mexican was released in the United States on March 2, 2001, to mixed reviews from critics, and grossed $ 147.8 million. In Los Angeles, a traffic light changes to red, and off-screen sounds of an automobile collision are heard. Five years later, Jerry Welbach has been working off

134-475: A Fresh Air interview said that, "without Jim Gandolfini, there is no Sopranos . There is no Tony Soprano." While working on The Sopranos , Gandolfini appeared in more films. In 2001, he played Winston Baldry, a gay hitman, in the adventure comedy film The Mexican . Gandolfini was recommended for the role by co-star Brad Pitt . For his performance, he won the Best Performance by an Actor in

201-435: A crime lord , mafia don , gang lord , gang boss , mob boss , kingpin , godfather , crime mentor , or criminal mastermind is the leader of a criminal organization . A crime boss has absolute or nearly absolute control over the other members of the organization and is often greatly feared or respected for their cunning, strategy, and/or ruthlessness and willingness to take lives to exert their influence and profits from

268-452: A made man . The boss can promote or demote family members at will, and has the sole power to sanction murders inside and outside the family. If the boss is incarcerated or incapacitated, he usually retains the title of "boss" but may appoint an acting boss who is responsible for running the crime family in his stead or on a more daily basis. In addition to "boss" and "acting boss", some families have at times officially or unofficially utilized

335-480: A "ferocious actor, a gentle soul and a genuinely funny man". Emily Nussbaum , writing for The New Yorker , said that "nobody could be under any illusion about what a television actor was capable of" after Gandolfini's portrayal of Tony Soprano. The Atlantic said Gandolfini's influence on television was "seismic", comparing him to film star Marlon Brando . Mark Lawson , writing for The Guardian , said that Gandolfini's performance as Soprano "represents one of

402-493: A (failed) intervention. While visiting Rome on June 19, 2013, Gandolfini died suddenly at the age of 51. He had been planning to travel to Sicily a few days later to receive an award at the Taormina Film Fest . After he had spent the day sightseeing with his family in the sweltering heat, his 14-year-old son Michael discovered him unconscious at around 10   p.m. on the floor of his hotel room's bathroom at

469-501: A 2002 episode of Sesame Street , and a 2004 episode of Saturday Night Live (which, while called "New Jersey Resident", was a take on Tony Soprano) commenting on the Jim McGreevey sex scandal . After the finale of The Sopranos , Gandolfini, along with Paramount Pictures executive Alex Ryan, founded production company Attaboy Films. The production company signed a deal with HBO in 2006 to develop original programming for

536-477: A Drama Series along with the rest of the cast . In 2017, Entertainment Weekly listed him as the 42nd Greatest TV Icon of All Time. Gandolfini was making $ 1   million per episode during the show's final season , making him one of television's highest-paid actors . Gandolfini underwent knee surgery on June 2, 2006, which pushed the production of the second part of the final season back by several months. Following Gandolfini's death in 2013, David Chase in

603-629: A Play for his role in the play but lost to Geoffrey Rush , who played the lead in Exit the King . The same year, he played the Mayor of New York in the remake of action thriller film The Taking of Pelham 123 . Gandolfini voiced Carol, one of the titular Wild Things, in the fantasy film Where the Wild Things Are . The film, which was based on Maurice Sendak 's picture book of the same title ,

670-486: A Supporting Role at the 2002 Outfest Outie Awards in Los Angeles, California. Gandolfini also starred in the action drama film The Last Castle that same year. In 2006, he starred in the musical romance comedy film Romance & Cigarettes . Director and friend John Turturro stated that he wanted Gandolfini to star in the film; however, he had to wait until The Sopranos stopped filming. He also appeared in

737-492: A bearded ex- stuntman with a Southern accent , in Get Shorty (1995). The film, which was based on the book of the same name and directed by Barry Sonnenfeld , received positive critical reception. The cast received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture . He was cast as a mob enforcer with a conscience in the legal thriller film The Juror (1996). Despite

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804-699: A bouncer at an on-campus pub. He also worked as a bartender and club manager in Manhattan prior to his acting career. While living in Manhattan, he was introduced to acting when he accompanied his friend Roger Bart to a Meisner technique class. He studied for two years under Kathryn Gately at the Gately/Poole Conservatory. After graduating from Rutgers and acting school, Gandolfini worked various jobs in Manhattan while acting in low-budget films . He made his Broadway theatre debut in

871-671: A daughter together named Liliana (born October 10, 2012). Gandolfini maintained ties with his hometown of Park Ridge, New Jersey , and supported its Octoberwoman Foundation for Breast Cancer Research. He previously lived in New York City and owned a piece of land on the Lake Manitoba Narrows in Canada, then moved to a 34-acre (14 ha) property in Chester Township, New Jersey . In 2009, he purchased

938-409: A debt to imprisoned mob boss Arnold Margolese. After Jerry fouls up what was supposed to be his final errand, Margolese's second-in-command, Bernie Nayman, sends Jerry on a new, final errand: retrieving an antique pistol in Mexico for Margolese from a man named Beck. This additional job proves to be the last straw for Jerry's girlfriend, Sam, who leaves him to move to Las Vegas. In Mexico, Jerry finds

1005-535: A degree of a possession of a higher intelligence of an individual. The term especially indicates the existence of involvement in what is known as big-time crime , which would include for example armed robbery , and the more organised aspects of careers within crime. A 1945 dictionary of criminal slang in the U.S. lists Big Brains as "a gang-leader", but not Mr Big . James Gandolfini James Joseph Gandolfini Jr. ( Italian: [ɡandolˈfiːni] ; September 18, 1961 – June 19, 2013)

1072-479: A good attempt at originality, its ponderous length makes it wear out its welcome. Also, those looking forward to seeing Roberts and Pitt paired up may end up disappointed, as they are kept apart for most of the movie." On Metacritic , the film has a score of 43 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews." Additionally, audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C" on an A+ to F scale. The Cedar Rapids Gazette praised

1139-513: A home in Tewksbury Township, New Jersey . Brett Martin said of Gandolfini in a 2013 GQ article, "In interviews, which [he] did his very best to avoid, [he] would often fall back on some version of 'I'm just a dumb, fat guy from Jersey'." Gandolfini struggled with substance abuse . Producers and location managers of The Sopranos have noted that his misuse of substances led to missed shoots, concerns about Gandolfini's health, and

1206-479: A music-driven production set in 1960s New Jersey, and the latter's feature film debut. Two films which Gandolfini completed before his death in June 2013 were released posthumously. The first was Enough Said , a romantic comedy in which he co-starred with Julia Louis-Dreyfus . The film was met with positive reviews, particularly for Gandolfini's performance. He received posthumous Best Supporting Actor awards from

1273-519: A section of Park Avenue (the street he grew up on) the nickname "James Gandolfini Way". Signs were installed at the intersection of Park Avenue and Kinderkamack Road at a public ceremony attended by several of his former Sopranos co-stars. That same month, HBO released a tribute documentary in honor of Gandolfini. The documentary, James Gandolfini: Tribute to a Friend , featured co-star interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. Filmmaker Spike Jonze , who had previously worked with Gandolfini on Where

1340-422: A shame." The Titusville Herald commented, " The Mexican is sporadically entertaining. It works when Gandolfini is on screen; when he leaves, he takes the movie with him. ... From here, director Gore Verbinski intercuts between two road movies, one of which (the one with Pitt) is downright boring." The Edmonton Journal observed, "Moviegoers who have seen The Mexican aren't coming out of cinemas talking about

1407-455: A writer on The Sopranos )." Similar testimonials were given by his co-stars and colleagues, including Edie Falco , who expressed shock and devastation at his death; Sopranos creator David Chase , who praised him as a "genius"; Bryan Cranston , who stated that his Breaking Bad character Walter White would not have existed without Tony Soprano; and Gandolfini's three-time co-star Brad Pitt , who expressed admiration for Gandolfini as

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1474-514: Is briefly arrested after a police officer notices Beck's blood in his car. Confiscating the pistol, the officer elaborates on its cursed history and takes it to a pawn shop. Ted arrives and reveals that the infamous Leroy has been sent after Sam. Jerry overhears a call with Nayman ordering Ted to kill him. They recover the pistol from the pawn shop, but Jerry confronts Ted and leaves with the gun. Realizing he grabbed Ted's passport instead of his own, he returns to find Ted has already fled. In Las Vegas,

1541-427: Is brought to Margolese, newly released from prison, who explains the true story of the pistol: it was crafted by a gunsmith for his daughter's marriage to a nobleman's cruel son, but the daughter and the gunsmith 's assistant were truly in love. When the gun refused to fire for the nobleman's son, he killed the assistant, leading the daughter to take her own life with the pistol. It is revealed that Margolese's cellmate

1608-575: Is on there, and Elisabeth Moss [ Mad Men , The Handmaid's Tale ] or Claire Danes [ Homeland ] or somebody else is on there. But James Gandolfini gets his own mountain. With all due respect to everybody else, including Edie Falco [who played Tony Soprano's wife, Carmela], Gandolfini is the best dramatic actor in TV history, and I don't know that anybody else is particularly close. In December 2013, following an online petition started by one of Gandolfini's high school classmates, his hometown of Park Ridge gave

1675-410: Is traveling to Las Vegas, a well-dressed hitman attempts to abduct her but is shot by another hitman who captures her instead. The second hitman introduces himself as Leroy and explains that he was hired to hold Sam hostage to ensure Jerry delivers the pistol. Sam explains to Leroy that Jerry became indebted to Margolese five years earlier after crashing into Margolese's car while running a red light. At

1742-453: Is usually as follows: A boss will typically put up layers of insulation between himself and his men to hinder police efforts to connect his orders to him. Whenever he issues orders, he does so either to his underboss, consigliere or capos. The orders are then passed down the line to the soldiers. This makes it difficult under most circumstances for the police to directly implicate a boss in a crime, since he almost never directly gives orders to

1809-563: The Boscolo Exedra Hotel . Michael called reception, who in turn called paramedics, and Gandolfini arrived at the hospital at 10:40 p.m. He was pronounced dead 20 minutes later. An autopsy confirmed that he died of a heart attack . While word of Gandolfini's death spread, state and national politicians paid tribute to him online. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ordered all state buildings to fly their flags at half-staff on June 24 to honor Gandolfini when his body

1876-681: The Boston Society of Film Critics and the Chicago Film Critics Association as well as multiple nominations, including a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role . His final film performance was in The Drop , a crime drama in which he co-starred with Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace . Released September 12, 2014, the film

1943-548: The Montvale service area on the Garden State Parkway was renamed for Gandolfini. The renaming was part of a project that honored several New Jersey residents prominent in the arts, entertainment, and sports. In 2024, in the weeks leading up to the release of his longtime passion project Megalopolis , Francis Ford Coppola revealed to Rolling Stone that Gandolfini gave him a lot of great suggestions for

2010-716: The HBO film Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012), which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie nomination. In 2013, Gandolfini died of a heart attack in Rome at the age of 51. James Joseph Gandolfini Jr. was born in Westwood, New Jersey , on September 18, 1961. His mother, Santa (née Penna), was an Italian high school food service worker who was born in the U.S. and raised in Naples . His father, James Joseph Gandolfini Sr. (born Giacomo Giuseppe Gandolfini),

2077-510: The North American box office, earning $ 20.1 million in its opening weekend. Despite a 39% decline in the following week, the film retained the top spot for a second consecutive week. By the end of its theatrical run, The Mexican had grossed $ 147.8 million worldwide. The Mexican holds a 54% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 133 reviews, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Though The Mexican makes

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2144-480: The Wild Things Are , dedicated his Academy Award –winning film Her to Gandolfini. In 2014, Gandolfini was posthumously inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame . In 2019, his son Michael was cast as the younger version of Tony Soprano in the prequel film The Many Saints of Newark . Michael watched the show for the first time to prepare for the role, describing it as an intense process. In 2022,

2211-494: The accident site, the police discovered someone tied up in Margolese's trunk whom he intended to kill. Margolese was sent to prison for five years, and Jerry was forced to run errands for Margolese during that time. Bonding with Leroy, Sam correctly deduces that he is gay and encourages him to pick up Frank, a traveling postal worker. The three of them reach Las Vegas, and Leroy and Frank spend the night together. In Mexico, Jerry

2278-426: The audition. The show debuted in 1999 and was broadcast until 2007 with Gandolfini playing Tony Soprano throughout all six seasons. His portrayal of Tony Soprano was met with widespread fan and critical acclaim. Deadline Hollywood said Tony Soprano helped "usher in the era of the antihero " for television. As methods to focus anger into his performances, Gandolfini had said he would deliberately hit himself on

2345-577: The channel. In 2007, Gandolfini and HBO produced Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq , a documentary focused on injured Iraq War veterans. The documentary was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special , ultimately losing to Autism: The Musical . He returned to the stage in 2009, starring in Yasmina Reza 's play God of Carnage on Broadway acting alongside Marcia Gay Harden , Hope Davis , and Jeff Daniels . Gandolfini told Charlie Rose that he

2412-605: The criminal endeavors in which the organization engages. Some groups may only have as little as two ranks (a crime boss and their soldiers). Other groups have a more complex, structured organization with many ranks, and structure may vary with cultural background. Organized crime enterprises originating in Sicily differ in structure from those in mainland Italy. American groups may be structured differently from their European counterparts and Latino and African American gangs often have structures that vary from European gangs. The size of

2479-454: The criminal organization is also important, as regional or national gangs have much more complex hierarchies. The boss in the Sicilian and Italian-American Mafia is the head of the crime family and the top decision maker. Only the boss can initiate an associate into the family, however, the boss can give permission to an underboss , consigliere or a captain , allowing them to become

2546-439: The film receiving negative critical response, Gandolfini's role was positively received. In 1995, television writer and producer David Chase pitched the original idea for The Sopranos to networks such as Fox and CBS before HBO picked it up. The series revolves around Tony Soprano , a New Jersey–based Italian-American mobster, who tries to balance his family life with his role as boss of his crime family . Gandolfini

2613-416: The film, stating, "The scenes between Roberts and Gandolfini make the film special. ... Their dialogue scenes are the best reason to see the film." The Doylestown Intelligencer remarked, "Pitt and Roberts are good too – maybe better like this than if they were together. ... If it had been a Pitt/Roberts two-hander, there wouldn't have been room for Gandolfini's wonderful character, and that would have been

2680-704: The film. However, Reynolds turned it down because the cast was not confirmed, while Fincher was unavailable due to his prior commitments with the release of Fight Club (1999). Additionally, Ben Stiller and Meg Ryan had also expressed interest in playing the lead roles in the film. The Mexican was filmed in Real de Catorce , San Luis Potosí , and Toluca International Airport in Toluca , State of Mexico , as well as various locations in Las Vegas , Nevada , and Los Angeles , California . The Mexican debuted at #1 at

2747-415: The greatest achievements" of television. Critic Alan Sepinwall said of Gandolfini's Sopranos performance in 2019, "Watching it again, it was very clear to me, quickly and often, that this was the greatest dramatic performance in TV history." In the years since The Sopranos ended, there's almost been this TV-actor Mount Rushmore . Bryan Cranston [ Breaking Bad ] is on there, and Jon Hamm [ Mad Men ]

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2814-409: The head, stay up all night to evoke the desired reaction, drink several cups of coffee, or walk around with a rock in his shoe. For his depiction of Soprano, Gandolfini won three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama . He also won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in

2881-572: The influence of his parents, he developed a strong Italian-American identity and regularly visited Italy. He had two sisters. Gandolfini grew up in Park Ridge, New Jersey . He graduated in 1979 from Park Ridge High School , where he played basketball, acted in school plays, and was named the "Class Flirt" in his senior yearbook. In 1983, he earned a BA in Communications from Rutgers University-New Brunswick , where he worked as

2948-631: The night of June 26 in his honor. His funeral service was held at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City's Morningside Heights neighborhood on June 27. Those who attended the service included many of his co-stars from The Sopranos , including Edie Falco , Michael Imperioli , Jamie-Lynn Sigler , Lorraine Bracco , Tony Sirico and Julianna Margulies as well as Chris Christie , Alec Baldwin , and John Turturro . Gandolfini

3015-474: The pistol with Beck, who explains the history of the legendary gun, known as "the Mexican". When Beck is killed by a stray bullet from celebratory gunfire, Jerry calls his colleague Ted and learns that Beck was Margolese's grandson. Just then, Jerry's car is stolen, with Beck's body and the pistol inside. Jerry recovers the car and the gun, shooting one of the thieves in the foot and burying the body. While Sam

3082-528: The positions of front boss and street boss . A "front boss" is generally put into place to act ostensibly as the boss while drawing police attention away from the actual official boss operating behind the scenes. A "street boss" is often informally appointed or regarded by the official boss or by subordinates as the "hands-on", street-level, actively engaged proxy or stand-in for the official boss, usually coordinating, controlling, and managing street operations on behalf of an official boss who prefers to stay behind

3149-506: The production of A Streetcar Named Desire as Steve Hubbell. He also appeared in the 1995 Broadway production of On the Waterfront as Charley Malloy. His first film role was in a 1989 New York University student film titled Eddy . One of his earlier major film roles was that of Virgil, a brutal mob enforcer , in the romantic thriller True Romance (1993). Gandolfini stated that one of his major inspirations for his character

3216-432: The real Leroy, the well-dressed black hitman. Jerry realizes that Margolese hired the real Leroy, but Nayman sent Baldry to intercept Sam and the pistol, allowing him to sell it himself and frame Jerry. Sam and Jerry prepare to go their separate ways, but Sam remembers Baldry's advice to never give up when you truly love someone and reconciles with Jerry. Soon afterward, Jerry is kidnapped by the thieves who stole his car. He

3283-549: The role intended for him. Gandolfini married Marcy Wudarski in March 1999, and they divorced in December 2002. They had a son together, Michael (born May 10, 1999), who also became an actor. Gandolfini began dating sex therapist Lora Somoza in 2003, and they became engaged before splitting up in 2005. After two years of dating, he married model and actress Deborah Lin in her hometown of Honolulu on August 30, 2008. They had

3350-551: The romantic chemistry between Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt. They're talking about the presence of tough guy James Gandolfini in the unlikely role of a gay hitman named Leroy." The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin stated, "Roberts and Pitt are generally terrific. In The Mexican they are horrid. ... Gandolfini is a star on the rise. His work in The Mexican is solid. Frankly, he's the only bright spot in this dark and pointless movie." Mob boss A crime boss , also known as

3417-500: The romantic comedy Enough Said (2013). For the role, he earned numerous critics awards including a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. Gandolfini is also known for his roles on Broadway in A Streetcar Named Desire (1992), On the Waterfront (1995), and God of Carnage (2009), the latter earning him a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play nomination. He also produced the war documentaries Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq (2007) and Wartorn: 1861–2010 (2011) as well as

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3484-529: The scenes (either by choice or to avoid police scrutiny). "Street bosses" are often particularly influential or powerful caporegimes or underbosses , and the term is sometimes used interchangeably with "acting boss" or "front boss" depending on the circumstances. When a boss dies, the crime family members choose a new boss from inside the organization. The typical structure within the Mafia in Sicily and America

3551-431: The soldiers. The term Mr. Big is used within the underworld , and additionally during media reportings of persons associated with criminal activities, to refer to a leader of a body of persons functioning in the capacities of roles within organised crime. Sometimes bosses of the so-called gangland are referred to as being Mr Big , as for example when he could not be named for legal reasons. The term implicitly indicates

3618-413: The well-dressed hitman murders the innocent Frank and returns for Sam but is killed by a vengeful Leroy. Sam and Leroy fly to Mexico to meet Jerry, who crashes the car in an argument with Sam. Leroy finds the pistol and prepares to kill Jerry, but Jerry kills him first. He explains to a distraught Sam that Leroy was an imposter—his driver's license reveals he is actually Winston Baldry—and that Jerry once met

3685-436: Was also executive producer of the HBO film about Ernest Hemingway and his relationship with Martha Gellhorn , titled Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012). The film premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival to mixed reviews. Despite the reviews, the film was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie . In 2012, Gandolfini reunited with The Sopranos creator David Chase for Not Fade Away ,

3752-544: Was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Tony Soprano , the Italian-American Mafia crime boss in HBO 's television series The Sopranos (1999–2007). For this role, he won three Emmy Awards , five Screen Actors Guild Awards , and one Golden Globe Award . His role as Tony Soprano has been described as one of the greatest and most influential performances in television history. Gandolfini

3819-578: Was an Italian immigrant from Borgo Val di Taro , Parma , Emilia-Romagna who worked as a bricklayer and cement mason before becoming the head custodian at Paramus Catholic High School . James Sr. earned a Purple Heart in World War II , and would often purchase car tires from a shop owned by Salvatore Travolta, the father of actor John Travolta ; their sons consequently became friends and would later co-star in five films. Gandolfini's parents were devout Catholics who spoke Italian at home. Due to

3886-425: Was an old friend of his who was a hitman . Despite disappointing box office numbers, Gandolfini's performance received critical praise. Gandolfini was subsequently cast as insurance salesman and Russian mobster Ben Pinkwater in the action film Terminal Velocity (1994). In 1995, he played United States Navy Lieutenant Bobby Dougherty in the submarine film Crimson Tide . In that same year he played Bear,

3953-476: Was directed by Spike Jonze . In 2010, Gandolfini produced another documentary with HBO, which analyzed the effects of posttraumatic stress disorder throughout American history, from 1861 to 2010. The film, titled Wartorn: 1861–2010 , featured interviews with American military officials on their views of PTSD and how they are trying to help soldiers affected by it. The documentary, which had its premiere at The Pentagon , received favorable reviews. Gandolfini

4020-502: Was featured in numerous films including True Romance (1993), Crimson Tide (1995), Get Shorty (1995), A Civil Action (1998), The Last Castle (2001), Romance & Cigarettes (2005), All the King's Men (2006), In the Loop (2009), Where the Wild Things Are (2009), The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009), Not Fade Away (2012), and Zero Dark Thirty (2012). He received acclaim for playing against type starring in

4087-566: Was invited to audition for the part of Tony Soprano after casting director Susan Fitzgerald saw a short clip of his performance in True Romance , ultimately receiving the role ahead of several other actors including Steven Van Zandt and Michael Rispoli . In a 2013 interview with The Guardian , Chase revealed that Gandolfini stopped and left in the middle of his audition before finishing it in his garage later that night. According to Chase, Gandolfini felt that he "didn't prepare right" for

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4154-487: Was later cremated. TV Guide published a special tribute to Gandolfini in its July 1, 2013, issue, following his death, devoting the entire back cover of that issue to his image. Columnist Matt Roush cited Gandolfini's work as Tony Soprano as an influence on subsequent cable TV protagonists, saying, "Without Tony, there's no Vic Mackey of The Shield , no Al Swearengen of Deadwood , no Don Draper of Mad Men (whose creator, Matthew Weiner , learned his trade as

4221-473: Was met with positive critical reviews. Gandolfini is credited as an executive producer on the HBO miniseries The Night Of , which premiered in 2016. He was set to star in the miniseries when it was pitched to HBO in 2013, but the network ultimately decided not to go ahead with the show. HBO reversed its decision a few months later, and the show was green-lit, with Gandolfini still set to star; however, he died before filming began. Actor John Turturro assumed

4288-492: Was originally meant for an independent film without major movie stars. However, Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt had for some time been looking for a project to do together, and after Roberts introduced the script to Pitt, they both agreed to star in it. Roberts also suggested casting James Gandolfini , in what went on to be regarded as one of his greatest roles. Kevin Reynolds and David Fincher were both considered to direct

4355-556: Was returned to the U.S. The day after Gandolfini's death, Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band (whose long-time guitarist Steven Van Zandt portrayed Sopranos character Silvio Dante ) dedicated a performance of the entire Born to Run album to Gandolfini during a concert in Coventry on the UK leg of his tour. Gandolfini's body was returned to the United States on June 23. The marquee lights of Broadway theaters were dimmed on

4422-458: Was the first one to sign onto the project after seeing the production in London. Ben Brantley of The New York Times praised the cast writing, "They're a marvelously giving, balanced ensemble. And each has bits of inspired invention that you tuck away into your memory file of classic stage moments". He received a Tony Award nomination in the category of Best Performance by a Leading Actor in

4489-446: Was the gunsmith's great-grandson; he was killed protecting Margolese, who swore to return the pistol to his cellmate's father. Jerry agrees to give him the pistol, but Nayman kidnaps Sam. A Mexican standoff ensues until Sam kills Nayman with the pistol. The shot dislodges a ring from the gun barrel, which Jerry uses to propose to Sam. The Mexican pistol is restored to the gunsmith's family, as Jerry and Sam drive off together. The script

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