Sopranos cast pay tribute to James Gandolfini on 10th anniversary of his death

James Gandolfini’s “kindness and generosity” has been remembered by his Sopranos co-stars on the 10th anniversary of his death.

The US actor, best known for his performance as fearsome mobster boss Tony Soprano, died from a heart attack on June 19 2023, at the age of 51.

Michael Imperioli, Edie Falco, Lorraine Bracco and Julia Louis-Dreyfus were among those to pay tribute to him 10 years on from his death.

White Lotus star Imperioli, who played cousin Christopher Moltisanti, shared his “favourite picture” of the pair to Instagram.

“Batman and Robin… my favorite picture of us. And I can’t help thinking where we ended up that night and what you said,” he captioned the photo.

“That was one for the books… It’s so very strange that it’s 10 years today since you left us. Would love to have shot one more scene or had another laugh or one more late-night chat.

“Forever grateful to have done so much work together, to have spent so much time in your company and for all the generosity and kindness. Miss you lots as do so many on the planet.”

In a roundtable interview with Vanity Fair to mark the anniversary, Falco, who played Carmela Soprano, praised Gandolfini’s professionalism and instinct while filming on the set of the hit HBO show.

“He didn’t let himself get bossed around by a lot of the things that I let walk me around—this good-student mentality,” she said.

“I always had to get the lines just right and do the blocking exactly the same every time.

“And I would watch him, and he was following something…bigger. And deeper. If he had an impulse to say something a little different, or to change the blocking, he just did it.

“And I was jealous that he had somehow gotten permission from himself to do that kind of thing.”

Louis-Dreyfus, who also starred with Gandolfini in romantic comedy Enough Said, described the actor as “a very tenderhearted, thoughtful man”.

“I don’t know if this is true, but I think he was almost embarrassed to be an actor. I think he was sort of at odds with himself in that sense,” she told Vanity Fair.

“He was a big teddy bear,” added Bracco, who played Tony Soprano’s therapist, Dr Jennifer Melfi.

Gandolfini’s son, actor Michael Gandolfini, also paid tribute to his late father on Father’s Day.

“Happy Father’s Day Dad. I love you. Today, tomorrow, and everyday. I miss you, I love you,” he wrote, sharing a picture of the pair from his childhood.

Gandolfini’s performance in the Sopranos earned him three Emmy Awards, five Screen Actors Guild awards and one Golden Globe.

He was also known for his appearances in films including numerous films including Get Shorty, The Taking of Pelham 123 and Zero Dark Thirty.