Enjoyed the Sopranos and True Romance... RIP Tony Soprano.... ............................................................................................................................... Terrible news for TV fans: James Gandolfini, who played mobster Tony Soprano on HBO's seminal drama "The Sopranos," died suddenly today at the age of 51, Variety is reporting. Gandolfini was traveling in Italy on vacation when he fell ill; various reports have him suffering a heart attack and a stroke. He is survived by his wife, Deborah Lin, and a son, Michael, from a previous marriage. He won three Emmys and one Golden Globe for his performance as Tony Soprano on the HBO drama, a conflicted, sometimes villainous role that launched the current wave of TV antiheroes. "The Sopranos" remains HBO's highest-rated series ever, with 13.4 million viewers tuning in for the Season 4 premiere in 2002. In addition to "The Sopranos," Gandolfini appeared in dozens of movies, including memorable supporting turns in "True Romance," "Get Shorty," and last year's "Zero Dark Thirty."
Well, that strongly limits any plans for a reunion movie that was in the rumor mill a few years ago. The way the series ended left it up to the viewer's interpretation as to whether Tony Soprano was the target of a fatal mob "hit". Now, reality has taken effect and will dictate how, and if, there is any attempt to reprise the HBO series in any form. I doubt that it will happen. James Gandolfini was a good actor who left "this earthly stage" all too soon. R.I.P.
