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James Gandolfini, A Jersey Treasure, Rest In Peace

Part 5 of James Gandolfini’s 2004 interview with James Liption of the Actor’s Studio. At the 5:16 mark, Lipton asks Gandolfini what he hopes God will say to him when he gets to the pearly gates.

Trenton, NJ – Governor Chris Christie released the following statement tonight on the tragic passing of New Jersey native James Gandolfini:

“It’s an awful shock. James Gandolfini was a fine actor, a Rutgers alum and a true Jersey guy. I was a huge fan of his and the character he played so authentically, Tony Soprano. I have gotten to know Jimmy and many of the other actors in the Sopranos cast and I can say that each of them are an individual New Jersey treasure. Mary Pat and I express our deepest sympathies to Mr. Gandolfini’s wife and children, and our prayers are with them at this terrible time.”

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Posted: June 19th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: James Gandolfini | Tags: | 8 Comments »

8 Comments on “James Gandolfini, A Jersey Treasure, Rest In Peace”

  1. TR said at 6:56 am on June 20th, 2013:

    from everything I have heard he was a nice man and a talented actor but seriously it is no more tragic or meaningful then if my next door neighbor dropped dead. I mean really its not like he was Mother Theresa or something.

    and yes Art I do feel cantankerous this week.

  2. New Jersey Woman said at 8:51 am on June 20th, 2013:

    (I wouldn’t want to live next to you, TR.)

    So sad to hear of the untimely passing of James Gandolfini. He was a tremendously gifted artist, and will be missed by many here in New Jersey.

    My heart and prayers are with his family and friends today.

  3. Tommy De Seno said at 9:51 am on June 20th, 2013:

    James Gandolfini was the Step ‘n Fetchit of his generation. Just as Lincoln Perry did damage to the African American reputation with his shufflin’ negro character, Gandolfini was just another Italian to infuse the pop culture with images of Italians as thieves, killers and illiterates. That imagery is mistaken for real and spills over into life when a good Italian tries to do business or is in a courtroom. I’m sorry he is dead and wish his soul Godspeed, but good riddance to his career.

  4. SenseCommon said at 10:17 am on June 20th, 2013:

    @TR…Then why should you care that other people care? If it is of no consequence to you, then what others think should not be either.

  5. TR said at 10:31 am on June 20th, 2013:

    I care because the fact that so many people care about an actor they never met and are wailing a gnashing there teeth about it is another sign of just how corrupt our culture is.
    I am sure he was a nice guy but thousands of nice guys die every day but the only one we care about is someone we saw on TV. The reaction to his death by the masses is Stupid (yes with a capital S). Just like the reaction to any number of celebrities dying is stupid and overwrought.

  6. TR said at 10:36 am on June 20th, 2013:

    And Tommy get over it. His portrayal was historically accurate of the culture in the Italian mob. There was (and still is albeit diminished) an ITALIAN criminal enterprise called the Mafia. Pretending it does not exist will not make it go away. Your whining like one of those liberal perpetual victims. Sorry if any of that offends you but sometimes truth is offensive.

  7. Tommy De Seno said at 10:52 am on June 20th, 2013:

    TR – it’s ironic that you seem to be denying the pre-judging that can occur by associating a name where it doesn’t belong, while doing so utilizing the pseudonym “TR.”

    For most of history Hollywood did a good job of portraying corruption across cultural lines, because it was. Jesse James, Dillon, the Barkers, Bonnie and Clyde, etc., none of these folks were Italian and Hollywood expressed that. And they were real people. Then the Godfather came out. Even though the characters were fictional, everyone claimed “the reality” of it all. Ironic. After that over 400 feature films were made by Hollywood where the criminals were just Italian. Add to that the endless references in commercials, and a stereotype was inflamed, leading us right to “Jersey Shore,” a show where they hid the last names of the characters because only half of them were actually Italian.

  8. And the winner is ... said at 2:17 pm on June 20th, 2013:

    Once again, the award for insensitive, inappropriate and ill-advised soapbox mounting goes to…

    … …. ….. Tommy De Seno!!!