James Gandolfini: Celebrities React to Death of 'Sopranos' Star
Colleagues and friends of James Gandolfini are paying tribute to the actor in the wake of his sudden death Wednesday in Italy.
Gandolfini was
David Chase, who created "The Sopranos," the hit HBO series for which Gandolfini is best known, called Gandolfini "a genius."
PHOTOS: James Gandolfini Through The Years
Bobby Bank/Getty Images
In a statement, Chase called Gandolfini "one of the greatest actors of this or any time."
"I remember telling him many times, 'You don't get it. You're like Mozart.' There would be silence at the other end of the phone," Chase stated, adding that the loss was "crushing" for Gandolfini's wife and children. "And it's bad for the rest of the world. He wasn't easy sometimes. But he was my partner, he was my brother in ways I can't explain and never will be able to explain."
Steven Schirripa, the actor who played mobster Bobby Bacala on "The Sopranos," said in a statement: "Jimmy was a dear friend and like a brother to me. He was a great actor and a great father. I will miss him terribly. I am very sad."
Lorraine Bracco, another "Sopranos" co-star, wrote that she was "ut
James Gandolfini's Death at 51 Stuns Hollywood
It’s a word kicked around a lot in Hollywood, but those who worked with James Gandolfini, who died Wednesday at age 51, say The Sopranos star truly was an acting genius.
“He is one of the greatest actors of this or any time,” remembered the show’s creator, David Chase. “A great deal of that genius resided in those sad eyes. I remember telling him many times, ‘You don’t get it. You’re like Mozart.’ There would be silence at the other end of the phone.”
And like all great artists, Chase acknowledged, “He wasn’t easy sometimes. But he was my partner, he was my brother in ways I can’t explain and never will be able to explain.”
Gandolfini’s Sopranos costar Steven Schirripa, who played Bobby Baccalieri, said: “Jimmy was a dear friend and like a brother to me. He was a great actor and a great father. I will miss him terribly. I am very sad.”
And Steven Van Zandt, who played Silvio Dante on the HBO drama, Tweeted on Wednesday night, “I have lost a brother and a best friend. The world has lost one of the greatest actors of all time. Maureen and I send our deepest sympathy and love to Deborah, Michael, Lily, and all of
‘The Sopranos’ Cast Speak About James Gandolfini
James, 51, starred in the show from to as mobster Tony Soprano, and he left quite an impression on his cast mates.
“The guy was like a brother to me. He was a great actor, a great father and was a lot of laughs,” Steve Schirripa, who played Bobby Bacala on the show, told the New York Post. “This is devastating. When I say we were like family, this is very much like losing a family member.”
“I couldn’t have asked for any better actor or better gentleman to work with,” said David Proval, who played Tony’s brother in law Richie Aprile. “His generosity was unmatched. He was always right there for me during the show. It was a head-spinning experience for everyone, yet he always found the time for me and everyone on the cast.”
“He was very protective,” David continues. “We’d hear stories over the years about who was going next. He’d say, ‘Don’t worry, I’m here for you.’”
Lorraine Bracco, who played the therapist Dr. Jennifer Melfi, said, “We lost a giant today. I am utterly heartbroken.”
It is clear that James’ death has shocked his cast mates, including his on screen enemies
Stars react to sudden death of James Gandolfini
Maria Puente | USA TODAY
Nothing shocks Hollywood like a beloved star dying too young. So it was with the news of the sudden death of actor James Gandolfini today. His many admirers rushed to Twitter and elsewhere to mourn:
Sopranos creator David Chase, in a statement: "He was a genius. Anyone who saw him even in the smallest of his performances knows that. He is one of the greatest actors of this or any time. A great deal of that genius resided in those sad eyes. For Deborah and Michael and Liliana (his wife and children), this is crushing. And it's bad for the rest of the world. He wasn't easy sometimes. But he was my partner, he was my brother in ways I can't explain and never will be able to explain."
Sopranos co-star Steven Van Zandt: "I have lost a brother and a best friend. The world has lost one of the greatest actors of all time."
Sopranos co-star Lorraine Bracco: "We lost a giant today. I am utterly heartbroken."
Sopranos co-star Michael Imperioli: "Jimmy treated us all like family with a generosity, loyalty and compassion that is rare in this world. Working with him was a pleasure an
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