---
name: "James Gandolfini"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/james-gandolfini"
fi1m_id: "james-gandolfini"
imdb_id: "nm0001254"
tmdb_id: 4691
wikidata_id: "Q308722"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "18 September 1961"
died: "19 June 2013"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 12
average_fi1m_score: 77
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 10
updated: "2026-10-05T11:33:35.469341+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# James Gandolfini

## Identity

James Gandolfini

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/james-gandolfini
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** james-gandolfini
- **IMDb ID:** nm0001254
- **TMDB ID:** 4691
- **Wikidata ID:** Q308722
- **Same entity:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q308722, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001254/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/4691

Actor. Born 18 September 1961 in Westwood, New Jersey, USA. Died 19 June 2013.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 18 September 1961, Westwood, New Jersey, USA
- **Died:** 19 June 2013
- **Active:** 1993–2016
- **Also known as:** Джеймс Гендольфіні, Джеймс Джозеф Гандольфини-младший, James Joseph Gandolfini Jr, جیمز گاندولفینی, James Joseph Gandolfini Jr.
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 12: 10 acting, 1 producing, 1 other
- **Frequently works with:** [Brad Pitt](https://film.one/person/brad-pitt.md), [Denzel Washington](https://film.one/person/denzel-washington.md), [Gene Hackman](https://film.one/person/gene-hackman.md), [John Travolta](https://film.one/person/john-travolta.md), [Tony Scott](https://film.one/person/tony-scott.md)
- **Golden Globes:** 1 Golden Globe (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 77, as actor, over 10 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 83 (4), 2000s 73 (5), 2010s 76 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 77 to 72 across 10 titles
- **Score spread:** 7 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 2 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 9 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Crime 7, Drama 4, Thriller 4, Action 3, Comedy 3, Romance 2
- **Screen time:** 17 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $722m across 9 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q308722, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001254/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/4691

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*In the Loop*](https://film.one/film/in-the-loop.md) (92), [*Zero Dark Thirty*](https://film.one/film/zero-dark-thirty.md) (80)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Killing Them Softly*](https://film.one/film/killing-them-softly.md) (68), [*The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3*](https://film.one/film/the-taking-of-pelham-1-2-3.md) (54)
- **HBO Max:** [*The Sopranos*](https://film.one/tv/the-sopranos.md) (94)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*Get Shorty*](https://film.one/film/get-shorty.md) (82)
- **Hulu:** [*Where the Wild Things Are*](https://film.one/film/where-the-wild-things-are.md) (80)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on James Gandolfini

> James Gandolfini could make a threatening man sound hurt without making him harmless. We rate him for the speed and precision of those changes, and for the gentleness that his tougher parts could obscure.

In therapy in *The Sopranos* (1999), James Gandolfini lets Tony Soprano complain as though being powerful ought to have spared him inconvenience. The slightly nasal voice sounds wounded; we still wonder what he will do with his anger. Gandolfini is superb at this: he makes self-pity persuasive while keeping the threat close enough for us to notice. We laughed at Tony’s grievances and then felt uncomfortable, because Gandolfini’s injured delivery had briefly made them sound reasonable. The performance asks us to recognise something of ourselves in a man whose anger other people have to manage.

The early film parts made more obvious use of his menace. Virgil, the brutal mob enforcer in *True Romance* (1993), brought him to notice, and *Get Shorty* (1995) belonged to the same stretch of tough-guy casting. David Chase saw footage of the former performance before casting him as Tony. *The Sopranos* gave that familiar danger six seasons in which to become more complicated, allowing neediness and wounded pride to matter as much as intimidation.

Chase and his fellow writers give Gandolfini complaints worth listening to without agreeing with Tony’s explanations for himself. His eyes can shift between warmth, sadness and menace; the breathy delivery lets a complaint sound taxing to the man making it. He makes the need for sympathy embarrassingly visible, even when Tony seems certain that he deserves it. The series sometimes indulges those grievances for too long. There are stretches when we would rather the writers moved on, however much Gandolfini can find to do with another complaint.

The later work offers a useful corrective to the tough-guy parts. Voicing Carol in *Where the Wild Things Are* (2009), he could bring emotional weight to a family film without his physical presence. As Albert in the romantic comedy *Enough Said* (2013), he had room for a lighter, more delicate performance. Neither needs treating as a surprise once we have noticed how often Tony wants reassurance. Start with *The Sopranos*, but leave room for *Enough Said* before deciding what sort of actor Gandolfini was.

## Biography

James Gandolfini was an American actor. He was born on 18 September 1961 in Westwood, New Jersey, and died on 19 June 2013 in Rome, Italy.

Gandolfini trained at the Actors Studio after graduating from Rutgers University. He appeared in supporting film roles including Virgil in *True Romance* (1993), Lt. Bobby Dougherty in *Crimson Tide* (1995) and Mayor in *The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3* (2009).

He was best known for playing Tony Soprano in the HBO series *The Sopranos* (1999–2007). For the role he received three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, a Golden Globe Award and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. He also produced the documentaries *Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq* (2007) and *Wartorn: 1861–2010* (2010), and the television film *Hemingway & Gellhorn* (2012).

*Sources: britannica.com, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (12)

### Performed in (10) — the average rests on these

- *Killing Them Softly* (2012), Fi1m 68, as Mickey — [page](https://film.one/film/killing-them-softly.md)
- *Zero Dark Thirty* (2012), Fi1m 80, as C.I.A. Director — [page](https://film.one/film/zero-dark-thirty.md)
- *In the Loop* (2009), Fi1m 92, as Lt Gen. George Miller — [page](https://film.one/film/in-the-loop.md)
- *The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3* (2009), Fi1m 54, as Mayor — [page](https://film.one/film/the-taking-of-pelham-1-2-3.md)
- *Where the Wild Things Are* (2009), Fi1m 80, as Carol (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/where-the-wild-things-are.md)
- *The Man Who Wasn't There* (2001), Fi1m 81, as Big Dave Brewster — [page](https://film.one/film/the-man-who-wasnt-there.md)
- *The Mexican* (2001), Fi1m 56, as Leroy — [page](https://film.one/film/the-mexican.md)
- *The Sopranos* (1999), Fi1m 94, as Tony Soprano — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-sopranos.md)
- *Get Shorty* (1995), Fi1m 82, as Bear — [page](https://film.one/film/get-shorty.md)
- *True Romance* (1993), Fi1m 82, as Virgil — [page](https://film.one/film/true-romance.md)

### Produced (1)

- *The Night Of* (2016), Fi1m 81, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-night-of.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *The Last Boy Scout* (1991), Fi1m 73, as Marcone's Goon (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/the-last-boy-scout.md)

## Complete filmography (58)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Night Of* (2016), series, Executive Producer — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-night-of.md)
- *The Drop* (2014), as Cousin Marv
- *Enough Said* (2013), as Albert
- *Violet & Daisy* (2013), as Michael
- *Nicky Deuce* (2013), as Bobby Eggs
- *The Incredible Burt Wonderstone* (2013), as Doug Munny
- *Not Fade Away* (2012), as Pat Damiano
- *Zero Dark Thirty* (2012), as C.I.A. Director — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/zero-dark-thirty.md)
- *Hemingway & Gellhorn* (2012), Executive Producer
- *Killing Them Softly* (2012), as Mickey — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/killing-them-softly.md)
- *Cinema Verite* (2011), as Craig Gilbert
- *Down the Shore* (2011), as Bailey
- *Wartorn: 1861-2010* (2010), Executive Producer
- *Welcome to the Rileys* (2010), as Doug Riley
- *Mint Julep* (2010), as Mr. G
- *Where the Wild Things Are* (2009), as Carol (voice) — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/where-the-wild-things-are.md)
- *The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3* (2009), as Mayor — Fi1m 54, [page](https://film.one/film/the-taking-of-pelham-1-2-3.md)
- *In the Loop* (2009), as Lt Gen. George Miller — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/in-the-loop.md)
- *Stories USA* (2007), as The Man (segment "Club Soda")
- *Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq* (2007), Executive Producer
- *America's Game: The Super Bowl Champions* (2006), series, as Narrator (voice)
- *Club Soda* (2006), as The Man
- *HBO: The Making of 'The Sopranos: Road to Respect'* (2006), Actor
- *All the King's Men* (2006), as Tiny Duffy
- *Lonely Hearts* (2006), as Det. Charles Hilderbrandt
- *Romance & Cigarettes* (2005), as Nick Murder
- *Stories of Lost Souls* (2004), as Vincent
- *Surviving Christmas* (2004), as Tom Valco
- *The Man Who Wasn't There* (2001), as Big Dave Brewster — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/the-man-who-wasnt-there.md)
- *The Last Castle* (2001), as Col. Winter
- *Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words & Music* (2001), Actor
- *The Mexican* (2001), as Leroy — Fi1m 56, [page](https://film.one/film/the-mexican.md)
- *Gun: Fatal Betrayal* (2000), Actor
- *A Whole New Day* (1999), as Vincent
- *8MM* (1999), as Eddie Poole
- *The Sopranos* (1999), series, as Tony Soprano — Fi1m 94, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-sopranos.md)
- *A Civil Action* (1998), as Al Love
- *The Mighty* (1998), as Kenny Kane
- *Fallen* (1998), as Lou
- *Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil* (1997), as Diner Cook #2 (uncredited)
- *Dance with the Devil* (1997), as Dumas
- *She's So Lovely* (1997), as Kiefer
- *12 Angry Men* (1997), as Juror 6
- *Gun* (1997), series, as Walter
- *Night Falls on Manhattan* (1997), as Joey Allegretto
- *The Juror* (1996), as Eddie
- *Get Shorty* (1995), as Bear — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/get-shorty.md)
- *Crimson Tide* (1995), as Lt. Robert 'Bobby' Dougherty
- *The New World* (1995), as Will Caberra
- *Terminal Velocity* (1994), as Ben Pinkwater
- *Italian Movie* (1994), as Angelo
- *Angie* (1994), as Vinnie
- *Mr. Wonderful* (1993), as Mike
- *Money for Nothing* (1993), as Billy Coyle
- *True Romance* (1993), as Virgil — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/true-romance.md)
- *A Stranger Among Us* (1992), as Tony Baldessari
- *The Last Boy Scout* (1991), as Marcone's Goon (uncredited) — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/the-last-boy-scout.md)
- *Shock! Shock! Shock!* (1987), as Orderly

## Gallery

- ![James Gandolfini](https://film.one/media/person/60858/gallery-9bce1d024445.jpg) James Gandolfini — Image via TMDB
- ![James Gandolfini](https://film.one/media/person/60858/gallery-de54afb5791e.jpg) James Gandolfini — Image via TMDB
- ![James Gandolfini](https://film.one/media/person/60858/gallery-9e0b470b873f.jpg) James Gandolfini — Image via TMDB
- ![James Gandolfini](https://film.one/media/person/60858/gallery-a1c29b020fb0.jpg) James Gandolfini — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Golden Globes — 1 won

- 2000: Golden Globe Awards (won)

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 3 won

- 2003: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (won), for *The Sopranos*
- 2001: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (won), for *The Sopranos*
- 2000: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (won), for *The Sopranos*

### Other awards — 1 won, 1 nominated

- New Jersey Hall of Fame 2014: New Jersey Hall of Fame (won)
- Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play 2009: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play (nominated), for *God of Carnage*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/james-gandolfini