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James Gandolfini: Reactions Strong After Actor’s Sudden Death

By Kim LaCapria
Published on: 07:36 PST, Jun 20, 2013

With news of the death of James Gandolfini, reactions swiftly began popping up on social media sites mourning the man best known for his awesome portrayal of iconic gangster Tony Soprano on the HBO hit The Sopranos.

After the report he’d died surfaced, Gandolfini’s reactions immediately followed on the social web — and it seemed that the actor who’d managed to make a character many would deem a monster human, relatable and even likable touched a lot of viewers, both in Hollywood and elsewhere.

The James Gandolfini reactions were a gauge of the actor, who was just 51 when he passed away in Rome last night, as well as the person — and he was fondly remembered not only for his acting chops but also for his connection to those with whom he worked.

Many of the Gandolfini reactions were registered by folk who were unable to separate the man who played Tony Soprano from the character himself, and several references to an abrupt ending — and the show’s ambiguous finale — were made by celebs and fans.

James Gandolfini’s appearance and interview on Inside The Actors’ Studio was heavily recommended as a great illustration of the beloved actor, embedded above.

But it was in the tweets and remarks making Gandolfini reactions from co-workers on the web that made a big mark initially, with stars.

David Chase said:

“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. 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. For Deborah and Michael and Liliana 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.”

Mark Ruffalo commented:

“Oh Jimmy. It’s a crying shame. You stormed in and out. Your voice like velvet granite. From a whisper to a shout. A comet of a man. So long.”

Twitter served as an ad hoc wake guestbook as well, and other celebs said:

Jersey Governor Chris Christie also reacted to Gandolfini’s death, saying:

“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.”

After his death, it seems James Gandolfini’s reactions and remembrance is unusually strong — what do you think was so special about the actor?

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