Like many people, James Gandolfini first came to my attention through the scene he shared with Patricia Arquette in True Romance. A man beats a woman nearly to death trying to get information and she defies him through an unbreakable will and loyalty to her man. I had never seen anything like and it made me sick to my stomach. It wasn’t the horrible makeup and contacts they made Arquette wear so she looked so convincingly battered, it was this actor, James Gandolfini, who played Virgil, a cold blooded monster who exuded a charisma that was undeniable. He scared the living shit out of me.
From then on I always noticed this actor, popping up in supporting parts, and the sight of him inspired both interest and dread. There’s that guy that scares the shit out of me again, oh good. It took a moment for me recognize him in the great Get Shorty, and when I did, it was a relief. He played a big tough guy again but in this role there was a tenderness, reflected in his love for his young daughter and the fact that he took such a liking to John Travolta’s character Chili Palmer, even after Palmer popped him in the jaw and kneed him in the groin.
It’s funny, you see a character actor so talented and you think: that guy deserves a leading man part, he’s got IT, whatever that is, but I supposed that will never happen due to that ample gut and lack of hair. Then came the part of Tony Soprano, a part designed in heaven with which James Gandolfini would lead us all through hell, a funny hell, but a dark place never the same.
It took a year or two for me to see an episode of The Soprano’s after it’s premiere but when I did, it became an obsession, just like it did for everyone else. I think part of my hesitation was the worry of what this new “mainstream” hit show would do to one of my favorite actors (little did I know that pretty much everything about The Sopranos was the opposite of mainstream, which is what made it so revolutionary). From the outside it just seemed too Hollywood: “Yo, we gotta new show where a mob boss goes to see a shrink.” “Great! Let’s get that guy that played a mob guy in True Romance, and The Juror, that James Gondola guy, he’ll do it.” It seemed like a step down. Again, this is before I had seen an episode and when it seemed like everybody and their mama was jumping on the Soprano bandwagon.
When I finally sat down and immersed myself in the show the truth was evident: no one could have played the part of Tony Soprano except James Gandolfini. No actor, none, not one from any time beyond our own even (including the future) could have taken on the immense physical presence, the tenderness, the selfishness, the greed, the self doubt, the emotional woundedness, the humanity of this character. You watched the show and you were in awe of him.
You were also a bit worried. Only a truly sensitive human being could do such work, taking on the skin of another human being scene after scene after scene. Things became very dark on the show, especially towards the end. This was not a “good” guy, which many viewers would forget until the creator David Chase jarringly reminded them by having Tony act on his darker and more selfish impulses. Watching it you knew there must be some kind of personal toll, and that became obvious in the real world when Gandolfini battled HBO for a break and better wages in 2003. Gandolfini seemed more than ready to walk away until HBO caved a bit. Rumor had it that the crew getting their wages had a lot to with Gandolfini’s decision to continue as well.
Tony Soprano became such a fixture in my viewing that I really didn’t want to know anything about the real Gandolfini, worried that would wreck it for me. What if it turned out he was a dick, or pretentious, or worse yet, a Republican? I knew I wouldn’t be able to immerse myself in his work if I couldn’t respect him personally, it was better to stay ignorant. With so much coverage of The Sopranos it became impossible for a few elements of Gandolfini’s true character not to leak out. He kept his personal life guarded, which you can’t help but respect in a time when people so often televise the details of their lives for fame. When I caught brief sightings of the real Gandolfini in the news I remember being pleasantly impressed as he used his immense fame and charisma to bring people’s attention to both worker’s rights, and the plights of returning veterans.
James Gandolfini’s death on June 19th was a sad shock to everyone who was a fan of great acting. The line between actor and celebrity is so blurred these days that we are refreshed when someone reminds us it is an art. I have talked to friends since getting the news last week and they have described similar reactions to my own: outright shock and a true feeling of loss, like a friend had passed, not just a person we saw on TV. I think this is both a combination of the all encompassing role of Tony Soprano that Mr. Gandolfini took on, and the incredible charisma and humanity that he could project. He was special.
The day after his passing I rewatched his appearance on The Actor’s Studio with James Lipton on Youtube. It is one of the few in depth interviews with the actor that you can find and it is a joy. He is truly remarkable in his graciousness, his humbleness, and his dedication to what he does. My favorite part of the interview is his description of of the effect doing the infamous “Virgil Scene” with Patricia Arquette had on him. Gandolfini appears a man of few words, simply saying “Rotton” when describing his feelings about acting in violent scenes. That’s all the words he needs, his face says the rest.
06-21-13
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