Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend

Summary

A DEEPLY REPORTED, PERCEPTIVE, AND CELEBRATORY BIOGRAPHY OF THE BELOVED ACTOR

More than a decade after his sudden passing, James Gandolfini still exerts a powerful pull on television and film enthusiasts around the world. His charismatic portrayal of complex, flawed, but always human men illuminated the contradictions in all of us, as well as our potential for grace and the power of love and family.

In Gandolfini, critic and historian Jason Bailey traces the twinned stories of the man and the unforgettable roles he played. Gandolfini’s roots were working class: Raised in northern New Jersey as the son of Italian immigrants, he loved acting for a long time before he could see it as a career. It wasn’t until he was well into his bohemian twenties that he dedicated himself to a life on the stage and screen. Bailey traces his rise, from bit parts to character roles he enlivened with menace and vulnerability, to Tony Soprano, the breakout role that would make him a legend, and on to a post-Sopranos career in which he continued to challenge himself and his audience.

Based on extensive research, original reporting, and interviews with friends and collaborators including Edie Falco, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Julianna Margulies, Lorraine Bracco, Marcia Gay Harden, Steve Schirripa, Joe Pantoliano, and more, Gandolfini is a detailed and nuanced appraisal of an enduring artist.

“A compelling portrait of a complicated man, grounded in stunningly meticulous research and told with grace and nuance."—Carrie Courogen, author of Miss May Does Not Exist