One of the greatest actors of his generation….

The character of Tony Soprano was a villain. He was a killer who committed vile acts, an unfaithful husband, and a thief. It would have been easy to see him a caricature, a two-dimensional cartoon, if not for the extraordinary acting of James Gandolfini.

He brought the part of Tony Soprano off the page and into life. Through James we viewed Tony Soprano not as an antagonist but as an immensely complex individual. He presented us with a glimpse into a character who was at the same time a loving, faithful, vicious, angry, resentful, jealous man who loved his family, valued friendship, and agonized over life-and-death decisions.

It would have been easy, and would have even worked, if only to a lesser extent, to bring the internal battles that waged in Tony Soprano’s soul into shouts or action, but James Gandolfini was a better actor than that. With a simple stare or a shrug he conveyed the passions of a complex character without ever resulting in forcing the role. A clenched jaw or a sideways glance from Gandolfini said more than most actors could screaming at the top of their lungs.

Like the series the light go down far too quickly and suddenly, but this time there’s no hope of a final bow or an encore.

RIP