Emmy award-winning US actor James Gandolfini, the star of the long-running mafia drama "The Sopranos," has died at the age of 51 in Italy, media reports said Wednesday.
Gandolfini, who won three Emmys and a Golden Globe for his portrayal of mob boss Tony Soprano on the hit HBO series, suffered a heart attack, celebrity website TMZ and industry daily Variety reported.
Tributes poured in from fellow actors including Susan Sarandon, who tweeted: "So sad to lose James Gandolfini. One of the sweetest, funniest, most generous actors I've ever worked with. Sending prayers to his family."
"I'm truly heartbroken to hear that James Gandolfini has passed away. He is one of my all time favorite actors. Tragic loss," Jonah Hill wrote on the microblogging site, while Steve Carrell said it was "unbelievably sad news."
Gandolfini's agents and HBO were not immediately available to confirm the reports.
TMZ said Gandolfini was in Italy for the Taormina Film Fest in Sicily, where he was expected to participate in a roundtable discussion with Italian director Gabriele Muccino this weekend.
Gandolfini had a long film and stage career before lending his heavy stature and big grin to play a depressed mafioso in "The Sopranos," a celebrated series that ran from 1999 to 2007.
The New Jersey-born actor began acting in the New York theater, making his Broadway debut in the 1992 revival of "A Streetcar Named Desire" with Jessica Lange and Alec Baldwin.
His breakthrough role came as a hitman in Tony Scott's 1993 "True Romance," which he followed with "She's So Lovely" (1997), "8MM" (1999), "The Mexican" (2001), "The Man Who Wasn't There" (2001) and "In the Loop" (2009).
He played CIA director Leon Panetta in last year's Oscar-winning Osama bin Laden manhunt movie "Zero Dark Thirty," and was seen in this year's comedy "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone."
He is survived by his wife, Deborah Lin, whom he married in 2008. He had a son, Michael, with his first wife, Marcy Wudarski.
rr-mt/mdl
AFP
Thu Jun 20 2013
!['Sopranos' star James Gandolfini dead at 51: reports 'Sopranos' star James Gandolfini dead at 51: reports](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2013-06/81371691563_295x200.jpg)
10 Berita Pilihan - (16 Julai 2024
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
PAC beri tempoh tiga bulan kepada HRD Corp
Jawatankuasa Kira-kira Wang Negara (PAC) memberi tempoh tiga bulan kepada Perbadanan Pembangunan Sumber Manusia (HRD Corp) untuk mengemukakan laporan tindakan susulan terhadap syor jawatankuasa itu.
Kylian Mbappe tandatangan kontrak dengan Real Madrid
Bintang bola sepak Perancis Kylian Mbappe menandatangani kontrak selama lima tahun dengan kelab Sepanyol Real Madrid pada Selasa.
Pelepasan ketujuh air sisa nuklear Fukushima ke laut selesai
Jepun telah menyelesaikan pusingan ketujuh pelepasan air sisa radioaktif yang dirawat dari loji kuasa nuklear Fukushima Daiichi ke Lautan Pasifik pada Selasa.
Empat termasuk kapten maut dalam pertempuran
Empat anggota tentera India termasuk kapten meninggal dunia akibat kecederaan selepas pertempuuran pada malam isnin di Hutan Desa.
Pakistan sahkan 4 warganya terbunuh di Oman
Pakistan berkata pada Selasa empat warganya terbunuh dalam insiden tembakan pada malam Isnin berhampiran ibu negara Oman, Muscat.
Lima terbunuh, puluhan cedera dalam protes antikuota di Bangladesh
Sekurang-kurangnya empat orang terbunuh dan puluhan lagi cedera dalam pertempuran antara pelajar yang memprotes sistem kuota dalam pekerjaan sektor awam dan polis di pelbagai bahagian Bangladesh pada Selasa.
Kerajaan cadang perkenal pembiayaan swasta
Kerajaan menyasarkan untuk memperkenalkan pembiayaan swasta alternatif bagi memastikan kemampanan kewangan program sektor air, sekali gus mengurangkan kebergantungan pada perbelanjaan kerajaan dan mengukuhkan daya tahan.
Saya tak fitnah Guan Eng, cuma jelaskan siasatan SPRM - Muhyiddin
Presiden Bersatu Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin memberitahu Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur hari ini bahawa beliau tidak memfitnah Lim Guan Eng berhubung isu pengecualian cukai terhadap Yayasan Albukhary
KPT alu-alukan dapatan, cadangan PAC - Zambry
Ini termasuklah cadangan pelaksanaan Garis Panduan Pelaburan dan Pembiayaan oleh Universiti Awam 2024 kepada anak-anak syarikat di bawah seliaan Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi (KPT).
![Pelakon Sopranos James Gandolfini meninggal dunia Pelakon Sopranos James Gandolfini meninggal dunia](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2013-06/71371695675_295x200.jpg)
Pelakon Sopranos James Gandolfini meninggal dunia
Pemenang anugerah Emmy, pelakon AS James Gandolfini, bintang drama The Sopranos, telah menghembuskan nafas terakhir pada usia 51 tahun di Itali, lapor sebuah media pada Rabu.