Top ten things you might not know about James Gandolfini

In mourning of James Gandolfini’s death, most notorious for his portrayal of Tony Soprano, an Italian mobster on HBO’s critically acclaimed show The Soprano’s, we’ve acquired ten facts about the award-winning actor you may be surprised by!

10. New Jersey bred
Just like his character Tony Soprano, Gandolfini was born September 16, 1961 in Westwood, New Jersey, to a family of Italian immigrants and devout Roman Catholics.

9. Family owns land in Italy
Gandolfini spent a good amount of his childhood in Italy. His father and mother spoke Italian amongst themselves but never taught it to him or his sisters, as they would use it to discuss private manners. To this day, his family still owns land in Italy.

8. Fan of West Side Story
Gandolfini said, “The first movie I remember seeing and registering was West Side Story. When I saw that, I went, ‘Wow!’”

7. Earned a college degree from Rutgers University
In 1983, Gandolfini graduated from Rutgers University (New Brunswick, New Jersey) with a B.A. in communications.

6. Worked as a bouncer and nightclub manager
While in college, Gandolfini worked as a bouncer at an on-campus pub. There, he befriended Roger Bart, who went on to star in Broadway productions such as The Producers. After graduation, he headed to Manhattan where he ran a club called Private Eyes on 21st street. In an interview with Inside the Actors Studio, he says, “I spent a few years there, on the job, just watching people in amazement.”

5. User (and abuser) of the Meisner technique
Roger Bart convinced Gandolfini to attend a Meisner technique class, which he studied for two years. He learned how to control his anger and manipulate his emotions through intense study. Before scenes, he would bang his head on things or stay up really late the night before. He joked, “If you’re tired, every single thing that somebody does will piss you off.”

4. Helped rescue a woman being mugged
In November 2001, Gandolfini helped a woman being mugged on a New York City street. He stepped in and rescued her after she was knocked to the ground and had her bag snatched.

3. Broke into Broadway through an ex-girlfriend
When Gandolfini moved into his small Manhattan apartment, it happened to be across the hall from someone he used to date. Lucky for Gandolfini, the woman was friends with a theatrical casting director. In 1992, he starred as Steve Hubbell in a revival of A Streetcar Named Desire alongside Jessica Lange and Alec Baldwin.

2. Got the role of Tony Soprano from his role in Quentin Tarrantino’s True Romance
The violent, bloody scene of Gandolfini beating up Patricia Arquette eventually led him to the role of Tony Soprano. A casting agent brought in True Romance to writer/producer David Chase, and said, “This is your guy.”

1. Had doubts about continuing his contract as Tony Soprano
Though Tony Soprano is not afraid of violence, Gandolfini is. He was not in favor of The Soprano’s violent content and stereotype of Italian-Americans.

Sources: IMDB, Broadway.com

Image: Wiki Media Commons