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| James Gandolfini, Sopranos star, dies in Italy aged 51 | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| James Gandolfini, the US actor best known for his role as the mob boss in The Sopranos, has died at the age of 51, the HBO TV network has confirmed. | James Gandolfini, the US actor best known for his role as the mob boss in The Sopranos, has died at the age of 51, the HBO TV network has confirmed. |
| Gandolfini died of a possible heart attack while on holiday in Rome, the network told the BBC. | Gandolfini died of a possible heart attack while on holiday in Rome, the network told the BBC. |
| According to TMZ website, New Jersey-born Gandolfini went to Italy to attend a film festival in Sicily. | According to TMZ website, New Jersey-born Gandolfini went to Italy to attend a film festival in Sicily. |
| He won three Emmy awards for his role as Tony Soprano, a mafia boss juggling his criminal career and family life. | He won three Emmy awards for his role as Tony Soprano, a mafia boss juggling his criminal career and family life. |
| "It is with immense sorrow that we report our client James Gandolfini passed away today while on holiday in Rome, Italy," said his managers, Mark Armstrong and Nancy Sanders, in a statement. | |
| "Our hearts are shattered and we will miss him deeply. He and his family were part of our family for many years and we are all grieving." | "Our hearts are shattered and we will miss him deeply. He and his family were part of our family for many years and we are all grieving." |
| HBO also said the star of The Sopranos, which aired on the cable channel from 1999-2007, would be "deeply missed". | |
| "He was special man, a great talent, but more importantly a gentle and loving person who treated everyone no matter their title or position with equal respect," said its statement. | "He was special man, a great talent, but more importantly a gentle and loving person who treated everyone no matter their title or position with equal respect," said its statement. |
| "He touched so many of us over the years with his humour, his warmth and his humility." | "He touched so many of us over the years with his humour, his warmth and his humility." |
| Gandolfini was born in Westwood, New Jersey, to a school dinner lady and a bricklayer, both of Italian background. | Gandolfini was born in Westwood, New Jersey, to a school dinner lady and a bricklayer, both of Italian background. |
| He worked as a bartender and a club manager before his acting career took off on Broadway in 1992. | He worked as a bartender and a club manager before his acting career took off on Broadway in 1992. |
| His breakthrough role came a year later playing a mobster in the movie True Romance. | His breakthrough role came a year later playing a mobster in the movie True Romance. |
| Gandolfini's more recent film credits included In The Loop, Zero Dark Thirty and Killing Them Softly. | |
| In a December 2012 interview with the Associated Press news agency, Gandolfini said he had become an actor to get rid of anger. | |
| "I don't know what exactly I was angry about," he said. | |
| "I try to avoid certain things and certain kinds of violence at this point," he added. "I'm getting older, too. | |
| "I don't want to be beating people up as much. I don't want to be beating women up and those kinds of things that much anymore.'' |