Tribute to James Gandolfini

James Gandolfini was incredible in his role as “Tony Soprano.” In fact, it was one of the great television roles and performances in that medium’s history.

Sadly, after saying the same about the late Larry Hagman, who was over 80, shockingly, Gandolfini is dead at the age of 51.

As was the case with Hagman, Gandolfini had some really nice work in addition to his incredible performance as the angst ridden, mob boss,”Tony Soprano.”

I was fortunate to see him in “God of Carnage” on the Broadway stage and he gave a fine, humorous performance in a role that called for just that.

Coincidentally, the last time a LeBron James team faced the Spurs in the NBA finals (2007 James was with the Cleveland Cavaliers), the Sunday night second game was on opposite the final episode of the great HBO original series, “The Sopranos.”

Many people were disappointed in the show’s ending. Truly tragic, while fictional “Tony Soprano” lived, now during another Spurs vs a “James team” NBA final, James Gandolfini died.

There is some consolation in the fact that the performances of James Gandolfini as “Tony Soprano” and in other roles does live on.

I never met Mr. Gandolfini, but by all accounts he was a nice man. Certainly he was a most charitable public figure, who performed brilliantly in one of the great roles in television history.