Born in Westwood, New Jersey, James Gandolfini earned a BA in Communications from Rutgers University-New Brunswick, where he worked as a bouncer at an on-campus pub. He discovered acting when a friend took him along to an acting class. He made his Broadway debut in 1992 revival of A Streetcar Named Desire, and his big screen debut that same year in A Stanger Among Us. He became a household name after landing the role of Tony Soprano in HBO's hit series, The Sopranos, for which he won Emmy awards in 2000, 2001 and 2003 as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
While vacationing in Italy, James Gandolfini died of a heart attack at age 51.
