James Gandolfini Net Worth

James Gandolfini's Quotes

• I'm a neurotic mess. I'm really basically just like a 260-pound Woody Allen.
• I'm an actor... I do a job and I go home. Why are you interested in me? You don't ask a truck driver about his job.
• I was voted best-looking kid in high school but, as you can see, things changed. I used to say I was a 260-pound Woody Allen. You can make that 295-pound now.
• [on why he rarely does interviews] I just don't think I'm that interesting. I don't think what I have to say is that interesting. To hear me go, "Blah, blah, blah, blah.".
• [on his reaction to The Sopranos (1999) pilot script] I thought, I've never been the lead before. They're gonna hire somebody else. But I knew I could do it. I have small amounts of "Mr. Soprano" in me. I was 35, a lunatic, a madman.

Interesting Facts about James Gandolfini

1. His sister Johanna is a prominent official with the New Jersey Family Court system.
2. Attended and graduated from Park Ridge High School in Park Ridge, New Jersey (1979).
3. Attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
4. He played the trumpet and saxophone.
5. Although he often played thuggish or brute characters, he was actually somewhat of a pacifist off-stage; he had reservations about continuing his production contract as Tony Soprano in The Sopranos (1999) due to the series violent content and stereotype of Italian-Americans.
6. Television mobster Gandolfini turned to the right side of the law when he saw a woman being mugged in New York recently. Passers-by were shocked to see the tough guy step in and rescue a woman when she was knocked down and had her bag snatched whilst walking down a dimly lit street. [November 2001]
7. Named one of E!'s "Top 20 Entertainers of 2001".
8. Originally cast in the role of Carl Hanratty in Catch Me If You Can (2002) but had to drop out due to The Sopranos (1999).
9. Financed the construction of a restaurant called "Vines" in Oneonta, New York for his childhood friend Clive Griffiths, who needed the money to launch it.
10. Used to bartend in Manhattan during years as struggling actor.
11. Lost more than 40 pounds for his role in The Mexican (2001), but had to gain it all back before shooting for the HBO series The Sopranos (1999) because executives did not believe the audience would like a "skinny" Tony.
12. Well trained in Krav Maga, (an Israeli style of Martial Arts) which he practiced for 2 1/2 years.
13. In Crimson Tide (1995), James refers to Robert Mitchum and Cary Grant, two actors he also references in The Sopranos (1999).
14. Became engaged to Lora Somoza. [January 2004]
15. Said he was nothing like "Tony Soprano" in real life, describing his own personality as being more like a "260-pound Woody Allen".
16. Has co-starred with John Travolta in five movies: Get Shorty (1995), She's So Lovely (1997), A Civil Action (1998), Lonely Hearts (2006) and The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009).
17. Was voted "best-looking" in high school
18. Was friends with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
19. Once worked as a bouncer.
20. For his role as Eddie Poole in 8MM (1999), Gandolfini met a variety of real porn directors and producers to get a feel for their line of work and to get a taste of their personalities, and is said to have loosely based his character on several of them.