Actor Michael Imperioli leaves the funeral for James Gandolfini.(Photo Andrew Burton Getty Images)
NEW YORK Actor James Gandolfini was remembered Thursday as a private but generous man who despite struggles created one of the most indelibly iconic characters in TV history.
The Sopranos star's funeral at the massive Cathedral of Saint John the Divine was attended by 1 800 friends family and fans who streamed in on a steamy day to hear eulogies and prayers.
He died June 19 of a heart attack in Rome at age 51.
Among those in attendance were top HBO executives and co stars from the series including Edie Falco Steve Buscemi Tony Sirico Aida Turturro Dominic Chianese and a pregnant Jamie Lynn Sigler New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie who had lowered the state's flags to half staff in his memory NBC newsman Brian Williams and fellow actors Alec Baldwin Julianna Margulies Chris Noth and Marcia Gay Harden.
After a reading by his sister Johanna Antonacci Gandolfini was remembered by his widow Deborah Lin Gandolfini as a kind and loving man who was always secretly helping someone. Family friend Thomas Richardson said the actor alternately struggled and succeeded and would focus his incredible gaze on those he loved which would often turn into a hug that seemed too tight and felt too long.
Longtime friend Susan Aston who acted alongside him early in their careers fondly recalled my teddy bear friend saying he used his brilliant mind to ask the questions that would prepare his heart for each scene. When she last spoke with him this spring he told her had turned down a movie role for this summer saying 'It was more important than it's ever been to spend time with my family and friends on the Jersey Shore and in California.' He said 'I don't want to lose this time with (children) Michael and Lily.'
Sopranos creator David Chase addressing Gandolfini as if reading a letter said that though he was 16 years older than the actor I always felt we were brothers. We had different tastes but there were things we both love family work people in all their imperfection food alcohol talking rage and a desire to bring the whole structure crashing down.
He recalled how Gandolfini told him once he simply wanted to be a man but the paradox with you as a man was that with you personally I was always seeing a young boy. That's why I think you were a great actor because of that boy that was inside. And in mobster Tony Soprano fans saw and felt that little boy and they sensed his love and his hurt. Sometimes Chase said you tried too hard to please you'd do too much and then you'd snap. And that's of course what everyone read about was the snapping.
The church's Very Rev. James Kowalski said he didn't embrace the show's graphic violence though he admired Gandolfini's ability at times to make that darkness accessible to us so that we may come to terms with it.
But he also said Tony Soprano's vulnerability was a key to his humanity. If you took Tony's scenes with his therapist Dr. Melfi out of the show Gandolfini once told him you wouldn't care about this man as much or care about anything that happened to him.
And Chase remembered a vision of Gandolfini while shooting in New Jersey on a hot summer day that reminded him of their shared blue collar roots as Jersey raised Italian Americans You were sitting in an aluminum beach chair with your slacks rolled up to your knees black socks and black shoes that's not a good look and I thought I haven't seen that since my father my uncle and my grandfather used to do it. I was so proud of our heritage to see you do that.
David Chase center right leaves the funeral for James Gandolfini at The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine on June 27 in New York City.(Photo Andrew Burton Getty Images)
No comments:
Post a Comment