“He is one of the greatest actors of this or any time,” remembered the show’s creator, David Chase. “A great deal of that genius resided in those sad eyes. I remember telling him many times, ‘You don’t get it. You’re like Mozart.’ There would be silence at the other end of the phone.”
And like all great artists, Chase acknowledged, “He wasn’t easy sometimes. But he was my partner, he was my brother in ways I can’t explain and never will be able to explain.”
Gandolfini’s costar Steven Schirripa said, “Jimmy was a dear friend and like a brother to me. He was a great actor and a great father. I will miss him terribly. I am very sad.”
His managers, Mark Armstrong and Nancy Sanders, who along with HBO confirmed his death in Italy, said, “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.”
Gandolfini is survived by his wife Deborah Lin, their 8-month-old daughter Liliana, and son Michael, 13, from a previous marriage.
“For Deborah and Michael and Liliana this is crushing,” said Chase. “And it’s bad for the rest of the world.”
