James Gandolfini's 'Sopranos' Co-Stars Remember Him on 10th Anniversary of His Death
It has been a decade since the world lost James Gandolfini, who captivated fans as Tony Soprano in the hit HBO series, The Sopranos. Now, in memorial to the late actor, many of his former castmates are taking time to honor and remember him on the 10th anniversary of his untimely death. Over on Instagram, Michael Imperioli — who starred as Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos — shared a throwback photo of himself and Gandolfini while offering a heartfelt message in the caption.
"Batman and Robin...my favorite picture of us," Imperioli wrote. "And I can't help thinking where we ended up that night and what you said. That was one for the books....It's so very strange that it's 10 years today since you left us. Would love to have shot one more scene or had another laugh or one more late night chat. Forever grateful to have done so much work together, to have spent so much time in your company and for all the generosity and kindness. Miss you lots as do so many on the planet."
In a recent Vanity Fair interview, Edie Falco — who portrayed Carmela Soprano — shared some fond memories of working with her former on-screen husband. "He didn't let himself get bossed around by a lot of the things that I let walk me around-this good-student mentality," she said. "I always had to get the lines just right and do the blocking exactly the same every time. And I would watch him, and he was following something...bigger. And deeper. If he had an impulse to say something a little different, or to change the blocking, he just did it. And I was jealous that he had somehow gotten permission from himself to do that kind of thing."
Finally, Gandolfini's son, Michael — who played the younger version of his father's character in the spinoff prequel film The Many Saints of Newark — honored his dad with a sweet Father's Day post which included an old photo from when the younger Gandolfini was a small child. "Happy Father's Day Dad. I love you. Today, tomorrow, and everyday. I miss you, I love you," the caption read.
Sadly, Gandolfini passed away on June 19, 2013, at the age of 51. He was in Rome with his family, and it was young Michael who tragically discovered his father unconscious on the bathroom floor of the hotel they had been staying in. After being transported to the hospital, Gandolfini was pronounced dead. An autopsy was done to determine the cause of death, and the coroner found that Gandolfini had suffered a heart attack. Michael was only 14 years old at the time. A funeral was held on June 27 at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, New York City, with Gandolfini then being cremated and his ashes given to his family.