Jamie-Lynn Sigler Shares Father's Day Tribute to Late 'Sopranos' TV Dad James Gandolfini
Jamie-Lynn Sigler is continuing to remember her late Sopranos TV dad James Gandolfini nearly a decade after his death at the age of 51. In observance of the ninth anniversary of his tragic passing on Sunday, Sigler, who played the actor's on-screen daughter on the hit HBO show for eight years, posted an emotional tribute to Gandolfini to mark Father's Day.
Sigler shared her tribute to Gandolfini alongside on her Instagram Story a throwback image of herself and the late actor, writing over top the image, "And 9 years today to your passing, Jim." Sigler went on to express how difficult the past nine years have been and reflect on the close relationship she and Gandolfini shared, writing, "sometimes I feel like it's not my place to remember you so publicly, because that should be reserved for your immediate family and friends, but you were nothing short of a father to me." The actress added that the late star was "always making sure I was ok, in your own special way and making me feel worthy of everything." Sigler concluded the post by writing, "I miss you often and hope I've made you proud by taking so much of your advice over the years."
Gandolfini was best known for playing Tony Soprano in HBO's The Sopranos. The role earned him a Golden Globe in 2000 and three consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series from 2000 to 2003. Sigler starred opposite him as Meadow Soprano, his character's daughter Six years after the series came to an end, Gandolfini was found dead in his Rome hotel room after suffering a heart attack at age 51 in June 2013.
Reflecting on his passing in a 2020 episode of Oprah: Where Are They Now?, Sigler revealed she learned of Gandolfini's passing from Vince Curatola, who played Johnny "Sack" Sacramoni, sharing that "he said: 'All of us were confused as to who should call you because we know you're pregnant ... but Jim's gone." Sigler said that after learning the news, she "didn't have words – I still don't. It's just such a shock – we'd all seen him three months before, so it was confusing and sad. Not much was said, it was just a lot of crying."
Shortly after his passing, HBO arranged for a private plane to bring the cast members that lived in California to New York for his funeral, something Sigler called "surreal. And to lay to rest our leader – he was the sun and we were the planets all around him. So the whole Sopranos life sort of came to an end at that moment." Sigler said Gandolfini "was one of the most humble human beings I've ever met, but also just one of the most powerful presences I've ever been around." She added, "he didn't even realize, I think, the strength and light that he brought into every room that he walked into."