James Joseph Gandolfini Jr. was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Tony Soprano, the Italian-American Mafia crime boss in HBO's television series The Sopranos (1999–2007). For this role, he won three Emmy Awards, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and one Golden Globe Award. His role as Tony Soprano has been described as one of the greatest and most influential performances in television history.
James Joseph Gandolfini Jr. was born in Westwood, New Jersey, on September 18, 1961. His mother, Santa (née Penna), was an Italian high school food service worker who was born in the U.S. and raised in Naples. His father, James Joseph Gandolfini Sr. (born Giacomo Giuseppe Gandolfini), was an Italian immigrant from Borgo Val di Taro, Parma, Emilia-Romagna who worked as a bricklayer and cement mason before becoming the head custodian at Paramus Catholic High School. James Sr. earned a Purple Heart in World War II, and would often purchase car tires from a shop owned by Salvatore Travolta, the father of actor John Travolta; their sons consequently became friends and would later co-star in five films. Gandolfini's parents were devout Catholics who spoke Italian at home. Due to the influence of his parents, he developed a strong Italian-American identity and regularly visited Italy. He had two sisters.
Gandolfini grew up in Park Ridge, New Jersey. He graduated in 1979 from Park Ridge High School, where he played basketball, acted in school plays, and was named the "Class Flirt" in his senior yearbook. In 1983, he earned a BA in Communications from Rutgers University-New Brunswick, where he worked as a bouncer at an on-campus pub. He also worked as a bartender and club manager in Manhattan prior to his acting career. While living in Manhattan, he was introduced to acting when he accompanied his friend Roger Bart to a Meisner technique class. He studied for two years under Kathryn Gately at the Gately/Poole Conservatory.
