James Gandolfini helped change TV as we know it. Of course, there was a lot to The Sopranos
that broke new ground: its perfect ensemble, the bold writing and cinematic
direction, but it was James Gandolfini’s performance as Tony Soprano that
helped make that show. It’s a great
performance that takes a great character on the page and turns him into an
icon. Few characters in any medium are
as fleshed out the way Tony is. That performance helped turned The Sopranos
into a pop culture phenomenon and changed the television map. It’d be hard to imagine the brand HBO has
built in the past 14 years without the foundation of The Sopranos (yes, there
were shows on before The Sopranos, but did any besides Sex and the City leave
anywhere as big a cultural imprint?) It
wasn’t just HBO: The Sopranos was the beginning of this Golden Age of
Television. It also spawned a growing interest in anti-heroes as protagonists
on TV shows. Who is Walter White but Tony Soprano if he lived a regular life
until he was 50? I can’t imagine The
Sopranos having the impact it’s had, as amazing as every other piece was in
that show, if someone other than Gandolfini were playing Tony. He gave us a character who was charismatic,
but completely terrifying. Who knows
what TV would look like without Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano, but I think that one
wouldn’t have lead to nearly as many compelling hours of TV spawned with a
brilliant performance in the center. Of
course it’s a huge loss for his friends and family, but also a tremendous loss
to the world of acting. We lost one of
the greats.
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