Overview

A deeply reported, perceptive, and celebratory biography of beloved actor James Gandolfini, from a prominent critic and film historianBased on extensive research and original reporting, including interviews with friends and collaborators, Gandolfini is a detailed and nuanced appraisal of an enduring artist.More than a decade after his sudden passing, James Gandolfini still exerts a powerful pull on television and film enthusiasts around the world. His charismatic portrayal of complex, flawed, but always human men illuminated the contradictions in all of us, as well as our potential for grace and the power of love and family.In Gandolfini, critic and historian Jason Bailey traces the twinned stories of the man and the unforgettable roles he played. Gandolfini's roots were working class, raised in northern New Jersey as the son of Italian immigrants, and acting was something he loved for a long time before he could see it as a career. It wasn't until he was well into his bohemian twenties that he dedicated himself to a life on the stage and screen.Bailey traces his rise, from bit parts to character roles he enlivened with menace and vulnerability, to Tony Soprano, the breakout role that would make him a legend, and onto a post-Sopranos career in which he continued to challenge himself and his audience.

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Reviews

""A hardworking character actor and surprising star whose untimely death left a hole in the heart of filmdom...A fast-moving, entertaining bio of a Hollywood mensch."" -- ""Kirkus Reviews"" ""Bailey's richly reported biography of actor James Gandolfini is both entertaining and poignant, perceptive and vibrant. Best of all, it gives us the thing we've all been missing most: more time with the brilliant actor."" -- ""Megan Abbott, New York Times bestselling author "" ""Gandolfini was thoroughly committed to every role...A detailed account of Gandolfini's starring turn as mobster Tony Soprano discusses how the show's dark themes and marathon shoots took a toll on the actor's mental health...A riveting look inside the mind of a towering talent."" -- ""Publishers Weekly""

Author Information

Jason Bailey is a film critic, historian, and the author of six books, including Richard Pryor: American Id and Fun City Cinema: New York City and the Movies That Made It. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, Vulture, Bloomberg, Rolling Stone, Time, Slate, and more. He lives in the Bronx with his wife and two daughters. Called ""in a class by himself"" by Oprah Daily, and ""a master in his field"" by The New York Times, Edoardo Ballerini is an award-winning and celebrated narrator of audiobooks.

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