The world has been reacting to the death of US actor James Gandolfini, who has died at the age of 51.
He was best known for his role of Tony Soprano, a New Jersey Mafia boss and family man who was the lead character in 'The Sopranos' TV series. But he was more than just one role.
Gandolfini was born in Westwood, New Jersey to a mother of Italian ancestry and a father from Borgotaro in Italy.
His parents were devout Roman Catholics who spoke Italian at home. Due to such influence, Gandolfini had a strong sense of being Italian, and regularly visited Italy.
Gandolfini graduated from school in 1979, where he played basketball and acted in school plays.
He discovered acting in the late 1980s and made his Broadway debut in 1992. His breakthrough came in the lead role of 'The Sopranos' in 1999. During the show’s 6-year run, the actor won numerous accolades - including a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Emmy.
He discovered the stage after spending years as a Manhattan bouncer and nightclub manager. When a friend took him to an acting class in the late 1980s, he was left so unsettled and challenged by a focusing exercise that involved threading a needle that he knew he had to return.
Shortly after, he threw himself into the New York theatre world. His Broadway debut came with the 1992 revival of 'A Streetcar Named Desire' with Jessica Lange and Alec Baldwin.
He went on to play a diverse range of roles in more than 25 motion pictures over his decades-long career, including John Cusack's brother in 'Money for Nothing', Geena Davis's plumber boyfriend in 'Angie' and a loyal Navy lieutenant in 'Crimson Tide'. He also played a pivotal role in Steve Zaillian's 'A Civil Action' alongside John Travolta and Robert Duvall.
In 2004, he appeared in the comedy 'Surviving Christmas' with Ben Affleck and the political drama 'All the King's Men' with Sean Penn. He also continued to work with HBO after 'The Sopranos ended' in 2007, after signing a development deal with the cable channel and its film distribution company in August 2006.
Gandolfini began appearing on the big screen again in 2009. He starred in the action dramas 'The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3' and 'In the Loop', and became a voice in the live-action remake of 'Where the Wild Things Are'.
Gandolfini married former model Deborah Lin in 2008 and their daughter was born last year. He also has a son from a previous relationship.
Since The Sopranos ended in 2007, Gandolfini has appeared in a number of big-screen roles, including thriller 'Zero Dark Thirty' and the comedy 'The Incredible Burt Wonderstone'.
Gandolfini also shared a Broadway stage in 2009 with Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis and Marcia Gay-Harden in a celebrated production of 'God Of Carnage', where he earned a Tony Award nomination for best actor. He also was in 'On The Waterfront' with David Morse.
At the time of his death, he had been working on a new HBO series titled 'Criminal Justice'.
In a December 2012 interview, Gandolfini said he gravitated to acting as a release to get rid of anger.
"I don't know what exactly I was angry about," he said. "I try to avoid certain things and certain kinds of violence at this point.
"I'm getting older, too. I don't want to be beating people up as much. I don't want to be beating women up and those kinds of things that much any more."
Watch a tribute to him below:
