James Gandolfini dies aged 51

Very sad news to bring you this morning, as reports have confirmed that James Gandolfini has died while on holiday in Rome. The actor was just 51 years of age.

Best known as the star of HBO's multi-award-winning drama The Sopranos , Gandolfini won three Emmys for his work on the show, oft-regarded as one of the finest serialised dramas of all time.

He also enjoyed a stellar career on the big screen, with eye-catching roles in the likes of True Romance , In The Loop and Zero Dark Thirty .

"He is one of the greatest actors of this or any time," said David Chase, creator of The Sopranos . "A great deal of that genius resided in those sad eyes."

"We lost a giant today," echoed Gandolfini's Sopranos co-star Lorraine Bracco. "I am utterly heartbroken."

Having suffered a suspected heart attack, Gandolfini is survived by his second wife Deborah Lin and their daughter Liliana, as well as his son Michael, born during his first marriage to Marcy Wudarski.

All at Total Film are deeply saddened by this tragic news, and our condolences go out to his family and friends. He was one of the greats of his generation and will be sorely missed.

We celebrate his best roles in our feature below....

George Wales

George was once GamesRadar's resident movie news person, based out of London. He understands that all men must die, but he'd rather not think about it. But now he's working at Stylist Magazine.