The Best James Gandolfini Performances

Douglas Lloyd 'Doug' Riley - Welcome to the Rileys (2010)

While the majority of the anticipation revolved around Kristen Stewart's non- Twilight related performance, Gandolfini stole the plaudits with yet another complicated, raw turn - this time as a grieving father whose life is spiralling out of control following the death of his daughter.

Paternal, flawed and emotionally affecting, his performance - and connection to his surrogate daughter (as played by Stewart) - was the best thing in the movie.

Winston Baldry - The Mexican (2001)

While in the midst of achieving global stardom with his turn as a morally complex, hard-as-nails mob boss in The Sopranos , Gandolfini chose a role that subverted most people's expectations, as a tender, charming gay hitman in comedy drama The Mexican .

It's testament to his nuanced performance that Gandolfini not only matched the combined on-screen megastar-wattage of Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, but actually surpassed them, stealing each and every scene he's in with an affecting vulnerability.

Pat - Not Fade Away (2012)

One of Gandolfini’s lesser-seen recent movies, Not Fade Away saw him re-team with Sopranos creator David Chase (who made his directorial feature debut here).

Telling the story of a bright-eyed bushy-tailed rock group out to make it big, the film’s as memorable as it’s soundtrack, which thrums with soul and blue classics.

Gandolfini brings pathos and restraint to an overbearing father figure, and his weighty charisma feels well suited to the ‘60s setting.

Nick Murder - Romance & Cigarettes (2005)

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Gandolfini took the lead in this unconvential musical, which was directed by The Big Lebowski actor John Turturro.

Heading up a starry cast that included Susan Sarandon (as his wife) and Kate Winslet (as the object of his wandering affection), it provided the memorable image of Gandolfini lip-synching along to an Engelbert Humperdinck number.

Not every element of the film works, but it remains worthy of attention for its low-key take on the classic musical and its big performances.

Lt. Gen. George Miller - In The Loop (2009)

The Sopranos , while superb, didn't often allow for Gandolfini to unleash his comedic skills. Which is why it was such a delight to see him bring the cutting, caustic funny in Armando Ianucci's satirical black comedy, In The Loop . As Lt. Gen George Miller, he was every bit as snarky, dry and quick-witted as the rest of the stellar ensemble cast.

Our favourite moment? Choosing a little girl's pastel-infused, troy-strewn bedroom to chat matters of national security. And using a pink children's calculator to calculate war casualities.

Carol - Where The Wild Things Are (2009)

While Spike Jonze's adaptation of classic children's book Where the Wild Things Are divided critics, there was one thing that everyone agreed worked - Gandolfini's warmly gruff vocal turn as Carol, the most memorable of Wild Things.

His friendship with young boy Max is the emotional crux of the movie, and while the animatronics surely impress, it's the delivery that nails their connection - and grabbed viewers' hearts.

Bear - Get Shorty (1995)

Before he made a name for himself in The Sopranos, Gandolfini bagged some cred in Barry Sonnenfeld’s ultra-hip Elmore Leonard adap Get Shorty .

Fitting in naturally with the film’s wiseguys, Gandolfini makes short work of the film’s hardboiled dialogue, easily holding his own against the more seasoned likes of Delroy Lindo and Dennis Farina.

As sharp a take on Hollywood, Get Shorty still stands up to repeat viewings, making for one of the sharpest satires of recent times.

Mickey - Killing Them Softly (2012)

Gandolfini was stealing scenes in big movies as recently as 2012. As well as making an impression as a bullish CIA bureaucrat in Zero Dark Thirty , he stole Killing Them Softly out from underneath Brad Pitt.

Turning up in the movie’s mid-section as an ineffectual hitman hired by Pitt’s Jackie Cogan to perform a necessary hit, Mickey spends most of his time downing martinis and arguing with prostitutes, leaving Cogan to sort out his dirty business himself.

Even when playing a languid underachiever, Gandolfini still emanates that steely intensity that assures you that you wouldn’t want to mess with him. Just try taking away his martini…

Virgil - True Romance (1993)

This Tony Scott-directed, Quentin Tarantino-scripted larger-than-life crime-romance doesn’t want for memorable supporting performances. Amid bravura turns from Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson and Christopher Walken, Gandolfini’s terrifying presence sears in the mind.

He plays Virgil, henchman to Walken’s vicious gangster, and he’s a key figure in one of the film’s most brutal scenes: his violent beating of Alabama (Patricia Arquette).

So unflinching is his portrayal, it’s a air-punching relief when he’s character is overpowered and killed.

Tony Soprano - The Sopranos (1999 - 2007)

So huge was Gandolfini’s impact in The Sopranos, it made it easy to forget what an impressive body of film work he had.

Gandolfini’s signature role saw him dominating David Chase’s mobster drama over six seasons (or seven, depending how you slice it). While his bulldog charisma might have hooked your attention, the course of the show allowed him to fully flesh out a character who was at times a fearsome crimelord, and at others, a troubled family man.

A gangster suffering panic attacks could have been ripe for cliché, but Gandolfini kept Tony compelling and believable, with the character fleshed out through his intricate web of complicated family and business relationships.

It’s a portrait of a character that few have matched for depth, on the small screen or the big screen.