Thursday, June 20, 2013

Why Gandolfini's death matters

I was stunned to find out about James Gandolfini's death at the age of 51 yesterday. I suppose I might not have been; Gandolfini was significantly overweight, which likely led to his heart attack or stroke (I think they're not sure yet of the cause of death).

That said, he was legendary and seemed ephemeral. He was those things because he advanced the unreliable narrator, the likable-unlikable main character. He inhabited that role as only he could. I can't say that I know much of the rest of his body of work, but I am a great Sopranos fan. In fact, I compare myself to Tony on my website.

Gandolfini's death matters because he touched us. He made us ever more aware of the universality of human nature. He assured us we were not alone. And we're not.


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