Author: Bailey, Jason

Individual actors & performers

Published on 26 June 2025 by Abrams (Abrams Press) in the United States.

Hardback | 352 pages, Black-and-white illustrations throughout
164 x 238 x 33 | 508g

Based on extensive research and original interviews, this intimate biography reveals the complexities of Gandolfini’s character, his rise to fame, and his lasting impact on television and film.

A riveting look inside the mind of a towering talent, this is a must for Sopranos fans.’-Publishers Weekly’A fast-moving, entertaining bio of a Hollywood mensch.’-Kirkus 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.

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.