James Gandolfini -- who famously played Tony Soprano on
"The Sopranos" -- died earlier today in Italy ... TMZ has learned. Read more
Gandolfini is believed to have suffered a heart attack. He
was 51.
Gandolfini was in Italy to attend the 59th Taormina Film
Festival in Sicily -- and he was scheduled to participate in a festival event
this weekend with Italian director Gabriele Muccino.
Gandolfini shot to fame playing a hitman in the 1993 hit
"True Romance" ... and quickly became a Hollywood legend when he was
cast as Tony Soprano in 1999. He
won 3 Emmy awards for the role during the show's 6 season run.
'Sopranos' creator David Chase tells TMZ ... "[James]
was a genius. He is one of the greatest actors of this or any time. A great deal of that genius resided in
those sad eyes. I remember telling
him many times, 'You don't get it.
You're like Mozart.' There would be silence at the other end of the
phone."
Chase added, "He was my partner, he was my brother in
ways I can't explain and never will be able to explain.”
Gandolfini also appeared in a ton of huge movies including
"Get Shorty," "The Mexican" and "Zero Dark
Thirty."
We last spoke to Gandolfini in May in L.A. -- he was in
great spirits, making funny faces and joking about a "Sopranos"
movie.
... Tragedy struck during Father-Son trip
James Gandolfini's shocking death happened in the middle of
a "guy's trip" for the actor and his teenage son, Michael ... TMZ has
learned.
Multiple sources tell us James' trip was for pleasure and
business -- first getting to spend some QT in Italy with Michael, who just
recently graduated from the 8th grade ... and then attending the Taormina Film
Festival in Sicily.
We're told Michael's mom -- James' first wife Marcy Wudarski
-- immediately flew to Italy on Wednesday to be with her son ... after she was
told James had died.
James and his son were very tight -- Michael is a big hockey
fan, and he and his father were regulars at LA Kings home games.
James Gandolfini was in the market for a mysterious new ink
job before his death -- dropping by an L.A. tattoo parlor earlier this month
... and promising to return with a special order.
TMZ has learned Gandolfini visited T-Man Tattoo in Studio
City on June 1st -- and the owner (pictured above) tells us, the actor was
extremely excited about a new tattoo he was planning.
Gandolfini didn't tell the owner what he wanted to get done
-- but said he just moved to the neighborhood, and promised to return later
this month for a full tat session.
The owner says Gandolfini was in great spirits during the
visit.
By AGENCY REPORTER
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