James Gandolfini in The Mexican
James Gandolfini may be best know for his role in The Sopranos but he also had a very successful career on the big screen.
Sadly the actor passed away this week at the age of fifty one and we look back at some of his best movie roles.
- True Romance
One of Gandolfini's most menacing movie roles came in 1993 when he took on the role of Virgil in True Romance.
The movie was directed by Tony Scott, written by Quentin Tarantino and starred Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette and Dennis Hopper.
The most famous scene in that movie sees henchman Virgil brutally attack Alabama (Arquette) but she battles back in what is a terrifically shot fight scene.
True Romance was a movie that blended comedy with violence and over the years it has become a cult hit.
But in the below clip Gandolfini comes face to face with layabout Floyd - played by Brad Pitt.
- The Mexican
In 2001 Gandolfini played another sort of henchman in The Mexican as he took on the role of Winston Baldry.
Gore Verbinksi was in the director's chair while Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts were also on the cast list.
Ok so this may not be the best movie that you ever see but Gandolfini steals every scene that he is in.
He has some great moments with Roberts like the one below where he talks about his relationship.
- Romance & Cigarettes
Now James Gandolfini is the kind of actor that you expect to see in a musical... but he led the cast in Romance & Cigarettes back in 2005.
The movie was written and directed by John Turturro and saw Gandolfini star alongside Kate Winslet. Susan Sarandon and Steven Buscemi.
And the actor has a good voice on his as well as be sings A Man Without Love by Engelbert Humperdinck in this clip.
- In The Loop
The actor tackled the satirical black comedy In The Loop in 2009 - the spin off of the hit TV show The Thick of It.
Gandolfini takes on the role of Lieutenant General George Miller in a movie where the U.S. and UK are on the verge of a possible war in the Middle East.
In this clip Miller comes face to face with m Tucker, Director of Communications for the Prime Minister (played fantastically by Peter Capaldi).
- Where The Wild Things Are
One of the best movies of 2009 came in the form of Where The Wild Things Are as director Spike Jonze brough the novel of the same name by Maurice Sendak to the big screen.
The movie follows a disobedient boy called Max who find himself in a forest inhabited by wild creatures - they make Max their ruler.
Gandolfini is not on screen in the film but he brings the character of Carol to life in what is a moving performance; particularly at the end of the film.
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Other honourbale mentions include Killing Them Softly, The Last Castle and Get Shorty.
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