How James Gandolfini Navigates Emotion

[@cameronv320]

Chris: Do you ever get the feeling nothing good was ever gonna happen to you? Paulie: Yeah, and then nothin' did, so what?

[@Edis12121]

True stoic advice tbh

[@glock38]

Paulie had great wisdom in that scene.

[@patmaloney5735]

haha i scoffed like paulie unintentionally

[@ColterHarris]

Paulie rules

[@llamapenNHL]

I think about this line so much! So good.

[@CB-vx8dt]

I still feel a tinge of sadness whenever I see a James Gandolfini performance. Similarly with Philip Seymour Hoffman. I really haven't gotten over it. A massive loss.

[@Claoodeeoo2]

Word. My favorite series is Breaking Bad, Sopranos comes to a very close second, but without Gandolfini as Tony there would have never been a Walter White. I remember watching the show and feeling drowned in it, never have I ever watched a show where all the actors performed so well and so believable :)

[@DarlingMissDarling]

@@Cutesy_Time_is_Over And? How does that make his talent any less amazing? In fact, it proves how deeply natural his abilities were that even while struggling with addiction and depression, he could still create these amazing characters and give absolutely transcendent performances. Moreover, dismissing someone with statements like that says way more about you than them. But ok sis, pop off I guess 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@DarlingMissDarling]

@@Claoodeeoo2 agreed!

[@DarlingMissDarling]

Same. You worded it perfectly, such a massive loss of them both. Jesussss, so much natural talent. There's a "meh" movie called Hope Springs where Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep are in marriage counseling with Steve Carell as the therapist. Apparently it was _supposed_ to be Gandolfini and Streep with Hoffman as the therapist and Mike Nichols directing. THAT would have been a VERY different movie! I mean... can you imagine what we missed out on?!

[@NotAlwaysBilly]

I started The Sopranos like 6 months for the first time and it was the best I loved Tony like right away and I was wondering how and what he was doing now so I googled and saw he died in 2013 and it hurt man, I had to stop watching the show for like a week. I just couldn't watch him for a bit. But I've accepted now

[@benwasserman8223]

Even Bryan Cranston admitted it: without Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano, there wouldn’t be a Walter White, or any compelling antihero, on television.

[@ElRaffo97]

Breaking Bad and Sopranos, one of the greatest TV series of all time! Definitely my favorites. Unfortunately most great shows fuck it up at some point, like game of thrones or The Walking Dead.

[@Ojisan642]

Ben Wasserman Breaking Bad avoided the one mistake The Sopranos made: not having a clear plan for the final season right from the start.

[@uhuhuh1966]

Bryan Cranston is the only other person that can be mentioned in the same breath, his performance was just as incredible but not as honestly vulnerable as James, imo

[@leoexgb3219]

@@LeMaqnifique Amen brother

[@hugonongbri8100]

Tony Soprano was the birth of the antihero

[@olivierkepo]

David Chase always said that there was a sadness about Gandolfini and Tony which made him so sympathetic. It’s all in the eyes.

[@Youtuber-lv6eh]

Its layered, different layers are showing who he is talking to. The only thing that broke his inner core is the destruction of innocense. With the ducks and with the HOOOOEEAARR that got killed.

[@K8KProductions]

Annnnnnnd i'm re-watching the entire Sopranos series starting tonight. Great video as always.

[@jonathanneil5901]

I have been flirting with Now TV about rewatching The Sopranos and then I watched this vid. Now I’m right there with you. Masterful Tv!

[@topdilllin]

Ha! Great call, and was thinking exactly the same thing ;)

[@St3veWK]

Triggered me too....lol

[@LucasFerreira-kq3ye]

I'm rewatching weekly, as the Talking Sopranos podcast goes on. It's a great podcast!

[@achilles6578]

Just finished

[@thegreatcalvinio]

By season six, Tony’s nose breathing was its own character... You could tell he was more psychotic by that time.

[@titusbramble7403]

thegreatcalvinio more iconic breathing than Darth Vader

[@michaelotis223]

Dude's cellphone ringtone would always fill me with dread.....you just knew someone was gonna get whacked!

[@Onmysheet]

He was sociopathic right from the start. The reason why we see it more in Season 6 is because he stopped pretending to give a fuck.

[@mayank6763]

yeah, especially when he let his nephew to die

[@FWAKWAKKA]

@TubeNut Nuttington sociopaths feel emotion, they usually center around rage and depression, and their emotional response, is usually connected to self interest or like tony, stress and panic over being in to deep with no way out. a sociopath is like a less disconnected psychopath, they have a conscience, they have emotion, but theyre guided still by reckless self interest. the entire show. literally ALL of them, are sociopaths. paulie is pretty close to a full blown psychopath, but id say whats his face, richie aprile, and ralph were full blown examples of a psychopath. no feelings whatsoever, and pure self interest.

[@AcidTripFilms]

This show, was wayyy ahead of its time. Masterpiece

[@dadaseyi]

Literally changed storytelling on TV.

[@maxresdefault_]

Most people agree that the Sopranos helped start the golden age of television that we’re currently in

[@gitsurfer27]

Ever since i watched it its been my favourite show. There's some great TV come out over the last decade but nothing has ever gripped me like The Soprano's. Its a work of dramatic art.

[@porrasm]

Seyi Dada I don’t like to think it as changing, rather it broadened it by a huge margin. And IMO that’s a bigger achievement.

[@Aceshorts3]

Sopranos and The Wire changed TV forever

[@indianhistorybuff]

"Responsibility of the actors to meet the nuance of the words with nuance in performance." Beautifully put.

[@Dirtyharold86]

The line really got me too. Great insight into his performance.

[@Av8tor5252]

I think the most important thing to keep in mind throughout the show is that Tony is extremely self-loathing. He hates himself, his job, his responsibilities, his place in the world, his mother, and his panic attacks. This self hatred is what plagues him throughout the show and causes him to make so many bad decisions that ruin his and others lives. He hates his insecurities, so when he sees them in others, he lashes out at them instead of helping them. Knowing this makes the show so much more interesting and entertaining to watch scene by scene. By far the best written character in television and one of the best in honestly like all of literature, if you can count a tv show as literature.

[@aleisterbroley900]

And yet, at the same time, he's Narcissus incarnate.

[@MrZanctum]

The Sopranos is most definitely literature. And one of the greatest texts of all time, with James at the helm as Tony.

[@yodabaki970]

He's also self loathing of his own understanding that he came in at the end of the mob and is king of a dying empire. He wants a past that never exists and lives in a constant state of insecurity about that fact that his role was inherited rather than earned. Its why hes so obsessed with legacy in Christopher because its the only way he can justify his own legacy since his dad did most of the work to place him near the seat of power.

[@michaelotis223]

​@@yodabaki970 the quintessential 21st century man

[@smpdevelopments]

So true and I think that's the part most people can connect with on some level, there's never really been a character like him on screen.

[@redefinitive]

Finally watched The Sopranos for the first time last year. It's transcendent, unlike virtually any other show. It really feels like there are some answers to life within its run. And whether you start the whole series over again or just go down the rabbit hole of clips on KZbin, it's endlessly rewatchable. Anyway, $4 a pound.

[@ReturnTheSlab932]

YOU WILL HAVE OUR SAUSAGES!

[@JU5TINPDX]

🐟...“Take me to the river... drop me in the water...🐟

[@adorablegirl1559]

I always notice something I didn't get the last time when I rewatch

[@Alby-sky]

It's crazy how true this is. I went in watching this show out of curiosity having heard it was one of the best television shows ever, but I expected just an entertaining show about gangsters, and it somehow, and I can't articulate it well, it touched a part of me that goes beyond simple TV. I like the way you worded it, that it's transcendent and feels like some of the answers of life are within. Silly as that might sound to others, it makes sense to me because there were times I'd end an episode and, while I couldn't explain why, I'd reflect on myself and my life and it was because of this amazing show and the talent within it.

[@MrTomlette]

@@Alby-sky Yeah. Of all the great tv shows of the last two decades, I think it's the deepest because it's the one who takes a more honest approach to life. The way they depict old age, depression, raising children, psychopathic behavior, cognitive dissonance... all of it is like real life, there's no enhancements. Only the third season of Twin Peaks hit me in a similar way, and I think it's because it's so abstract and weird that you project your own ideas into it.

[@aaryamannambiar6677]

Honestly, James Gandolfini is the modern day Brando. He has really redefined film/tv acting.

[@Gma00001]

Not that great, he is not in the top 10 actors ever like Brando,de Niro, Pacino, Nicholson, Laurence Olivier, day Lewis etc but he is damn great

[@divinejacobmathew1503]

@@Gma00001 I think he is but unfortunately was typecast so didn't have opportunities to play various different characters.

[@z9zou]

@@Gma00001 I think what he was trying to say was that when Brando first came on the scene he changed the film industry in some ways. The same can definitely be said about Gandolfini in TV.

[@Gma00001]

@@oscaroscar7904 Wake up lol

[@Gma00001]

@@oscaroscar7904 I understand. What I'm saying is that Sopranos is the greatest tv show ever and his portrayal as Tony is one of the greatest ever. His performance overall was just outstanding. But Obviously he isn't one of the greatest because he played pretty much the same role- but he was very good and phenomenal at what he did... Brando, De Niro, Day Lewis are in my opinion the greatest actors ever and their range can't be matched

[@hatuletoh]

James Gandolfini scraped by for years with bit parts playing silent goons, or if he was lucky, maybe getting a few lines as a henchman in a minor production. Then he got his very literal "big break" and didn't just rise to the occasion, but turned in one of the greatest pieces of acting in history. His performance--and "The Sopranos" generally--elevated and redefined the medium of television. And then he died, which, for an artist, is an excellent way to secure one's legacy. But Gandolfini's work makes me wonder about two things: firstly, how many genius actors and other types of artists exist in the world and wil never be known, because they'll never have the chance to expose the world to their work; secondly, is their any other actor whose portrayal of a single character was so impactful that they can be classed as an all-time great on just the strength on that one character?

[@kristinalfc5846]

If you portray that character for 10 years at such a masterful level the yes

[@Iksvomid]

People, no matter how successful they are, don't want to admit one thing - success is mostly luck. Where you are born, where you come from, the timing of the opportunities, the people that you connect with.

[@CanelaAguila]

​@@Iksvomid It's also what we're seeing now with the nepo babies discussion. Being a nepo baby does not mean you're untalented, but it does mean you had all the odds in your favor

[@Ridghost]

I feel like Heath Ledgers Joker did that for him. Usually the actor needs to have a legendary performance and then die, because if they are capable of a legendary performance and it just requires opportunity, they will have more. I have no doubt in my mind that Gandolfini would go on to have many more stellar, award worthy acting performances had he been blessed with more time.

[@tazzonauta]

Sopranos is one of the most powerful stories ever made not only in the history of television but also of humanity. Even having produced wonderful things, even today when I see the HBO "drizzle" opening it’s Sopranos that automatically comes to mind.

[@calaphis3468]

Woke up this morning!

[@jonathangeorge3835]

@@calaphis3468 Got yourself a gun

[@canturgan]

@@calaphis3468 Alabama 3, from Brixton, London.

[@napalminthemorning8309]

I instantly think Band of Brothers. THEN Sopranos comes to mind.

[@MrTomlette]

You're correct. The Sopranos has an existential, psychological depth that not even the other Big 2 (The Wire, Deadwood) ever reach (Deadwood gets close sometimes, though).

[@thewhatness]

[NerdWriter uploads] Me: _Don't stop-_

[@harshgandhi2030]

I always change the track before it ends....I don't even know why😅

[@HotStrange]

I thought that’s how he was gonna end the video lol

[@sadslavboy]

James Gandolfini's performance as Tony Soprano, is, to this the day, the best portrayal of mental illness and its effects on tv.

[@michaelbyrne2073]

James Gandolfini acting in the sopranos was phenomenal, very allegorical.

[@lepythagore3288]

The sacred AND the propane.

[@detective___mcnulty]

The roll of a lifetime.

[@jmann6106]

love the carmine jr reference

[@randytauren]

yeah, whateva happened there, ..god rest his soul

[@MrConstantine02]

@@randytauren WHATEVA HAPPENED THERE??!!

[@rohanjeril9456]

The greatest character and the greatest actor in television history.

[@crazyjoedavola5430]

For sure...

[@theconsciousobserver6829]

I say the best Italian gangster character, and one of the best performances on tv or film.

[@NelsonStJames]

At least definitely up there in the top five

[@illwitness]

I couldn’t have said it better.

[@OvertheHedge06]

@Ryan Akwar Nah, Walter White is right over there.

[@danieladamico5485]

Mr. Gandolfini gave so much to that role, I bet it was exhausting, you can literally see it in his face, in his body, his breathing. He was a tremendous actor, so sad he's not with us anymore.

[@landonhagan450]

Rarely has anything better illustrated how much of a staggering loss it was for James Gandolfini to die so young. People just don’t understand how incredible he was.

[@Lincolnlogsoff]

He's easily one of the greatest actors I've ever seen in modern media. I really can't praise him enough for giving so much depth to a sociopath

[@sarahandadamlive]

Just wanted to say I briefly met James Gandolfini when he was staring in God Of Carnage. He owned the stage, commanded the theatre to silent awe with his back turned, if you were there you won't forget it. He was an absolute gentleman to everyone who said hello to him in the line outside before the performance. He was easily my favourite actor, on screen and stage, and to have met the professional and kind person behind it all was unforgettable. This video is a great tribute. Thanks for this.

[@avallach2061]

James Gandolfini in Sopranos still my favorite acting of all times. It's such a hard and psychologically nuanced character, and to do it for six seasons at this unbelievable level is unreal. I can't remember how many times I had literally goosebumps by his performance. And I need to say that Edie Falco was also incredible throughout the show. Their fights are literally the most real fights I've ever seen on screen. Scarily real. Unbelievable show.

[@essamalmasad5538]

Finally something about the Sopranos, we need a separate video on the writing of this amazing show. David Chase created a masterpiece that needs an in depth analysis from first episode to that final scene :)

[@jonparton5082]

They brought out a book fairly recently that ticks all those boxes. I think its called sopranos sessions

[@MrTomlette]

Well, now two of the actors are doing a rewatch podcast, Talking Sopranos. Not as good as something like Sopranos Autopsy (that website is amazing), but good enough and you get some anecdotes.

[@SceneComparisons]

episode written by Mad Men creator

[@LucasFerreira-kq3ye]

And Boardwalk Empire creator (wich also wrote The Wolf of Wall Street). That's why The Sopranos is one of the most well-written series ever

[@EDFilmsUK]

Let’s refer to them by name, please. Matthew Weiner & Terence Winter.

[@LucasFerreira-kq3ye]

@@EDFilmsUK Sorry and thank you! Let's also remember their names!

[@bmo14lax]

@@LucasFerreira-kq3ye and Martin freaking Scorsese. Boardwalk empire is incredible too

[@Anicius_]

Writers and directors you can see in other hbo shows too... Got, boardwalk, deadwood etc

[@joshschaeffer3300]

There is acting and then theres ACTING. Some of the very highest reaches of the art were Gandolfini only having a few lines or even just a few words but his delivery and eyes combined with that something special that he had that cant be taught. Some of his best can even be overlooked because of how very simple he made it look. Genius.

[@caesarali7191]

His role as an alcoholic hitman on Killing Them softly was also epic.

[@HappyMSI1]

Ho sh*t, that was him? I have seen this movie a few years before Soprano.

[@fadark55]

In deed.

[@fadark55]

@Kays Dash absolutely

[@bmo14lax]

Worth watching?

[@calvinfolan1736]

@@bmo14lax Killing Them Softly? I haven't seen it, definitely check out True Romance though, Jim's character is very Sopranos-esqe

[@n.kelati]

"tell the truth, tony" tony - *panic intensifies* "tony be accountable for your actions" tony - *AHHHHHHHHH*

[@kristalcampbell3650]

The show in a nutshell 😆

[@wskool]

The end of the episode “ Cold Cuts” has a pretty similar scene too. The famous sacre blue where is me mama scene. The way Gandolfini infuriates Janice by touching nerves step by step and especially the smirk at the end was top-notch acting.

[@pranavmanie1479]

Followed by playing "I'm Not Like Everybody Else". A perfect episode (barring the bad edit lmao).

[@samarramiresz7005]

I wonder where's Harpo eating his Sunday dinner!!

[@baileybrewer1172]

So sad that he died so young. Absolutely an incredible actor, and people say he was such a nice man to boot. What a loss.

[@Andy97K]

I miss this man. One of his last performances, in Killing Them Softly, where plays a drunk fuck-up, is so vulnerable and touching. He could play anything. He had it all.

[@ChrisHartig44]

I'm always struck by how non-descript Gandolfini’s real life accent/speaking voice is when I listen to him in interviews. Some of the best accent work ever.

[@suryapratapsingh8090]

The one good thing to come out of being locked down for me was finally being able to watch this show.

[@lucasheras1460]

Same, finished today so this video was a great coincidence. Don't stop-

[@eatfugu]

Now watch Oz and The Wire

[@St3veWK]

And......what did you think?

[@szymons6973]

Same for me too

[@luisalcala5209]

me too. instant top top 3 show for me. i finished it about six months ago and currently rewatching. one of the few things that is just as good or even better the second time around

[@nesab2671]

James Gandolfini may be a brilliant actor, but never had the makings of a varsity athlete

[@MichelleMoonMaddox]

Came here for this...thank you 😂

[@imgamerful]

Is this a new meme?

[@antonkarlsson818]

Ha, classic!

[@johnts1]

Nena B Tony: You're f**king crazy. I lettered in Football.

[@RiskuBusiness]

He's a hothouse flower

[@pedrosimas2642]

his performance to "Oh Girl" while driving the car made me cry. For real

[@joshuaarcher6450]

"Actors don't always get the gift of good writing, but when they do it's not just an opportunity, it's also a responsibility." Words to live by; I'm often frustrated by poor quality writing that's so pervasive in low-budget TV and Film but actors such as myself always have to make do with it. Once in a blue moon, however, a good script comes along and it's almost more terrifying, as now I don't have poor writing to hide behind. It's sink or swim at that point, and Gandolfini certainly swims.

[@pranavmanie1479]

Gandolfini doesn't just swim, he fucking owns the water.

[@husnaintariq114]

Could we see some of your work. Any mighty links ?

[@joshuaarcher6450]

Husnain Tariq sure! I’m a part of a theatre and TV/Film group which you can find on Instagram. instagram.com/notanotherdramagroup/

[@merryberry6576]

Very well said

[@celticeyesmorriganrising929]

I suffer from ptsd, severe PTSD. I suffer from panic attacks at least 1 time a week. James Gandolfini was an AMAZING actor and when he died we lost a true vision into a world only he could show us. We would only be able to see these worlds through our own eyes and then not able to see them at all. You nerd writer are one of these gems, I hope not to ever see your glimmer fade.

[@chris2423]

James use of acting with his eyes is amazing.

[@themaypole]

After only 4 rewatches, my dvds of this series has started to degrade, several discs being unplayable, I bought the Blu Ray set and the first disc was corrupted and wouldn’t play so I returned it. I jus have to assume Gandolfini’s acting is so powerful it can’t be contained, beware this video’s longevity.

[@JohnDoe-bm5lp]

Just pirate it man

That's surely the explanation.

[@kennethmonson]

If you have Amazon Prime it's on there, or was last I checked.

[@themaypole]

@@kennethmonson cheers, I'm sure it'll come and go on streaming, wasn't the point of the comment however.

[@steviesoprano]

You should just get HBO MAX, with a subscription you get Sopranos in great quality plus other great shows and movies. 😉

[@NadjibChannelthemovieguy]

The Sopranos was a unique experience, James was a force of nature. May he rest in peace.

[@jbrooks8542]

Every so often I think about James Gandolfini and how sad I was when he died. Videos like this and rewatching the Sopranos reminds me how much of an amazing actor he was. My next drink is to the greatest actor/character combination in the history of television

[@smpdevelopments]

The Sopranos is still the greatest tv series to ever exist and James performance is probably the best ever committed to screen.

[@ganesha.k.s]

Gandolfini is amazing even in his film career: True Romance, Crimson Tide, The Man who wasn't there, In the Loop, and even his Penultimate and the final movie roles in Enough Said and The Drop are just note perfect. Such a talented guy

[@maazparvez]

James Gandolfini certainly had the makings of a varsity athlete.

[@PupusaBoy]

Ohhhhhh! BORKO!!!

[@futuropasado]

Best TV performance ever. Pure artistry.

[@Spazlites]

Rip to the goat James Gandolfini

[@lizardpeople]

James wasn't just an amazing actor he literally became a different person this was one of those rare occasions when a character and actor fuse into one

[@bmo14lax]

The therapy scene PULLED me straight into Soprano's!!! Along with the ducks, they couldn't have opened the show any better imo. Amazing actors and writers. And the way he breathes and moves his hands to simulate how he feels when the attack is coming in is spot on, face goes completely numb and I hyperventilate. Thinking about previous panic attacks will alot of the time force you to over think and bargain that it is not happening again. And that denial is acted brilliantly by Gandolfini.

[@wesrose4258]

The best scenes in television took place in Dr. Melfi's office and James Gandolfini was a master at what he did. A singular talent.

[@tonoornottono]

wow. as someone with severe anxiety and depression this is some amazing acting. i’ve never seen the sopranos but now i have to watch it.

[@TheItalianScreenwriter]

As an half-Italian I'm so proud of this show even if maybe I shouldn't

[@catatafish6251]

The Italian Screenwriter why shouldn’t you?

[@TheItalianScreenwriter]

@@catatafish6251 mafia?

[@catatafish6251]

@@TheItalianScreenwriter I think you being half-italian has nothing to do with The Sopranos being good. Just as the Italian mafia should not necessarily hinder you being "proud" of a tv show, if you have not been part of the CN yourself.

[@TheItalianScreenwriter]

@Richard Lin 1. I am Italian-American, born and raised in Italy 2. Relax

[@MarkLatimerRussell]

YES one of my favorite actors broken down by one of my favorite KZbinrs!

[@evanderjones136]

James Gandolfini as Tony Sporano, Bryan Cranston as Walter White and Michael Chiklis as Vic Mackey are my holy trinity of TV performances.

[@lauravander]

I concur, but will raise you one Al Swearengen.

[@DLSacks]

Tony and Al are on a different level from Walter White (haven't seen The Shield). I mean, the entire intro of the Sopranos is about passing all those off-ramps. All those choices in life, passing by all those places, ending up at his house. As amazing as Bryan Cranston's performance is, his character and the plot just don't have the comparable depth. Cranston is great at playing vulnerable, but the main point, or eventually the only point, is that the vulnerability is a mask for his ruthlessness, not vice-versa. But Walter White could have gotten off the highway pretty much whenever he wanted. The series does an amazing job of building suspenseful situations that he has to get out off, but at any point, he could just accept his death. Even when he does, he does so very much on his own terms. Cranston played the hell out of the character, but all the tension in the series came from the bad-ass situations he put himself in, not the external pressures of being a lower-middle-class cancer patient. Tony and Al don't have easy exits. They are long past the point in their lives where a quick decision would let them change direction. Bullock had Al immediately pegged as a murderer, but that's hardly how he defines himself or even how the other people in his life view him. And it's not like Bullock, the righteous one, doesn't gun down people left and right. But what was great about Deadwood was that it wasn't interested in a "we're not so different, you and I" trope between the law and outlaw, but that in a muddy shithole, people were trying to come together to build something greater than themselves. Violence is where they all started, but all of them, Al especially, were interested in community. Al was frequently vulnerable in a way that a lot of anti-heroes never are. And I don't just mean his fucking gleet. As for Tony, this video already did a better job than I could. I'll just say that I think Tony's empathy defines him more than any other gangster on the show. He has real insight into other people's thoughts and feelings. But if any shard of insight gets reflected back at him it's back to rage and panic attacks. Because it's not that he can't put himself in other people's shoes, he knows to a certainty that he will never, ever, ever be allowed to be in them. The door shut for him a long, long time ago.

[@deepaklobo1992]

I was late to the Sopranos party - just watched it last year. And this video made me apprecitate Gandolfini's performance all the more! Thanks Nerdwriter!

[@prashantmaganti]

It’s not when you came, it’s about the fact that you came. Glad to have you at the party 🤣

[@discopuma]

The KZbin algorithm brought me here and I’m so happy it did. Brilliant analysis of Tony and brilliant acting by James.

[@jayrob7418]

Sopranos actually helped me understand depression and how to manage it. Thanks Tony Soprano for helping me.

[@jgdacashman]

This is what art is meant for.

[@lass-inangeles7564]

The analysis gave me a great appreciation of Tony's acting. What a sad thing to know he was gone. At least he lived in my time and space. Rest in peace, dear Tony. You are so loved and missed.

[@garrett2439]

"Doing a scene with Jim Gandolfini made you a better actor" - Steven Van Zandt. This might be the highest praise one actor can give to another.

[@pratikchaudhary6054]

Gandolfini is so so so good that it makes me cry how great an actor he is. The Sopranos is the greatest thing to have happened to the screen and Gandolfini not just respecting the writing but pulling it off with power and precision is a major reason behind it.

[@meg2231]

It's amazing that he was able to take a type of character that is so typically boxed into a stereotype...and made him utterly human and relatable. Incredible.

[@axis7879]

In my humble opinion, the best performance to come off the small screen

[@captindo]

A guilty conscience is remedied by the truth and he can never admit that truth, his character was in a glass cage and he pulled it off very well.

[@Will21st]

that's why he never got well, the burden of his choices drowned him.

[@gitsurfer27]

This show is a work of dramatic art.

[@nihilistcentraluk442]

It is also a brilliant black comedy and tragedy as well.

[@angelagunn7986]

Twenty years and every note of his performance in The Sopranos still feels like a revolution. You are gone far too soon, Mr Gandolfini, and you are so very missed.

[@vaibhavsharma5600]

its so amazing that even after his kind of untimely death, He is still so much relevant and people discuss about him

[@vexomnight3079]

I still don't know if this show can ever be beat... an artistic achievement. THIS is the golden pinnacle of television

[@suyashgautam8396]

Too surreal...just finished watching The Sopranos for the first time 2 weeks ago, took 3 months of the lockdown, holed up in my hometown in Nepal and now my favorite youtube channel drops this out of nowhere. You sir are one of a kind.

[@FaithlessIsHe]

Gandolfini is so perfect as Tony Soprano that seeing him in any other context is jarring

[@jamesroper4952]

James Gandolfini is one of my favorite actors. I've seen him in other roles, and in every single one he has a way of locking you in. He's not just an actor in my eyes, he's an artist. And it's sad knowing the world will never get a chance to see paint an emotional masterpiece on the canvas of the tv and movie screen anymore.

[@Zelmel]

I haven't ever actually sat down to The Sopranos, but this tells me I definitely need to.

[@St3veWK]

Damn......really? Get ready to spend the next few weeks in New Jersey.....;)

[@Zelmel]

@@St3veWK looking forward to it! 😁

[@kaisamsa]

Greatest show ever

[@ABC-yt1nq]

Head and shoulders above any other series.

[@alannair44]

Some of season 5 has been spoiled for you tho

[@dilly1863]

Brilliant analysis of Gandolfini's talent, insight, and powerful delivery.

[@MikeRehfuss]

Without JG’s performance of Tony, we probably never would have had Vic Mackey, Don Draper, or Walter White.

[@alfa01spotivo]

i watched a bit of the first episode of the shield. Seemed a bit cheesy though. Should i watch more, is it similar to Sopranos in a way?

[@MikeRehfuss]

@@alfa01spotivo Yeah, stick with it!

[@yodabaki970]

@@alfa01spotivo it's a mixed bag. It's cheesy and over the top a lot of the time. Sadly it can't ever commit fully to the fact that it's protagonist is absolute swine and that the institution he's in is a broken psychotic mess that breeds men like him. But Chiklis gives a good performance and the show does some great things with the Goggins character that's a lot more realistically a shitty cop. I'd recommend watching particularly good episodes at the very least and overall its watchable episode to episode. It's not great television like Sopranos, Deadwood, Mad Men... But it has something in it worth watching.

[@niche9015]

Nobody's got AIDS!.....and I don't wanna hear that word in here again.

[@stanniscapo7205]

The sacred and the propane?

[@RobGordonJC]

Yeah? Maybe you’re a flambé

[@antiteroristickejedinicepo4830]

@Gothamlover 69 the good ship lollipop?

[@BLACKDISC]

Literally just finished the series a few minutes ago. Perfect timing.

[@joshronin4730]

James Gandolfini gave us the greatest acting performens ever in the best written show ever. Nothing comes to the level of this show. Nice analyze great job.

[@HotStrange]

Goddamnit I love this show so much. This and Twin Peaks are the pinnacle of television and will never be topped, IMO. Amazing video as always. The memoriam for Gandolfini at the end got me. Re watched the series recently and gah what a talent. Miss him a lot.

[@MrTomlette]

Hah, probably my two favorite shows too! Deadwood and Mad Men are the only things that come close, Mad Men because it shares one of the Soprano writers, and Deadwood for that insane, baroque writing and great actors.

[@HotStrange]

@@MrTomlette those are 2 more favorites of mine. Fargo and Better Call Saul are also up there. Better Call Saul especially surprised me. So much better then Breaking Bad, IMO.

[@grahamjenkin2882]

Epic breakdown. The Sopranos is a fantastically written, directed & acted series, full of incredible scenes, some of which could even be mini-movies by themselves. But Mr. Gondolfini gave a masterclass every time he had screen time. A magnificent legacy for a much missed man.

[@krazo4Christ]

The most realistic drama you could ever watch. From the mundane and unintentional, to the psychologically crafted subtext; the opposite of stylized.

[@ClaireMahaDream]

Finally in my years of talking and sharing James Gandolfini' acting performance not only In The Sopranos but every film he has ever touched do i finally feel like another human being has captured and seen exactly what i was talking about, thank you

[@SamAronow]

A great actor and one of the truly sweetest men in Hollywood. RIP

[@cemaldindar771]

Finally a video essay channel respect to James Gandolfini's Tony Soprano performance! This performance is actually best (natural,complex,deep) acting performance of all time of tv & cinema history!

[@jeffkuzzen]

Gandolfini in Sopranos is some of the best acting I've ever seen, if not the best. This is coming from a huge tv/movie fanatic that has watched basically everything worth watching that was made since the 60's. If we isolate his performance in Sopranos, hes up there with Marlon Brando and Daniel Day Lewis.

[@paramitch]

Wonderful and thoughtful analysis, and a lovely tribute to one of the greatest and most subtle, nuanced, and talented actors of all time. We lost Gandolfini far too soon.

[@brynotar]

Gandolfini's death is the only celebrity death that genuinely made me sad. The world really lost something.

[@reds005]

Gandolfini's performances just get better the more I watch. He really was other worldly brilliant, my brain is convinced that Tony Soprano is an actual person. Can't believe its 8 years since he passed, it still kicks me in the guts to think we'll never get any more performances from him. Great video.

[@thomas_dries]

I just finished this whole series a few weeks ago and jesus... what a wild ride. The one thing I didn't understand was why I was so addicted to the show! I mean during lockdown I would literally spend the whole day, from the second I got up to when I was so tired I had to sleep, watching the soprano's. And I NEVER do that! I chocked it up to the fact it's a mafia series and I love mob stories, but now I think I know what it was I was so addicted to. The writing and the actors were FLAWLESS. Thank you for this video Nerdwriter! I hope It gets more people to watch the soprano's. And R.I.P James Gandolfini... I didn't know :(

[@otum337]

Gandolfini is an emotional musician. He's put so much into this amazing series. Thanks for dissecting this so well! Great detail

[@PrimetimeD]

I have depression and anxiety and when I watch the Sopranos, I start getting short of air whenever Tony starts having a panic attack. He pulls it off so damn well. Amazing actor. RIP

[@NicholasBennettC]

That initial denial about having the attack but knowing inside its about to happen. He nailed it

[@carlkamuti]

This is one of the best scene breakdowns I've scene for a very long time. Great work Thomas.

[@rh00tt]

Gandolfini is one of the greatest actors of all time. Rest Easy

[@labelle1301]

I still cant believe James Gandolfini isnt here anymore, thank God he will forever be immortalize in the one and only Tony Soprano

[@Poet_Lorien]

"cunnilingus and psychiatry brought us to this!"

[@stevestryker]

The older I get, the more appreciative I am of this amazing show and respect more and more what a marvellous actor James Gandolfini was. God I miss him 😢

[@getTheSchmack]

Don’t know what’s more brilliant, the breakdown or the legendary acting from Mr. Gandolfini. Rest Easy, King.

[@muthanna9]

The music stopping when you started talking about the silence, these little details make your videos enjoyable, you are incredible dude !

[@felipenunes8307]

Gandolfini and Nerdwriter, i came in sprinting my dude!!

[@Snapbuddy]

The way you speak in your videos is almost poetic. I've watched a lot of your videos now even when I haven't known the topic because you speak about it in such a calm but interesting manner. Always a joy :)

[@mateodillon9412]

I've started re-watching the entire series for the third time a week ago. I'm already getting to the four season

[@calvinfolan1736]

Gandolfini was an absolutely phenomenal talent. R.I.P Big Guy

[@Oozywolf]

I love that you mentioned the silence. I always use one specific scene when explaining why The Sopranos is different than any other TV show: There's an episode that ends with Tony sitting down at his dinner table with spaghetti. He starts eating it, and you know the episode is ending any second. And he's just sitting there, eating pasta. And you feel this tension building. What's going to happen? A bad phone call? A gun shot? Nope, nothing happens. It's just Tony sitting there, eating some leftovers. Then credits. The scene allowed you to use your imagination to build tension, like many horror movies do when they fake you out by ramping up the violins. But The Sopranos did it with silence. And not only that, it grounded the show in some realism - as if it was just a hidden camera documentary. Perfectly humanizes Tony by giving us an intimate scene of him just having a late dinner. And while there are a plethora of amazing scenes in the show, I will say with full sincerity that Tony eating pasta alone was the most memorable one for me. Totally encapsulates why The Sopranos is a different kind of show.

[@zeldasmith6154]

That guy was stunning. And he was the sexiest, scariest character I've ever seen. When I first saw him, the first show, I thought, "what?" And then he just took over without pushing his way in, swaggering, posing, looking cool. He had a panic attack and it leveled him, brought him to his knees.