James Gandolfini had many roles ahead of him
Although the screen went dark in "The Sopranos" 2007 finale -- marking the last time we saw James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano -- since then, Gandolfini, who died Wednesday at age 51, had kept quite the busy schedule in Hollywood. And this won't be the last we see of him on screen.
In the years following his time on HBO's "The Sopranos" Gandolfini made plenty of TV and film appearances. In 2009, he provided the voice of the character Carol in the film "Where the Wild Things Are." Two years later, he was seen in the thriller "Down the Shore," with Famke Janssen, as well as in the TV movie "Cinema Verite" with Diane Lane and Tim Robbins.
And the year 2012 was one of the busiest for Gandolfini, co-starring in the Brad Pitt thriller "Killing Them Softly." He had a role in the 2012 drama, "Not Fade Away," a film set in suburban New Jersey in the 1960s that follows a group of friends who form a rock band. The New Jersey native was also seen in the "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone," with Steve Carell and Jim Carrey, as well as in 2012's "Zero Dark Thirty," portraying a C.I.A. director, alongside actress Jessica Chastain.
Gandolfini recently wrapped filming Fox Searchlight Pictures' crime drama "Animal Rescue" with Tom Hardy, which is due out in 2014. Also on the docket was a role in an upcoming comedy from director Nicole Holofcener, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Catherine Keener.
He was poised to make a return to HBO in a limited series called "Criminal Justice." According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gandolfini was cast as criminal defense attorney in the U.S. adaptation of Peter Moffat's BBC crime series. A representative for HBO said it's unclear what will come of the series.
And earlier this month, Deadline reported that CBS had "given a script commitment" to "Taxi-22," an American version of the hit French Canadian single-camera comedy; Gandolfini was expected to executive produce the project. His fellow producer, Clark Peterson, released the following statement: "We are devastated. He was a great man and a unique embodiment of creativity, humanity, and humility. I can confirm that the development of 'Taxi-22' will continue, but we'll always be flying in the missing-man formation."
The Emmy award-winning actor was slated to give a special class at Italy's Taormina Film Festival on Saturday, where he would have also been given the "Taormina City Prize" before attending the festival's closing ceremony, alongside actress Marisa Tomei. Festival organizers are now planning a tribute "to celebrate his great achievement and talent." And the outpouring of tributes to Gandolfini reminds us just how much talent he had.
