James Gandolfini

Behind Tony Soprano's anguished gaze and eruptive rage brewed the personal demons of James Gandolfini. His lived battle against inner turmoil proved vital in ushering an iconic character-and groundbreaking television drama-to profound dramatic heights.
But the embattled actor's reliance on intense coping mechanisms to channel emotional truth through acting brilliance carried great risk, as Gandolfini struggled to separate himself from Tony Soprano's world off-screen. Their entwined trajectories toward destruction or redemption extended beyond the realm of The Sopranos through heartrending tragedy in Gandolfini's shockingly premature demise.
This book braids the threads between Gandolfini's creative gifts and his increasingly self-destructive tendencies over eight Sopranos seasons. Journey alongside an incomparable yet deeply flawed talent as he brings to life the most culturally resonant icon of modern television's golden age to widespread acclaim, awards, and audience obsession.
But also experience being perpetual passenger on Gandolfini's harrowing rollercoaster between production seasons, desperately clinging as cycles of reliance and sobriety determine whether his passions consume him. The dramatic heights somehow coexist alongside frightening lows through it all.
Glimpse behind the on-set triumphs and tribulations tying the fate of an era-defining show to its intensely devoted yet emotionally unstable star. Understand exactly how near-miraculous acting transcendence intertwined tragically with Gandolfini's pained, ultimately losing battle against long-simmering demons.