Tracey Conway: Heart Failure: Mobbing James Gandolfini

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James Gandolfini, beloved for portraying flawed mob boss Tony Soprano, was 51 when cardiac arrest ended his life. I was 38 when sudden cardiac arrest stopped my own heart from functioning for almost twenty minutes. Unlike Mr. Gandolfini, I was resuscitated. My heart, and I, beat the odds.

In the past 18 years since the most vital organ in my body short-circuited into ventricular fibrillation, I have watched news reports of other victims of cardiac arrest abruptly snuffed out in the prime of their lives: journalist Tim Russert, age 58, actress Brittany Murphy, 32; musician Joe Strummer, 51; pop superstars Michael Jackson, 51 and Whitney Houston, 48. Some of these deaths involved pharmaceuticals, some were possibly affected by lifestyle choices related to smoking, diet and fitness or illegal drug use, others had congenital heart defects. Ultimately, though each person had a compromised heart that could no longer accomplish its primary job; to beat rhythmically and pump nourishing, oxygenated blood throughout the body and to the brain.

After the shock of learning a famous person whom people revered, respected or even reviled has died from a sudden cardiac event comes the "Why?" phase. Not so much because we care deeply why it happened to them, but because, "If they dropped dead in the prime of their life, how can I make sure it won't happen to me?" And, pondering that question is a good thing. If only we would, please forgive me, take that pondering to heart.

But most of us don't. We puff up and point our self-righteous fingers to emphasize what these famous cardiac arrest victims were doing wrong and how they were responsible for their early demise due to a moral failing or lack of self-control. Gandofini was, "a heart attack waiting to happen!" blares a cardiologist, in an online sales pitch for us to buy his medical counsel. How incredibly offensive.

As someone who has experienced cardiac arrest and the resuscitation road back, and now feels the weight of "right living" on my shoulders every day, I find the onus to make healthy choices at every turn one of the most challenging parts of my very precious life.

Yes, Mr. Russert and Mr. Gandolfini were overweight. Yes, Brittany Murphy struggled with her own weight issues, conforming to Hollywood's decree that leading ladies be no larger than size 2, and later from being labeled too thin. Yes, Mr. Gandolfini drank alcohol during the meal before his collapse. Perhaps at one point, he'd been a smoker and/or struggled with substance abuse. Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston both struggled with drug demons and the intrusive pressures of fame. "We are all frail." Will Shakespeare sure got that right.

Why does this get me so riled? I do recognize how phenomenally lucky I am to have had the right people rush in to administer bystander CPR and use an AED defibrillator when everything in my body went completely, fatally wrong. There are very few of us who survive The Death Rhythm, ventricular fibrillation. A mere 8 percent of people experience clinical death, then leave hospital care with their heart intact and most of their brain functioning.

James Gandofini's passing hit me as if I'd lost a family member -- which I have. My own brother, Mark. Another victim of sudden cardiac death. He was 39. My brother was also a bit overweight. He was also, like everyone has said of actor James Gandolfini, a sweet soul, a deeply kind man, a gentle person. Like Mr. Gandolfini, my brother was not perfect in every lifestyle choice. He is, like Mr. Gandolfini, deeply, deeply missed.

That is what I wish we would all concentrate on, regarding the coverage of this untimely passing. Being good to each other. And to ourselves and our precious, often fragile bodies. Because, we are all frail. Let us celebrate that we were fortunate to witness the exquisite vulnerable and lacerating emotional work, the intelligence and generosity of James Gandolfini. Let us honor his life and in doing so try to be a little more like what we admired in him.

Tracey Conway is an Emmy-winning actress and former writer/performer on the Comedy Central series, Almost Live! She died and was resuscitated onstage. Her writing was recently published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Healthy Living Series; Heart Disease. She speaks about surviving Sudden Cardiac Arrest in her humorous program, Drop Dead Gorgeous. For more: http://www.TraceyConway.com

Follow Tracey Conway on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ShockedTracey

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'Sopranos' star Gandolfini mourned as a great craftsman

By Chris Francescani

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fellow actors mourned James Gandolfini as a great craftsman and a warm and generous man at a his funeral on Thursday, a week after the 51-year-old star of the HBO television show "The Sopranos" died of a heart attack while visiting Rome.

"Sopranos" creator David Chase and the actor's wife Deborah Lin Gandolfini were among four speakers at a packed ceremony for the actor whose performance as a cigar-chomping New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano made him a household name.

Most of the cast of "The Sopranos," including Edie Falco, who played Tony Soprano's wife, and Michael Imperioli, who played his nephew Christopher Moltisanti, attended the 90-minute ceremony at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in upper Manhattan.

"It was heaven on earth. You could feel James' presence," actor George Loros, who played mobster and FBI informant Ray Curto in the series, said about the funeral.

GOD-GIVEN GIFT

Loros, who was visibly moved by the service, and other actors praised Gandolfini's generosity, dedication and talent.

"He could be talking like you and I are talking right now," Loros told Reuters, "and then he could be called to the set and be just brutal (as an actor). He had such a God-given gift."

New York actor Tommy Bayiokos, who worked on the fifth season of "The Sopranos," described Gandolfini as "a master of his craft."

Laila Robins, who played Soprano's mother as a young woman in the early seasons of the show, said Gandolfini had an acting coach on the set.

"That was so sweet, and I remember that about him the most - just how badly he wanted to do a good job. He worked so hard," she added.

Scores of fans waited in the sweltering heat to get a glimpse of actors Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Chris Noth and Julianna Margulies, and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as they entered the cathedral.

Other fans managed to get into the funeral service, which was led by the Very Reverend Dr. James A. Kowalski.

On Wednesday about 100 people attended a private wake for the actor in New Jersey. Gandolfini, who was raised in a working-class neighborhood, shared Tony Soprano's Italian-American heritage and New Jersey roots.

Broadway theaters dimmed their marquees on Wednesday night in memory of the actor, who also had a successful stage career.

Gandolfini collapsed in the bathroom of his hotel room in Rome while vacationing with his 13-year-old son, Michael. He had been scheduled to attend the closing of the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily. He body was flown to the United States on Sunday.

Gandolfini's portrayal of a gangster who ordered hits on his enemies and saw a therapist to talk about his insecurities, was the signature role of his career and won him three Emmy Awards as best actor in a drama series. The show ran for six seasons.

In 2009 Gandolfini was nominated for a Tony Award for his role in "God of Carnage." He also appeared in "On the Waterfront" in 1995 and "A Streetcar Named Desire" in 1992.

The actor had been working on an upcoming HBO series, "Criminal Justice," and has two films due out next year. He also appeared in the crime drama "Killing Them Softly" and "Zero Dark Thirty," a film about the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

Apart from his son Michael with his first wife, who he divorced in 2002, Gandolfini is survived by his wife and daughter Liliana, who was born last year.

(Additional reporting by Victoria Cavaliere; writing by Patricia Reaney; Editing by David Storey)

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Body of Sopranos star Gandolfini leaves Italy for U.S

ROME (Reuters) - The body of actor James Gandolfini, who died of a heart attack in Rome last week, was flown out of Italy on Sunday on a flight bound for New York, Rome airport authorities said.

Gandolfini, best known for his leading role in the Emmy-winning series "The Sopranos", was found dead in his Rome hotel late on Wednesday.

The actor's body left Rome's Fiumicino airport at around 1600 GMT (1200 ET) on a private flight, an airport official said.

Family friend Michael Kobold, speaking to reporters in Rome, thanked the Italian authorities and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for helping to accelerate procedures.

Gandolfini was on holiday in Italy with his 13-year-old son and was due to attend the closing of the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily on Saturday. An autopsy showed had died of natural causes.

Gandolfini's performance as New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano made him a household name and helped usher in a new era of American television drama.

Since "The Sopranos" ended its six-season run in June 2007, Gandolfini had appeared in a number of big-screen roles, including the crime drama "Killing Them Softly" and "Zero Dark Thirty", a film about the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

Gandolfini had been working on an upcoming HBO series, "Criminal Justice," and had two films due out next year.

(Reporting by Cristiano Corvino; Writing by Gavin Jones; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

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James Gandolfini funeral set for Thursday in New York

By Sharon Waxman

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - James Gandolfini will be buried on Thursday at the famed Saint John the Divine cathedral in Manhattan, HBO announced on Sunday.

"We can confirm, on behalf of the Gandolfini Family, that the funeral service for James Gandolfini will be held Thursday, June 27th. The service will be held at 10:00 AM at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in Manhattan," the statement said.

The sudden death of the iconic actor at 51 on Wednesday, who was on vacation with his family at the time, shocked Hollywood and his legions of fans.

Earlier Sunday a family spokesman said that Gandolfini's body would be returned Monday to the United States for burial.

HBO released the statement by Gandolfini family spokesman, Michael Kobold, in Rome, Italy.

"Thanks to the collaboration of all these people and organizations I just named, we are now looking at hopefully getting James Gandolfini's remains back to the States tomorrow," he said. "The provisional plan is to depart Rome tomorrow afternoon and arrive in the U.S. in the evening."

Kobold thanked the Italian and U.S. governments for expediting a process that he said usually takes seven days.

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

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James Gandolfini funeral set for Thursday in New York

By Sharon Waxman

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - James Gandolfini will be buried on Thursday at the famed Saint John the Divine cathedral in Manhattan, HBO announced on Sunday.

"We can confirm, on behalf of the Gandolfini Family, that the funeral service for James Gandolfini will be held Thursday, June 27th. The service will be held at 10:00 AM at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in Manhattan," the statement said.

The sudden death of the iconic actor at 51 on Wednesday, who was on vacation with his family at the time, shocked Hollywood and his legions of fans.

Earlier Sunday a family spokesman said that Gandolfini's body would be returned Monday to the United States for burial.

HBO released the statement by Gandolfini family spokesman, Michael Kobold, in Rome, Italy.

"Thanks to the collaboration of all these people and organizations I just named, we are now looking at hopefully getting James Gandolfini's remains back to the States tomorrow," he said. "The provisional plan is to depart Rome tomorrow afternoon and arrive in the U.S. in the evening."

Kobold thanked the Italian and U.S. governments for expediting a process that he said usually takes seven days.

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

View the original article here

Body of Sopranos star Gandolfini leaves Italy for U.S

ROME (Reuters) - The body of actor James Gandolfini, who died of a heart attack in Rome last week, was flown out of Italy on Sunday on a flight bound for New York, Rome airport authorities said.

Gandolfini, best known for his leading role in the Emmy-winning series "The Sopranos", was found dead in his Rome hotel late on Wednesday.

The actor's body left Rome's Fiumicino airport at around 1600 GMT (1200 ET) on a private flight, an airport official said.

Family friend Michael Kobold, speaking to reporters in Rome, thanked the Italian authorities and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for helping to accelerate procedures.

Gandolfini was on holiday in Italy with his 13-year-old son and was due to attend the closing of the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily on Saturday. An autopsy showed had died of natural causes.

Gandolfini's performance as New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano made him a household name and helped usher in a new era of American television drama.

Since "The Sopranos" ended its six-season run in June 2007, Gandolfini had appeared in a number of big-screen roles, including the crime drama "Killing Them Softly" and "Zero Dark Thirty", a film about the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

Gandolfini had been working on an upcoming HBO series, "Criminal Justice," and had two films due out next year.

(Reporting by Cristiano Corvino; Writing by Gavin Jones; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

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Doctors spent 40 minutes trying to revive 'Sopranos' star Gandolfini

By Alex Dobuzinskis and Antonio Denti

LOS ANGELES/ROME (Reuters) - Doctors at a Rome hospital battled for 40 minutes to try to save the life of James Gandolfini, best known for his Emmy-winning role as a mob boss in the TV series "The Sopranos," before pronouncing him dead, the emergency room chief said on Thursday.

Gandolfini, 51, whose performance as Tony Soprano made him a household name and help usher in a new era of American television drama, was vacationing in Rome and had been scheduled to attend the closing of the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily on Saturday.

He was taken from his Rome hotel to the city's Umberto I hospital late on Wednesday, according to a hospital spokesperson.

The actor's 13-year-old son, Michael, had found him collapsed in the bathroom of his Rome hotel room, Gandolfini's manager, Mark Armstrong, said in an email.

"The resuscitation maneuvers, including heart massage, etc., continued for 40 minutes and then, seeing no electric activity from the heart, this was interrupted and we declared James dead," Claudio Modini, the emergency room chief, told Reuters.

"The patient was considered dead on arrival, and for that reason an autopsy has been requested to be carried out by a pathologist, as is normal procedure in our country."

The autopsy has been scheduled for Friday morning.

Since "The Sopranos" ended its six-season run in June 2007, Gandolfini appeared in a number of big-screen roles, including the crime drama "Killing Them Softly" and "Zero Dark Thirty," a film about the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

Academy Award winner Kathryn Bigelow, who directed Gandolfini in the film, said she was devastated by the news of his death.

"James was such an enormous talent, and an even greater spirit. I will be forever grateful for the privilege of working with him, and shall cherish his memories always," she said in a statement.

At the time of his death, Gandolfini had been working on an upcoming HBO series, "Criminal Justice," and had two motion pictures due out next year

Actress Edie Falco, who played Tony Soprano's long-suffering wife, Carmela, in "The Sopranos," said her co-star was a man of "tremendous depth and sensitivity."

"I consider myself very lucky to have spent 10 years as his close colleague," she said.

Apart from Michael, his son with his first wife whom he divorced in 2002, Gandolfini is survived by wife, Deborah Lin, a model he married in 2008, and baby daughter Liliana, born last year.

ROLE TOOK ITS TOLL

Gandolfini gained sudden fame after years toiling as a character actor and garnered widespread respect from fellow actors.

Brad Pitt, who appeared in three films with Gandolfini, called him "a ferocious actor" and said he was "gutted by this loss."

In the HBO series, the burly, physically imposing Gandolfini created a gangster different from any previously seen in American television or film.

He was capable of killing enemies with his own hands but was prone to panic attacks. He loved his wife and was a doting father, but he carried on a string of affairs.

He regularly saw a therapist, portrayed by Lorraine Bracco, to work out his anxiety problems and issues with his mother. The vulnerable side of Tony Soprano made his detestable character deeply likable.

By the start of the show's final season, Gandolfini suggested he was ready to move on to more gentle roles.

"I'm too tired to be a tough guy or any of that stuff anymore," he said. "We pretty much used all that up in this show."

"The Sopranos" cast was also known for its hard-partying ways off set, and Falco, who has worked to stay sober since the early 1990s, confessed in a 2007 interview with New York magazine that hanging out with the cast was "too dangerous."

In 2002, a representative for Gandolfini confirmed to the New York Daily News and other media organizations that Gandolfini had struggled in the past with substance abuse problems, a revelation that first surfaced in connection with a contentious divorce battle with his first wife, Marcy Wudarski.

'HUMBLE, LOYAL, COMPLICATED'

Gandolfini began his career as a stage actor in New York and earned a Tony nomination for his role in the original 2009 Broadway cast of the dark comedy "God of Carnage."

The actor, who was raised in a working-class family, shared Tony Soprano's Italian-American heritage and New Jersey roots. He was known for his reserved demeanor off-camera and generally shied away from publicity.

"The Sopranos" earned Gandolfini three Emmy Awards as best lead actor in a drama series and was considered by many critics the finest drama to have aired on U.S. television.

The series was a major factor in establishing HBO, a pay-cable network once focused on presentations of feature films, as a powerhouse of original dramatic television and in shifting the kind of sophisticated storytelling once reserved for the big screen to TV.

His role paved the way for other popular prime-time shows built around profoundly flawed characters and anti-heroes, from "Dexter" and "Breaking Bad" to "Mad Men" and "Nurse Jackie."

Script writer Steve Zaillian, who worked with the actor before and after "The Sopranos," said he had always been the same man.

"A real man, like they don't make anymore. Honest, humble, loyal, complicated, as grateful for his success as he was unaffected by it, as respectful as he was respected, as generous as he was gifted. He was big, but even bigger-hearted," he said.

Gandolfini is due to appear on the big screen next year, playing the love interest of comic actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the film "Enough Said." He also has a role in the upcoming New York crime drama, "Animal Rescue."

Both are set for U.S. release by News Corp-owned studio Fox Searchlight.

(Additional reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy in Los Angeles; Writing by Steve Scherer and Patricia Reaney; Editing by Mary Milliken and Peter Cooney)

View the original article here

Doctors spent 40 minutes trying to revive 'Sopranos' star Gandolfini

By Alex Dobuzinskis and Antonio Denti

LOS ANGELES/ROME (Reuters) - Doctors at a Rome hospital battled for 40 minutes to try to save the life of James Gandolfini, best known for his Emmy-winning role as a mob boss in the TV series "The Sopranos," before pronouncing him dead, the emergency room chief said on Thursday.

Gandolfini, 51, whose performance as Tony Soprano made him a household name and help usher in a new era of American television drama, was vacationing in Rome and had been scheduled to attend the closing of the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily on Saturday.

He was taken from his Rome hotel to the city's Umberto I hospital late on Wednesday, according to a hospital spokesperson.

The actor's 13-year-old son, Michael, had found him collapsed in the bathroom of his Rome hotel room, Gandolfini's manager, Mark Armstrong, said in an email.

"The resuscitation maneuvers, including heart massage, etc., continued for 40 minutes and then, seeing no electric activity from the heart, this was interrupted and we declared James dead," Claudio Modini, the emergency room chief, told Reuters.

"The patient was considered dead on arrival, and for that reason an autopsy has been requested to be carried out by a pathologist, as is normal procedure in our country."

The autopsy has been scheduled for Friday morning.

Since "The Sopranos" ended its six-season run in June 2007, Gandolfini appeared in a number of big-screen roles, including the crime drama "Killing Them Softly" and "Zero Dark Thirty," a film about the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

Academy Award winner Kathryn Bigelow, who directed Gandolfini in the film, said she was devastated by the news of his death.

"James was such an enormous talent, and an even greater spirit. I will be forever grateful for the privilege of working with him, and shall cherish his memories always," she said in a statement.

At the time of his death, Gandolfini had been working on an upcoming HBO series, "Criminal Justice," and had two motion pictures due out next year

Actress Edie Falco, who played Tony Soprano's long-suffering wife, Carmela, in "The Sopranos," said her co-star was a man of "tremendous depth and sensitivity."

"I consider myself very lucky to have spent 10 years as his close colleague," she said.

Apart from Michael, his son with his first wife whom he divorced in 2002, Gandolfini is survived by wife, Deborah Lin, a model he married in 2008, and baby daughter Liliana, born last year.

ROLE TOOK ITS TOLL

Gandolfini gained sudden fame after years toiling as a character actor and garnered widespread respect from fellow actors.

Brad Pitt, who appeared in three films with Gandolfini, called him "a ferocious actor" and said he was "gutted by this loss."

In the HBO series, the burly, physically imposing Gandolfini created a gangster different from any previously seen in American television or film.

He was capable of killing enemies with his own hands but was prone to panic attacks. He loved his wife and was a doting father, but he carried on a string of affairs.

He regularly saw a therapist, portrayed by Lorraine Bracco, to work out his anxiety problems and issues with his mother. The vulnerable side of Tony Soprano made his detestable character deeply likable.

By the start of the show's final season, Gandolfini suggested he was ready to move on to more gentle roles.

"I'm too tired to be a tough guy or any of that stuff anymore," he said. "We pretty much used all that up in this show."

"The Sopranos" cast was also known for its hard-partying ways off set, and Falco, who has worked to stay sober since the early 1990s, confessed in a 2007 interview with New York magazine that hanging out with the cast was "too dangerous."

In 2002, a representative for Gandolfini confirmed to the New York Daily News and other media organizations that Gandolfini had struggled in the past with substance abuse problems, a revelation that first surfaced in connection with a contentious divorce battle with his first wife, Marcy Wudarski.

'HUMBLE, LOYAL, COMPLICATED'

Gandolfini began his career as a stage actor in New York and earned a Tony nomination for his role in the original 2009 Broadway cast of the dark comedy "God of Carnage."

The actor, who was raised in a working-class family, shared Tony Soprano's Italian-American heritage and New Jersey roots. He was known for his reserved demeanor off-camera and generally shied away from publicity.

"The Sopranos" earned Gandolfini three Emmy Awards as best lead actor in a drama series and was considered by many critics the finest drama to have aired on U.S. television.

The series was a major factor in establishing HBO, a pay-cable network once focused on presentations of feature films, as a powerhouse of original dramatic television and in shifting the kind of sophisticated storytelling once reserved for the big screen to TV.

His role paved the way for other popular prime-time shows built around profoundly flawed characters and anti-heroes, from "Dexter" and "Breaking Bad" to "Mad Men" and "Nurse Jackie."

Script writer Steve Zaillian, who worked with the actor before and after "The Sopranos," said he had always been the same man.

"A real man, like they don't make anymore. Honest, humble, loyal, complicated, as grateful for his success as he was unaffected by it, as respectful as he was respected, as generous as he was gifted. He was big, but even bigger-hearted," he said.

Gandolfini is due to appear on the big screen next year, playing the love interest of comic actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the film "Enough Said." He also has a role in the upcoming New York crime drama, "Animal Rescue."

Both are set for U.S. release by News Corp-owned studio Fox Searchlight.

(Additional reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy in Los Angeles; Writing by Steve Scherer and Patricia Reaney; Editing by Mary Milliken and Peter Cooney)

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