James Gandolfini, star of the long-running mob drama The Sopranos, is popularly known for his role as the mafia boss Tony Soprano. But while most people associate him with his domineering and heavy-handed character, he asserts that he is nothing like Tony. He explained, "I'm playing an Italian lunatic from New Jersey, and that's basically what I am.” Other than that, the similarity ends as he describes himself as a "a 260-pound Woody Allen."

Gandolfini, a 45-year old native of Westwood, New Jersey, graduated from Park Ridge High School and studied at Rutgers University where he acquired a degree in communications. As an actor, he worked in numerous films like True Romance, Terminal Velocity, The Juror, Crimson Tide and The Mexican among others. Although his career started a little sluggish, he ended up being one of the most identifiable faces on television with his inclusion to The Sopranos, now on its sixth and final season.

Backed up with a tough and heavy built, he convincingly portrays the mafia leader who is quarrelsome and has a felonious nature. As a natural Italian-American, he appropriately fits Tony’s character. In fact, he recounts that in more once occasion, people freezes up thinking that he really is Tony Soprano.

However, Tony Soprano and James Gandolfini are complete opposites. In real life, he claims that he is quite humble and has a low profile status despite his heightened popularity. His modesty and his being unassuming actually come from his father’s instillation of living a simple life. He said, “My father always said a million times, ‘We're peasants…’"It's just a little odd for me, to get that slightly different treatment sometimes. And I'm uncomfortable with it... I want nothing to do with privilege."

To catch more of James Gandolfini’s dark side, watch The Sopranos on Sundays at 9:00 PM on HBO.

-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist

Source: CBS