An Interview With James Gandolfini AKA Tony Soprano

I’ve always told people that as a former fulltime mainstream media journalist I could TELL when I read a news story whether the reporter likes the interview subject or not.

One constant since The Sopranos became a monster entertainment and cultural hit on HBO has been the good press received by James Gandolfini AKA Tony Soprano. You can tell when you read stories where reporters interview him that a) they like him, b) cast members love him, c) he is not your stereotypical egotistical showbiz type trying to hog all the glory but insists on constantly giving credit to his co-workers.

Read THIS INTERVIEW and you see the best example of this.

It’s always gratifying to watch an actor or actress on TV or pay to see their films when they seem like decent human beings. And (as usual) he seems like a class act who isn’t drunk with his own publicity or rave reviews.

FOOTNOTE: A legendary good guy here in San Diego County was one Desi Arnaz, famous TV producer, husband of Lucille Ball, co-star of “I Love Lucy.” Long after “I Love Lucy” bit the dust and his wife continued in her sitcom career while he receded into the background, Arnaz was a favorite of locals. Several reporters and editors on my alma mater the San Diego Union would tell stories about how down-to-earth and nice Arnaz was. He’d call the newspaper various times, often suggesting to one of the paper’s TV critics that it was time to do a column on the vital role of his band on the “I Love Lucy” show. Arnaz had insisted to CBS that they uses his orchestra, which had been on the road with him before he jumped into TV.

The class acts of showbiz try to build up others, not tear them down. They DID exist — and they DO exist.

And long after Tony Soprano bites the dust, Gandolfini will be out there — one of the classier acts in show biz.

FOOTNOTE TWO: Some years ago a bookstore contacted me and asked me to do a walk-around with my dummy in my other incarnation at a book signing by a famous TV star. When I arrived, the staff didn’t seem too happy with him. At one point they wanted him to pose with one of their workers, me and my dummy — and he flatly and somewhat bluntly refused. A staffer told me: “He is not a joy..” which matched other reports. He’s still out there but I won’t spend a second on anything he does. I saw too much and he turned me off. Totally. (But then he makes millions, and I have to take out a home loan for a cup of coffee at Starbucks..)