James Gandolfini Dead at 51 [VIDEO]: HBO Pays Tribute to Late 'Sopranos' Star, Hollywood Quotes & Twitter Reactions to Heart Attack Death in Italy

By Jon Niles, Mstarz reporter | Jun 20, 2013 09:13 AM EDT

James Gandolfini, best known for his three-time Emmy Award-winning portrayal of Tony Soprano on the HBO hit series "The Sopranos," was found dead in Rome, Italy, earlier on Wednesday June 19, 2014. Reports are claiming that the 51-year-old actor died as a result of an apparent heart attack. Gandolfini is survived by his wife Deborah Lin, who gave birth to the couple's daughter, Liliana, in October 2012. He also has a teenage son from a previous marriage. Below are some examples of how Hollywood is mourning this loss. 

"It is with immense sorrow that we report our client James Gandolfini passed away today while on holiday in Rome, Italy,' said his managers Mark Armstrong and Nancy Sanderd. "Our hearts are shattered and we will miss him deeply. He and his family were part of our family for many years and we are all grieving."

HBO released this statement:

"We're all in shock and feeling immeasurable sadness at the loss of a beloved member of our family. He was special man, a great talent, but more importantly a gentle and loving person who treated everyone no matter their title or position with equal respect. He touched so many of us over the years with his humor, his warmth and his humility. Our hearts go out to his wife and children during this terrible time. He will be deeply missed by all of us."

During the upcoming re-airing of "The Sopranos," HBO will include the following message in telecasts: "HBO mourns the loss of James Gandolfini, a beloved member of the HBO family." This message already appeared before last night's episode entitled "Where's Johnny."

In honor of his work, here is the final scene of James hit show "The Sopranos":

James would have next been seen on HBO's 7-part "limited event" series entitled "Criminal Justice." This mini-series is now in jeopardy without the lead actor.

In 2014 he will be seen on the big screen with Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace in Animal Rescue.

"If Broadway has a version of a guy you want in your foxhole, Jim Gandolfini was mine," his theater co-star Jeff Daniels said. "During our time together in God of Carnage, we played 320 performances together. He didn't miss one. Sadly, I now miss him like a brother."

"My heart goes out to his family," Patricia Arquette (who shared one of the more recent iconic film scenes with James) said. "James was incredibly talented, and I feel very fortunate to have had the chance to work with him. He was very committed during the shooting of True Romance. I remember Tony Scott saying he slept in his suit in his car to stay in character. His work as Tony Soprano was flawless. It is a real loss to the creative community."

Here are some Hollywood Twitter reactions (including some of his past co-stars) to the death of James Gandolfini:

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