Geez!!
All of my television and movie gangster favorites are leaving me one by one. It's only been a few weeks since the stunning news of actor James Gandolfini dying suddenly of a heart attack while vacationing in Rome, Italy. When the news first broke, I was in my office and couldn't believe it.
Mobster Tony Soprano dead. No way!
As we all know, it was true. "The Sopranos" on HBO was a mandatory Sunday night viewing for me and Tony Soprano put the program on the map. Years later, I still can't imagine any other actor better suited for the role.
Gandolfini made the complex Tony Soprano mobster character villainous yet a likable man, letting the viewers know he was still human. Yes, Tony could strangle a man with his bare, chubby hands and with those same hands seduce almost any female character on the show while sporting his old boxer shorts, slippers or bare feet.
He was a family man - with his girlfriends on the side - a devoted dad, and a man who had problems with own his mother and sister. All this while leading and keeping his mobster family in "check." Of course, in his spare time he was open enough to visit a shrink and talk through his problems.
I heard that after "The Sopranos" ended its run, James Gandolfini was relieved and happy to leave the Tony Soprano character behind. No matter how it went, both men will always live on in re-runs and cable channel marathons.
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| Dennie Farina and Jesse L. Martin of NBC Law & Order |
Which brings me to my saddening news.
I'm reeling from the news that Dennis Farina, my other mobster crush, has died at the young age of 69. Farina, a former Chicago police officer, became an actor late in life at the age of 37 and was another actor who had mobster roles on television and films all locked up.
I'm a big fan of the NBC show "Law & Order" and Farina was better known for his co-starring role as Detective Joe Fontana. Even though he was playing a cop, Fontana's silver hair and slick suits always made him look like a mobster, in my opinion.
Producer Michael Mann used him as a police consultant on the movie "Thief" and created a small role for him. The rest is movie history. Farina was a good, solid and convincing gangster who was always stylish and well dressed, something I believe was probably a real part of Farina's personal lifestyle.
Reports state that Farina starred in about 75 movies, including "Get Shorty," "Saving Private Ryan," "Snatch," and one of my favorite comedies "Midnight Run."
Which brings me to my next mobster crush, Robert DeNiro. Farina played the mobster to Robert Deniro's rough and tumble bounty hunter character in the movie "Midnight Run". Before James Galdofini or Dennis Farina were playing gangsters there was Robert DeNiro, also known as the grandaddy of mobsters.
I'm reeling from the news that Dennis Farina, my other mobster crush, has died at the young age of 69. Farina, a former Chicago police officer, became an actor late in life at the age of 37 and was another actor who had mobster roles on television and films all locked up.
I'm a big fan of the NBC show "Law & Order" and Farina was better known for his co-starring role as Detective Joe Fontana. Even though he was playing a cop, Fontana's silver hair and slick suits always made him look like a mobster, in my opinion.
Producer Michael Mann used him as a police consultant on the movie "Thief" and created a small role for him. The rest is movie history. Farina was a good, solid and convincing gangster who was always stylish and well dressed, something I believe was probably a real part of Farina's personal lifestyle.
Reports state that Farina starred in about 75 movies, including "Get Shorty," "Saving Private Ryan," "Snatch," and one of my favorite comedies "Midnight Run."
Which brings me to my next mobster crush, Robert DeNiro. Farina played the mobster to Robert Deniro's rough and tumble bounty hunter character in the movie "Midnight Run". Before James Galdofini or Dennis Farina were playing gangsters there was Robert DeNiro, also known as the grandaddy of mobsters.
I'm a huge DeNiro fan and actually saw him once on a busy New York street many, many years ago. I am not going to lie, I almost fainted. He truly captures the swagger of how I imagine the mafia and is a fantastic actor.
As a young Sicilian speaking Vito Corleone in the 1920's New York movie "The GodFather Part II", DeNiro was the ultimate bad boy and king of the streets. His portrayal won him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and he went on years later (1987) to play the middle aged mobster gangster, Al Capone, in the film The Untouchables.
Robert DeNiro knocked our socks off playing up another role as infamous gangster, Jimmy Conway, in the 1990's flick "Goodfellas." One of the few movies I actually own. In my opinion, "Goodfellas" is the perfect gangster movie with the audience gets to see the evolution of the character. Even though Conway wasn't Italian, the Conway character adopted all that was mafia; good and bad.
For those few hours anybody watching would dream of being be a mobster.
I'm not sure why I have this intriguing fascination with the mobster mystique. I do know all the actors I have listed do a convincing justice to their roles and definitely keep me on the edge of my seat. LOL!
Robert DeNiro hasn't made a gangster movie in several years, instead choosing to flex his comedy acting chops, which is fine with me. I can handle watching the roles he has made legendary over and over again.
What this fan can't handle is news of another gangster leaving me to swim with the fishes. (Insert sad face.)
Instead, I'll remember James Gandolfini and Dennis Farina fondly and celebrate a young Bobby DeNiro by watching this old clip appearance on Inside The Actors Studio.
As a young Sicilian speaking Vito Corleone in the 1920's New York movie "The GodFather Part II", DeNiro was the ultimate bad boy and king of the streets. His portrayal won him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and he went on years later (1987) to play the middle aged mobster gangster, Al Capone, in the film The Untouchables.
Robert DeNiro knocked our socks off playing up another role as infamous gangster, Jimmy Conway, in the 1990's flick "Goodfellas." One of the few movies I actually own. In my opinion, "Goodfellas" is the perfect gangster movie with the audience gets to see the evolution of the character. Even though Conway wasn't Italian, the Conway character adopted all that was mafia; good and bad.
For those few hours anybody watching would dream of being be a mobster.
I'm not sure why I have this intriguing fascination with the mobster mystique. I do know all the actors I have listed do a convincing justice to their roles and definitely keep me on the edge of my seat. LOL!
Robert DeNiro hasn't made a gangster movie in several years, instead choosing to flex his comedy acting chops, which is fine with me. I can handle watching the roles he has made legendary over and over again.
What this fan can't handle is news of another gangster leaving me to swim with the fishes. (Insert sad face.)
Instead, I'll remember James Gandolfini and Dennis Farina fondly and celebrate a young Bobby DeNiro by watching this old clip appearance on Inside The Actors Studio.
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| Photo Credit: Joan Massel Soncini |
TV/Social Media Producer Debbie Mitchell is an Emmy nominated producer who is a member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA). She is currently a member of the James Beard Broadcast and New Media Awards Committee. If you have a story idea for "Our Take" or are a brand interested in Social TV, blogger outreach campaigns, or a blogger or personality interested in television placement follow Debbie Mitchell @SocialTVDeb and/or email SocialTVDeb@gmail.com
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