His size, his very presence, has such an ability - there is a real noble aspect to him you identify and respect him as a leader who understands right and wrong and strives for right.” He’s not a hero, not a pretty boy, but so much more than that. I wrote, “He was unmitigatedly honest, he doesn’t care if you like him or not … but he exposes their humanness, their ugliness, their vulnerability - everyone could identify with him onscreen. When he made, where he plays the blue-collar father of a boy going off to college, his people asked me to write something about him in this role. We stayed in touch after the play - I’d see him at different premieres or give him a call. He was a gorgeous friend, he was there so many times for me, for a drink, a coffee, a long talk.
At that point, my own marriage was breaking up - and James was an absolute rock for me, he even taught me how to help my kids get through it, since he’d been through it himself. But you know, in a year a life can really change, and that was true for all of us - James, Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis and myself. for the second run a year later, I loved him even more. PHOTOS: James Gandolfini’s Life and Career in Picturesīy the time we took the production to L.A. I think our real mutual warmth intervened. It was actually hard to do because I adored him so much. So all that was bearable, all that fighting, yelling, violence between the characters. Both James and I were like, “I don’t think so.” And I think the reason we didn’t think it was over was because we just loved each other as people. During the run, Matthew Warchus kept insisting to us that their marriage was over - this is it, the ride’s done. I remember the day that James said the line, “I love you too, mom” angrily - he figured out that if he let his anger show, it was funny. It was so interesting watching him in rehearsal for the initial New York run - we were all figuring things out together. He was so completely generous and fair, a big teddy bear. I understand he was like that on The Sopranos, too - everyone has to benefit if he benefits. If James was getting something - a raise, for instance, a bonus - then he insisted we all had to have it. James was such a caretaker, he took care of all of us. The containment of that boxing arena, Jim was on one corner, we always had to balance that square - now there’s a hole there and so much energy is pouring out. Not one of us can talk about it now without feeling there’s an empty corner now. The four of us in God of Carnage in the New York production (2009) were corners to the square. All rights reserved.This story first appeared in the July 19 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modification to the contents on the Website at any time without prior notice.Ĭopyright © 2013-2022. In no event shall be liable for any special, direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tort, arising out of or in connection with the use of the Website or the contents of the Website.
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