EXCLUSIVE: 'Sopranos' Star James Gandolfini Suffered 'Terrible Anxiety' Over His Acting and 'Noticed Mostly the Flaws' — Years Before His Tragic Death
James Gandolfini played Tony Soprano on 'The Sopranos.'
June 18 2026, Published 1:20 p.m. ET
James Gandolfini was an award-winning actor known for his iconic portrayal of Tony Soprano, but behind the scenes, he suffered from "terrible anxiety" attacks.
As the 13-year anniversary of the Sopranos star's death approaches on June 19, RadarOnline.com revisits his famed career as a television mobster...and his painful doubts about his own abilities as an actor.
James Gandolfini's 'Deep Fears' as an Actor
James Gandolfini suffered from severe anxiety as an actor.
According to Galdolfini's former pal and talk show host Dick Cavett, who wrote the 2014 book Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic Moments, and Assorted Hijinks, the HBO star struggled with "deep fears over – of all things – the ability to learn and retain his lines."
"He said he’d actually entered a hospital for a few days of anxiety treatment," added Cavett at the time.
Inside James Gandolfini's Audition for 'The Sopranos'
James Gandolfini struggled with the audition process for 'The Sopranos.'
Galdolfini's bouts with severe anxiety was also documented by author Dan Bischoff, who penned The Real Life of the Man Who Made Tony Soprano, who shared the story of his unconventional audition process for The Sopranos.
"He stopped in the middle and begged to be allowed to come back and do it again – he said he had an illness in the family and he just wasn’t hitting it right," Bischoff said.
But when he got his make-up audition, Gandolfini simply didn't show up.
James Gandolfini Noticed 'Mostly the Flaws' in His Work
James Gandolfini 'noticed mostly the flaws' in his work, according to an author.
He later offered producer David Chase an apology and asked him if he could stop by his home. While he struggled at the official audition, Gandolfini nailed it in the producer's garage, shocking Chase with his stellar acting abilities.
Despite knocking the impromptu audition out of the park, the Enough Said star still believed he wasn't going to get the job because he didn't think he was handsome enough.
When it came to his work, Gandolfini "noticed mostly the flaws," and had a "hard time seeing in his performances what other people saw," according to Bischoff.
James Gandolfini's Death
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James Gandolfini died at 51 years old.
Gandolfini passed away on June 19, 2013, after suffering a heart attack while on a vacation in Rome. He was only 51 years old.
He left behind his wife, Deborah Lin, and his two kids – Michael and Liliana.
Gandolfini's son has since followed in his father's footsteps as an actor and even played the role of a young Tony Soprano in the prequel The Many Saints of Newark – something he called "probably the toughest decision I've ever had to make."
"You know, I didn't want to put pressure on myself to walk out of this feeling like I'd grown in terms of my feelings towards my dad," he said, according to People. "I just wanted to be the best actor I could be, portraying Tony in the way David wanted, scene by scene. I didn't think about my grief because… well, I would have s--- the bed."
He's gone on to helm roles in Beau Is Afraid, Bob Marley: One Love and Daredevil: Born Again.
