James J. Gandolfini, Jr. (born September 18, 1961) is an American (People of the United States) actor. He is best known for his role as Tony Soprano in the HBO (Home Box Office) TV series (television program) The Sopranos, about a troubled crime boss struggling to balance his family life and his career in the Mafia (American Mafia). Gandolfinis other roles include pornographer Eddie Poole in 8mm (8mm (film)), woman-beating mob enforcer Virgil in the Quentin Tarantino-written thriller True Romance, a gay hitman in The Mexican, enforcer/stuntman Bear in Get Shorty (Get Shorty (film)), and a martinet military prison commander in The Last Castle. In 2007, Gandolfini produced the HBO documentary "Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq" in which he interviewed 10 injured veterans from the Iraq War.