Ever since the start of James Gandolfini’s career, he’s been playing heavies. And with good reason – just look at him! Gandolfini has found success since very early in his acting career with his minor roles in True Romance, Crimson Tide and Get Shorty, but his big break came in 1999, when he landed the role of Tony Soprano on the hit HBO show The Sopranos. Since then, Gandolfini’s reputation as an actor has skyrocketed, with him taking larger roles than before in films like The Mexican, 8mm, The Man Who Wasn’t There, In the Loop and The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 – and somehow managing not to be typecast! Personally, I’d like to hear him do more voice work, as I thought he was terrific in the criminally underrated Where The Wild Things Are. He turns 50 today.