James began acting in the New York Theater. His Broadway debut was in the 1992 revival of "A Street Car Named Desire" with Jessica Lange and Alec Baldwin. James' breakthrough role was his portayal of Virgil the hitman in Tony Scott's True Romance (1993). Currently living in Greenwich Village in New York City.

IMDb Trivia

His sister Johanna is a prominent official with the New Jersey Family Court system.

Graduated from Park Ridge High School, Park Ridge, New Jersey (1979).

Attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

He plays the trumpet and saxophone.

Although he often plays thuggish or brute characters, he is actually somewhat of a pacifist off-stage; he had reservations about continuing his production contract as Tony in "Sopranos, The" (1999) due to the show's violent content and stereotype of Italian-Americans.

- TV mobster James Gandolfini turned to the right side of the law when he saw a woman being mugged in his native New York recently. Gandolfini plays Mob wiseguy Tony Soprano in hit TV show The Sopranos. So passers-by were shocked to see the tough-guy step in and rescue a woman when she was knocked down and had her bag snatched whilst walking down a dimly lit street. [November 2001]

Named one of E!'s "top 20 entertainers of 2001."

Originally cast in the Carl Hanratty role in Catch Me If You Can (2002) but had to drop out due to the Sorpranos.

Financed the construction of a restaurant called Vines in Oneonta, New York for his childhood pal Clive Griffiths, who needed the money to launch it. Griffiths has since paid him back, and then some.

Used to bartend in Manhattan during years as struggling actor.

Lost more than 40 pounds for his role in Mexican, The (2001), but had to gain it all back before shooting for the HBO series "Sopranos, The" (1999) because executives didn't believe the audience would like a "skinny" Tony.

Well trained in Krav Maga, (an Israeli style of Martial Arts) which he practiced for 2 1/2 years.