One of James Gandolfini’s Final Performances Proves He Was So Much More Than Tony Soprano

When James Gandolfini suddenly passed away at the age of 53 in 2013, it was an immense loss for fans and those who personally knew him. Gandolfini changed television forever with his iconic portrayal of mob boss Tony Soprano in HBO’s The Sopranos. Audiences couldn’t get enough of the conflicted Tony, a man who intimidated everyone in his path and killed when he had to. That wasn’t his only success. His phenomenal talent made him a star on the small screen and in movies like True Romance and In the Loop. One of his last roles played against type in the most extreme way possible. In Nicole Holofcener‘s Enough Said, the larger-than-life actor took on the role of a vulnerable single father in a powerful romantic comedy. All it took was a few scenes of a stellar performance for Tony Soprano to disappear in front of our eyes.

What ‘Enough Said’ Is About

Enough Said is written and directed by Nicole Holofcener, the same woman who created great movies like Lovely and Amazing and Friends With Money. She had worked with Catherine Keener several times, and in Enough Said, she does again. This time, Keener isn’t the lead. That distinction belongs to James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, two of the biggest names in TV history.

Enough Said is not your typical romantic comedy. Instead of playing into sappy tropes and focusing on young people, Holofcener’s movie centered on the reality of dating in middle age. Louis-Dreyfus is Eva, a divorced mom who is introduced to single father Albert (Gandolfini) at a party. Albert takes a risk and asks Eva out. It’s not love at first sight. Eva sees Albert as the balding, out-of-shape man he is. There is no immediate attraction. Still, she says yes. Enough Said then follows the ups and downs of a new relationship that is even harder than they expected.

James Gandolfini’s Against-Type Role as Albert

When James Gandolfini filmed Enough Said, it was six years after The Sopranos came to an end. Time didn’t dull his fame. If anything, David Chase‘s series only continued to get bigger. People looked at Gandolfini and saw Tony. In the annals of television, Tony Soprano is one of the greatest characters ever created. To watch Gandolfini in anything else requires effort to separate him from his most famous role.

Tony Soprano is indeed a horrible person, a man who kills, conspires, and cheats on his wife. The audience loves him because he’s more than that. Tony is a complicated man living a life of pain. The contrast of someone so powerful feeling so lost that he’d need to see a psychiatrist is forever fascinating. Still, even though we get to see Tony’s true heart under the hard exterior at times, he’s nowhere close to who we see Gandolfini as when he becomes Albert in Enough Said.

He plays a grounded, very human person with realistic flaws. Albert is quiet, kind, and vulnerable, wearing his heart on his sleeve with an aching smile. He’s the exact opposite of Tony Soprano, who wears a mask and puts on a show despite how he’s feeling. Enough Said is a very serious movie at times, yet Gandolfini finds lighthearted moments to make Albert more endearing. He has fun, takes life as it comes, and isn’t afraid to be self-deprecating about his appearance in a light-hearted way. He’s an everyman who is extraordinary by being so ordinary. Your heart breaks for Albert’s loneliness and his goodness makes you root for him and Eva to make it.

‘Enough Said’ Released After Gandolfini’s Death

Much of the conflict in Enough Said comes from Catherine Keener’s Marianne, Albert’s ex-wife. She trashes her ex-husband every chance she gets. When Eva is with Albert in the beginning, she sees only how great and kind he is, but all of those criticisms from her friend gnaw at Eva’s mind until his flaws become all she can see. Enough Said is never mean-spirited, though. It’s deeply human. This is how a woman who has been hurt before might act. Her mind is looking for a way out.

Albert is a good man, the kind who has endearing flaws, and who you can trust to never hurt you. He’s a big teddy bear. Gandolfini brings him to life with the same layered realness that he had with Tony Soprano. Albert is fascinating by being nothing like the man Gandolfini will always be remembered for. Albert could be your dad or your next-door neighbor. He’s not a rom-com stereotype; he’s just Albert.

During an interview with the Los Angeles Times to promote the film’s release, Julia Louis-Dreyfus remembered her on-screen partner.

“What was so fascinating to me immediately was that he’s a very mild, dear, thoughtful fellow, very much like the character he plays in the film. He isn’t like Tony Soprano at all, even though he sure looks like Tony Soprano.”

Louis-Dreyfus told the outlet how nervous Gandolfini was on set because playing Albert was so outside of his comfort zone. It’s a shame that he never got to see the reaction to a movie that brought him so much anxiety. Enough Said came out to rave reviews, earning a 95% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes. As good as it is, it hurts every single time Gandolfini appears on-screen. The viewer is watching a brilliant actor in his last days. Enough Said was one of two films, along with The Drop, to come out after his passing. The former is the ideal way to remember his talent. Tony Soprano is who James Gandolfini is known for. More outside-the-box roles, like Albert, is where he was going.