This , believe it or not , was how somebody on a social networking site greeted last night 's shocking news of James Gandolfini 's death , at 51 , of a heart attack while vacationing in Europe . Mark Seymour : James Gandolfini helped elevate the medium of dramatic television . Without an actor of his gifts , the character of Tony Romano might not have worked , he says . Seymour : Complex , conflicted Tony Soprano paved the way for actors such as Don Draper . He says it 's sad that we wo n't get to see Gandolfini make other dramatic breakthroughs .
Mark Seymour : James Gandolfini helped elevate the medium of dramatic television . Without an actor of his gifts , the character of Tony Romano might not have worked , he says . Seymour : Complex , conflicted Tony Soprano paved the way for actors such as Don Draper . He says it 's sad that we wo n't get to see Gandolfini make other dramatic breakthroughs .