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 .
Gene Seymour : James Gandolfini helped elevate the medium of dramatic television . Without an actor of his gifts , the character of Tony Soprano might not have worked , he says . Seymour : Complex , conflicted Tony Soprano paved the way for others such as Don Draper . He says it 's sad that we wo n't get to see Gandolfini make other dramatic breakthroughs .