James Gandolfini died suddenly in Italy on Wednesday (19.06.13).

The 51-year-old actor, best known for playing Tony Soprano on 'The Sopranos', reportedly suffered a massive heart attack.

The media-shy star, who has a nine-month-old daughter with his wife of almost five years Deborah Lin, as well as a teenage son, Michael, with his ex-wife, Marcy Wudarski, was in Italy to attend the 59th Taormina Film Festival in Sicily, which he was due to participate in this weekend with Italian director Gabriele Muccino.

A source close to the actor told the New York Daily News: ''Everyone is in tears.''

The three-time Emmy Award winner first found fame in 1992 when he landed a role in a Broadway version of 'A Streetcar Named Desire' alongside Alec Baldwin and Jessica Lange.

Shortly afterwards he played a hitman in the 1993 movie 'True Romance' and went on to enjoy a hugely successful career.

Some of his other credits include 'Zero Dark Thirty', 'The Mexican' and 'Get Shorty'.

James also starred in the hit Broadway comedy 'God of Carnage' in 2009, which won a prestigious Tony Award.

He recently completed filming the crime movie 'Animal Rescue' alongside British actor Tom Hardy.