Name a Hollywood production that stars a big person that isn't a comedy.
Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.
Size does not determine talent. This is major point being made here. You're saying that a big actor could not get a leading man role because he's too fat. I'm not falling into this trap, though. Comedies are just as important to look at as any other genre. Some of the best acting I've ever seen came from big people in comedies. Not every comedy starring a big person is about falling down. And some of the best character actors in Hollywood history were big. Size does not determine talent in a large movie. Many actors were good then and now simply by playing themselves. You watch the movies they star in to see them playing themselves. Gandolfini is one of these actors. He doesn't play the same character, but as an actor he fits a certain character type and people love to watch him play to that type. Sydney Greenstreet was another one. John Goodman is an actor who gets role after role in spite of his size, and he's always good. Orson Welles reinvented cinema in fat suits and aging makeup. Wayne Knight made it from television's Seinfeld into big budget productions like Jurassic Park and Space Jam. And please don't use the quality of the movie as a scapegoat to slide your way out of this. Don't insult my intelligence. Every gangster picture requires large actors in significant roles. Rod Steiger could be unrecognizable between pictures. I challenge you to recognize him between Duck, You Sucker, In The Heat of the Night, and Mars Attacks without me telling you he's in them. That's talent. John Candy was one of the most bankable, likable big actors in Hollywood history. Jonah Hill can go from complete shit like Night at the Museum 2 to fitting right in alongside Brad Pitt in Moneyball. In spite of his age and size, Hollywood ROYALTY Mickey Rooney still gets cast in big movies like A Night At The Museum.
Let's look at some of Gandolfini's filmography.
True Romance, written by Quentin Tarantino
The Man Who Wasn't There, written and directed by the Coen Brothers
Crimson Tide, directed by Tony Scott
Fallen
Get Shorty
The Mexican, directed by Gore Verbinski
The Last Castle
8MM, directed by Joel Schumacher (it's giving you ammo, but I'm counting on you not to use nitpicking to blow this entire thing off- don't disappoint me)
Romance and Cigarettes, directed by John Turturro
All the King's Men, directed by Steven Zaillian
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, again directed by Tony Scott
Where the Wild Things Are
Killing Them Softly, which you saw
Zero Dark Thirty
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
With an eight year television show in between, I wouldn't call this an unsuccessful career. Not being the lead doesn't mean you aren't talented, and Gandolfini obviously attracted some pretty good names there. He wins for being in True Romance alone.
