These are some newish photos of James Gandolfini filming in NYC last week. He’s doing an HBO movie called Cinema Verte, and it also stars Diane Lane. I’m thinking he grew out the black-silver beard for the role, whatever it is. But I was still taken aback by how different he looks. Not just the beard, but he’s gained a lot of weight too, right? He’s always been a large man, tall and broad and just BIG. But he really looks overweight here, and now I’m worried about him.

But anyway, the beard: at first I thought it was SNL’s Horatio Sanz, before he lost all of his weight. As far as whether or not I would still hit it – eh. I’ve always found James very sexy (the Tony Soprano thing, plus he seems like he would be fun in bed), but the beard is killing my libido. Not cool, Gandolfini.

James G. on August 26, 2010. Credit: Bauer-Griffin.

James Gandolfini is one of those guys that – while I’m sure he can and generally is a very nice man – I’d definitely avoid should I run into him in real life. The line between television and reality is very blurry for a lot of those “Sopranos” actors, and many of them have rumored mob ties. And because I didn’t watch the show more than handful of times, I can’t really keep them straight, so I figure it’s best to just steer clear altogether. And there’s just something about Gandolfini that says, “Eyy, I’m a nice guy, but you piss me off just by having an ugly face and I’m gonna break your jaw.”

Excellent example of why I’m always right: an amateur photographer for the website Guest of a Guest got into it with James, after the guy filmed him for too long on Halloween. Gandolfini cursed at him repeatedly, then smacked his camera to the ground. Naturally, the whole thing ended up on the interweb.

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again…I wouldn’t wish celebrity fame on my worst enemy. It has to be hard being followed all of the time, and I would imagine it becomes only a matter of time before one would snap. Unfortunately, for a Guest of a Guest photographer, the moment Sopranos star James Gandolfini snapped happened to be on his watch. On Halloween, in the West Village, Gandolfini assaulted our camera man. Watch video above. …below [is] the full story from our photographer:

“I was getting ready to go out for the night to shoot the Halloween parade and then was planning to go shoot the rose bar for you. I was walking up Jane Street towards the parade route, when I saw James trick or treating with his son and some other people. I decided to shoot some video of him, his son was inside a botique trick or treating, jim was standing outside.

I was maybe 25 feet away from him when he saw me. he then rushed towards me and pushed me into the street, then he took a swing at me and knocked the camera down. The person yelling get away from my son, was not my mom, but james ex-wife telling me to get away from her son. Then after the camera cut off, I tried to walk away, I got tackled from behind by one of his companions, right in the middle of the street, he was trying to steal my video away and ripped my jacket he tore away my still camera and it fell to the ground and broke. I then managed to break free and run back to my hotel.”

[From Guest of a Guest]

Page Six has a slightly different version of the story:

Don’t mess with James Gandolfini when he’s boutique-hopping. The “Sopranos” star got into a spat with an amateur paparazzo while shopping with his step-mom on Jane Street. In video of the incident posted by the fotog on Guest of a Guest, a mad Gandolfini sneers, “You understand me? I’m gonna break your [bleep]ing face,” before smacking the camera to the ground. The lensman tells us, “I’m not used to this type of abuse. I was not shooting James for any job, but just because I am a fan of his. The attack was totally uncalled for.” A friend of Gandolfini says, “The kid had been following him for an hour. He was a stalker.”

[From the New York Post]

The difference in the details (who he was out with, one person or many, shopping in boutiques versus trick-or-treating in boutiques [common NYC Halloween practice) isn’t massively important. What does make a difference is the addition of James’ son. In Guest of a Guest’s version, James was out with his son trick-or-treating, and the photographer says he was taping them. He didn’t mention that to the NY Post. I’m not saying that makes Gandolfini’s reaction okay, but it does explain it. Most people are protective of their children, and celebrities are particularly sensitive to their kids being filmed without permission. Especially when they’re out just doing their regular things. It’s not like James was at an event, he was taking his son trick-or-treating.

Celebrities live a different lifestyle in New York than they do in Los Angeles. They blend in more and are followed less. Most every New Yorker runs into someone famous now and again. A few months ago Wolf Blitzer alerted me to the fact that I had ice cream on my nose. Mortifying. They don’t have huge entourages around them or a bunch of security. And you mostly just end up thinking, “Hey, they’re a regular person. Awesome.” So I can understand why being filmed would be unexpected and upsetting. I am absolutely not excusing it, but I can understand where the anger came from.

It might be hard to believe that the actor who played tough guy Tony Soprano for 10 years on “The Sopranos” could be afraid of anything, but actor James Gandolfini said that the transition from television to stage was absolutely terrifying. Gandolfini is currently starring in “God of Carnage” on Broadway, and revealed that it was rough going for him in the beginning, but his co-stars helped him through it.

James Gandolfini may not seem like the type to suffer from stage fright, but he says his transition from the small screen to the Great White Way was more than a little “nerve-racking.”

“But once you get the hang of it, you’re fine,” the New Jersey-born tough guy told us after after the premiere of his Broadway play, “God of Carnage.” “The best part is, I’m making people laugh now. And that’s a good thing.”

The burly actor shared that his co-stars Jeff Daniels, Marcia Gay Harden and Hope Davis “were very cool and patient. I still f— up now and again, but that’s life. I don’t get nervous now. It’s starting to become fun.”

Despite the three-time Emmy winner’s desire for distance from his HBO role in “The Sopranos,” there are visible flashes of mob boss Tony during Gandolfini’s angrier scenes. But he’s quick to say that’s not intentional.

“Naw, that’s just me,” he said with a chuckle and a hand rub along the back of his neck. “There are gonna be some similarities. I played that role for 10 years.”

Luckily, audiences seem eager to say ciao to Tony Soprano and embrace the new Gandolfini. In its second full week of previews, “God of Carnage” posted a $32,201 gain in box office sales over the previous week, according to Playbill.com.

[From NY Daily News]

Performing live on stage is often listed as one of the top three biggest fears- along with snakes and flying in an airplane. For an actor, though, stage fright can be harmful for your career. There is a big difference between acting in a TV show – where there are numerous chances for an actor to get a line or emotion right – and being in front of a live audience. You mess up on stage, and there’s no second chance to get it right – you have to know your stuff! At least James is honest about it. The only thing that makes me sad about his Broadway debut is, as long as he’s doing other projects, my hope for a “Sopranos” movie is dashed. My Sunday nights haven’t been the same since the show went off the air!

Here’s James Gandolfini with wife Deborah Yin at the 2008 Emmy Awards. Photos: Fame.

James Gandolfini and Deborah Lin at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on 4/22/08. Credit: L. Gallo / WENN
Sopranos boss James Gandolfini, 46, married his girlfriend of two years, former model Deborah Lin, 40, in a romantic ceremony in Honolulu, Hawaii, the bride’s hometown, on Saturday. They exchanged vows for 20 minutes and then celebrated with 200 friends and family at a Hawaiian and Chinese-themed reception. It sounds like a lovely day for the happy couple:

James Gandolfini and fiancée Deborah Lin tied the knot Saturday in her hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii, a wedding guest confirms to PEOPLE.

“There was a nice big kiss at the end with both hands on the cheeks” as The Sopranos star and Lin officially became husband and wife, the guest tells PEOPLE. “They looked great.”

As a group of their closest friends and family looked on, Gandolfini, 46, and Lin, a former model, 40, exchanged their vows in an intimate ceremony surrounded by white lilies and rhododendrons adorning every pew held at Central Union Church.

According to the guest, Lin strolled down the aisle in a white gown made of Italian lace while her tuxedoed groom stood waiting as a harpist played the “Hawaiian Wedding Song” in the background.

Gandolfini’s son Michael, 8, from his first marriage to Marcy Wudarsk (which ended in 2002), served as best man.

Following the elegant 20-minute nuptials, the newlyweds stepped into a white stretch limousine bound for the evening reception at a nearby resort.

At the reception, Gandolfini and Lin sat at an elevated table looking out onto the 200 guests – double the size of the wedding ceremony – in the filled ballroom. “They both wore long, green leis around their necks,” says a source. “There were lots of white flowers on the tables and Gandolfini was beaming.”

The happy couple and their guests nibbled on lobster, pork and seafood hors d’oeuvres (pupu in local Hawaiian lexicon) and during a sit-down dinner, feasted on Ahi tuna, Chinese roasted duck breast over angel hair pasta and steamed bok choy, broiled Mahi Mahi and filet mignon. The final course featured tiramisu and – of course – cannolis.

Paying tribute to Lin’s heritage, three teams of Chinese lion dancers (at least three people per lion) cavorted between tables as onlookers dropped a dollar in each gaping mouth for good luck. “Jim and Deborah mingled through the crowd a lot,” says a guest. “Everything was just really tasteful.”

[From People.com]

Congratulations to Gandolfini and Lin! I’m also pleasantly surprised to hear that Lin is 40, is around Gandolfini’s age, and started dating him well after he was divorced. You hear so many instances of cheating and older actors with 20-something women that it seems all too common.

Gandolfini lives in NY City and it is presumed the newlyweds will reside there.

Golden Globe winning actor Gandolfini is keeping busy in his professional life. He has five films completed, three in the works, and another upcoming television project, according to IMDB. Hopefully he’ll take some time off for a honeymoon.

These photos of the couple are from the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in April. People.com has a wedding photo.