James Gandolfini’s death came as a huge surprise. His generosity, as displayed in his will wasn’t such a surprise, such was his reputation as a modest man. The father of the box set generation, giving people reason to invest so many hours into character, Gandolfini’s legacy is much bigger than the money he left behind. Here are his best, non-Soprano roles.

James GandolfiniGandolfini with his Sopranos co-stars Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa

True Romance: Gandolfini effectively ‘broke’ into Hollywood with his role in True Romance as Virgil. A thug, Virgil’s defining moment was his epic fight with Alabama, played by Patricia Arquette, which culminates in her plunging a corkscrew through his foot. Gandolfini spoke about this scene on appearance on Inside The Actor’s Studio.

Where The Wild Things Are: Mr. Gandolfini gave a touching performance as Carol in Where The Wild Things Are. As Max’s best friend, he was a child inside; his sensitivity and naivety were palpable despite this being a voice role. He might be remembered forever as the matriarchal mob boss Tony Soprano, but Gandolfini showed his range as an actor with Where The Wile Things Are.

In The Loop: Flexing a different acting muscle, this time comedy, Gandolfini gave a virtuoso performance in In The Loop clashing with the temperamental, foul-mouthed and aggressive Malcolm Tucker in a monumental scene. He was often crass, but mainly hilarious in this departure from his usual style. Plus, he looked really cool in that General’s uniform.

The Man Who Wasn't There: The Coen Brother’s were making waves with their neo-noir movie, The Man Who Wasn’t there, but Gandolfini was quitely impressing the critics with his dark, thoughtful performance. He was a troubled man in his life away from art, but often used his anger to push his characters to the next level.

James GandolfiniJames Gandolfini will always be remembered as one of the greats