Tony Soprano Similar testimonials were included by his co-stars and colleagues; Bryan Cranston stated that his "Breaking Bad" character, Walter White, would not have existed without Tony Soprano. Tony Soprano quickly became a pop culture icon during the show’s run. In an article for the "Los Angeles Times", Chris Lee referred to Tony Soprano as a “cultural sensation” who became the “unlikeliest of sex symbols.” On the importance of Gandolfini’s performance, Lee stated: “He forever rejiggered television's fascination with morally challenged antiheroes and less-than-physically-perfect protagonists.” Mark Lawson of "The Guardian" praised Gandolfini for his “towering central performance” as Tony Soprano, writing: “The
Tony Soprano each; Danny Petrillo played the character as a teenager in three episodes. In the first season, Tony is a "capo" in the DiMeo crime family. Between the first and second seasons, he is promoted to street boss, a position he retains until the sixth season; his uncle Corrado "Junior" Soprano is the official boss up until early in the sixth season, but has little or no actual power. Throughout the series, Tony struggles to balance the conflicting needs of his actual family wife Carmela, daughter Meadow, son A. J., and mother Liviawith those of the Mafia family he controls. He