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 Best Male Actor in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama as well as two additional SAG Awards for Best Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. Tony Soprano was born in 1959, to Livia and Johnny Soprano. His father was a "capo" in the DiMeo crime family. He grew up living with his parents and two sisters, Janice and Barbara, in the Ironbound neighborhood of Newark, New Jersey. Tony's paternal grandfather, Corrado Soprano Sr., was an Italian immigrant and master stonemason who helped to build a church in Tony's old