James Gandolfini

James Gandolfini played Tony Soprano in The Sopranos. For me, it is the central performance in the best television series ever made. Gandolfini could make Tony funny, frightening, affectionate and absurd without suggesting that one version cancelled out the others. The smallest irritation could alter a whole room.

His scenes with Edie Falco and Lorraine Bracco are as important as anything involving Tony's criminal business. He lets you understand the man without asking you to excuse him. Gandolfini's film work included True Romance and Enough Said, and he received an executive-producer credit on The Night Of.