HBO will air future episodes of "The Sopranos" with a tribute to the late James Gandolfini, who died unexpectedly on Wednesday.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, future episodes of highly acclaimed series that air on HBO will feature this message: "HBO mourns the loss of James Gandolfini, a beloved member of the HBO family."
"We're all in shock and feeling immeasurable sadness at the loss of a beloved member of our family," HBO said in a statement. "James Gandolfini was a special man, a great talent, but more importantly a gentle and loving person who treated everyone no matter their title or position with equal respect. He touched so many of us over the years with his humor, his warmth and his humility. Our hearts go out to his wife and children during this terrible time. He will be deeply missed by all of us."
David Chase, "The Sopranos" creator, hailed Gandolfini as a genius in a statement released following the actor's passing.
“He was a genius," Chase said. "Anyone who saw him even in the smallest of his performances knows that. He is one of the greatest actors of this or any time. A great deal of that genius resided in those sad eyes. I remember telling him many times, 'You don't get it. You're like Mozart.' There would be silence at the other end of the phone. For Deborah and Michael and Liliana this is crushing. And it's bad for the rest of the world. He wasn't easy sometimes. But he was my partner, he was my brother in ways I can't explain and never will be able to explain."
Gandolfini passed away in Italy at the age of 51. The actor won three Emmys for his work as Tony Soprano on the game-changing HBO series that aired from 1999-2007.
An episode of "The Sopranos" airs Thursday, June 20 at 8 p.m. ET on HBO Signature.
