John Travolta will pay his respects to longtime friend and late actor, James Gandolfini, by comforting his wife and young children while they grieve.
Travolta revealed on Good Morning America that he and Gandolfini were long-time friends and that Travolta was a mentor of sorts, reports ABC News.
He said, “My father sold tires to his father. I was his inspiration to get into the [entertainment] business. He would see pictures of me on the wall from movies and he decided that he wanted to be an actor.”
Travolta and Gandolfini ended up working together twice, in the 1995 crime-comedy Get Shorty and in the 2009 remake of The Taking of Pelham 123.
After Gandolfini’s death of a heart attack last Wednesay, Travolta made a promise to help the late actor’s young family in any way.
Gandolfini was survived by his wife Deborah Lin, his 13-year-old son Michael, and his 8-month-old daughter Liliana.
Travolta explained, “My goal is to make sure that his family is OK. His little boy, I watched him grow up, and his brand new little girl. We'll just make sure they're taken care of. That's the whole idea.”
This gesture is in repayment for Gandolfini’s own thoughtful act in 2009 when he flew to Florida to comfort Travolta when his teenage son, Jett, died of a seizure.
Travolta said, “James went out of his way to come to Florida and he would not leave Florida until I was OK, or he felt that I would be fine."
He continued, "After a week I said, 'Jim you can really, you can, you know, we'll be fine. I've got a lot of support here.' But the idea that in our profession someone would go out of their way and not want to leave you until he felt you were OK, that's the kind of soul that James Gandolfini was.”
Other actors who’ve worked with Gandolfini over the years have also reached out to his family, expressing their undying admiration for the kind-hearted and talented actor, we recently reported.
Edie Falco – who played Gandolfini’s on-screen wife on HBO's iconic show The Sopranos – said, “He was a man of tremendous depth and sensitivity, with a kindness and generosity beyond words. I consider myself very lucky to have spent 10 years as his close colleague. My heart goes out to his family.”
Money for Nothing co-star John Cusack said, “RIP James Gandolfini - had the pleasure of working with him and knowing him a bit- always a truth teller- gent and all around class act.”
Olivia Wilde just recently worked with Gandolfini in The Incredible Burt Wonderstone and said of him, “James Gandolfini was a kind, funny, wonderful guy. I'm so lucky to have worked with him. Sending love to his family. Such a sad, sad day.”