Soprano's wardrobe whacks auction buyers

Tough North Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano from hit TV series The Sopranos whacked buyers' bank accounts at Christie's when his wardrobe sold for $187,750 - four times the auction house's forecast.

James Gandolfini, who played Soprano for six seasons over 8½ years, sold his personal costume wardrobe in 25 lots at Christie's pop culture auction, with all proceeds going to Wounded Warrier - a charity that helps wounded US troops.

The top lot was a bloody outfit worn when Soprano was shot at the beginning of season six by Uncle Junior in a fit of dementia, which sold for $43,750, nearly 12 times Christie's pre-sale estimate for the outfit.

Gandolfini was at the auction to see Soprano's signature white tank top, light blue striped boxer shorts, striped short robe and leather scuffs went under the hammer for $21,250, again soaring above the pre-sale estimate of $1500.

Another robe - forecast to go for $1500 - fetched $13,750, while the blue shirt worn by the mob boss in the opening credits of the TV show sold for the same amount, well above the estimate of between $2000 and $3000.

Also up for grabs were a selection of costumes worn by other Sopranos characters, including Junior Soprano, Paulie Walnuts and AJ Soprano.

The award-winning HBO series broke new ground for television: portraying a conflicted man who tries to balance family life with his Mafia career.





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• buy one, get one free

Christian Bloch

   
Artist: Christian Bloch

   Genre(s): 
Ambient
   

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Discography:


   
 New Age

   Year: 2005   
Tracks: 9

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Gwyneth Paltrow - Paltrows Tears For Kids

GWYNETH PALTROW missed her children so much while filming Hollywood blockbuster IRON MAN, she sat in her trailer between scenes and cried her eyes out.

The actress, who is mum to four-year-old Apple and Moses, two, took a three year sabbatical from her hugely successful career after the birth of her daughter in 2004.

But she found returning to work was much harder than she thought, as she was separated from the tots for long periods of time during shooting for the movie in the U.S.

She tells Britain's Now magazine, "It was hard some days. "I'd think: 'Oh my God, back home, my kids will be in the bath right now and I should be there with them.'

"Then I'd sit in my trailer and cry."

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'I spend most of my time in a trailer'

What got you started?

Going to the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London, aged five. At first it was a way for my mum to have her weekends to herself. Then performing just clicked with me.

What was your big breakthrough?

Making Storm Damage for BBC2 in 2000 with [actors] Adrian Lester and Lennie James. Both became great mentors to me.

Are there any similarities between rapping and acting?

Yes - with both, you're assuming a persona. When I'm gigging, as Asher D, I'm playing up to the hype. As an actor, you're different in every role.

Who or what have you sacrificed for your art?

Seeing my children being born. But I think the benefits of having Asher D as your dad make up for it.

Do you suffer for your art?

Definitely - especially when I have to do my own stunts. Most of the fight scenes in [the 2007 film] Sugarhouse, for instance, were real. I was left covered in cuts and bruises.

What's the greatest threat to music today?

British radio stations not giving playtime to UK urban artists. They're always on the side of the Americans.

A track might not be that great, but if it's by Pharrell, they'll play it.

What's the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Lennie James once said that, as an actor, you get knocked back about 80% of the time. But you live for the other 20%.

Is all art political?

Yes - politics is about more than just the annual budget. When I was in So Solid Crew, people were always asking if we were associated with the rise in gun crime. And I've made a lot of controversial movies, and had to consider their influence on society.

Describe your most controversial role.

Playing a gay man in [the 2007 film] Waz. It was tough: I had to kiss a man, and I got a mixed reaction from the black community. But I have to be ready to play any role, or I can't call myself an actor.

Is there an art form you don't enjoy?

Painting. I know what I like when I see it, but I'm wack at it myself.

What's the biggest myth about acting?

That it's glamorous. It might be if you're Will Smith, but if you're Ashley Walters, you spend the majority of your time in the middle of nowhere, cold, in a trailer with holes in the roof.

In short

Born: London, 1982

Career: A former member of So Solid Crew, he raps under the name Asher D. Broke into acting with the film Bullet Boy in 2004, and is currently starring in Oxford Street at the Royal Court, London SW1 (020-7565 5000).

High point: "Winning best newcomer for Bullet Boy at the British independent film awards in 2004."

Low point: "Spending seven months in jail in 2002 [for carrying a gun]. It took years to turn my career around."



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