Gandolfini was a well-respected actor known for changing the way many protagonists are portrayed in modern entertainment. (creative commons)

Gandolfini was scheduled to attend the closing of the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily on Saturday, but according to Mara Mikialian of Reuters, presumably suffered from a heart attack.

From Reuters:

At the time of his death, he had been working on an upcoming HBO series "Criminal Justice." HBO declined to elaborate on the series other than to say that it was in development and that Gandolfini was a part of it.He had two motion pictures due in theaters next year."We're all in shock and feeling immeasurable sadness at the loss of a beloved member of our family," the network said in a statement. "He 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."

Gandolfini is a three time Emmy Award winner for best lead actor in a drama series, and has been said to have paved the way for many TV dramas that are on air-today.  Various voices have commented on his death, saying how much of an impact he has had in the entertainment industry, quoted from the Chicago Tribune:

David Chase, creator of "The Sopranos," paid tribute to his former star in a statement remembering him as "a genius" and "one of the greatest actors of this or any time."

Actress Susan Sarandon, who played Gandolfini's wife in the 2005 romantic comedy "Romance and Cigarettes," remembered him in a Twitter posting as "One of the sweetest, funniest, most generous actors I've ever worked with."

And Steve Carell, a co-star in "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone," tweeted, "Unbelievably sad news. A fine man."New Jersey Governor Chris Christie likewise hailed Gandolfini as "a fine actor, a Rutgers alum and a true Jersey guy."

While Gandolfini had been working on an upcoming HBO series called Criminal Justice, there has been no information on how involved with the series he had been.  He is, however, still scheduled to appear on the big screen alongside actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus for a movie titled Enough Said, set to be released by Studio Fox Searchlight.

Reach Executive Producer Eric Parra here.