Family is as important to James Gandolfini as it is to the mob boss he plays on television. On Saturday, his mob series "The Sopranos" won three awards at the Television Critics Association dinner in Pasadena, including one for Gandolfini, who was recognized for "individual achievement in drama" for the second year in a row.
He sent a videotaped acceptance speech in which he said: "I'm sorry I can't be there. It's my sister's 50th birthday party and my family will really kill me if I don't go."
Source: New York Daily News