Names and faces

An autopsy on James Gandolfini has confirmed the Sopranos star died of a heart attack, with noevidence of substance abuse or foul play, a family spokesman said Friday. Michael Kobold told reporters that Gandolfini’s body had been released to a funeral director and that the family is working with the Italian government to cut through red tape to get the body back to the United States soon. While the process can take up to 10 days, Kobold said the family hopes to have the body repatriated by midweek with a funeral planned in New York by June 29 at the latest. Gandolfini, 51, died Wednesday night. His body was discovered in a Rome hotel room by a family member. Asked whether Gandolfini had a history of heart problems, Kobold said he was healthy.

Long before the newMan of Steel, actor Terence Stamp became General Zod for a generation of fans. Stamp portrayedSuperman’s Kryptonian archenemy opposite Christopher Reeve in Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980). “I can’t go out on the street in London without somebody saying, ‘It’s Zod!’ It’s fun for me,” said Stamp, 74, in a recent interview, adding he hasn’t seen Man of Steel, which casts Michael Shannon as Zod. Thirty-five years after Superman, Stamp returns to theaters in the dramedy Unfinished Song, which opens stateside this weekend after an overseas run with an alternate title, Song for Marion. The London-born Stamp started his film career with 1962’s seafaring Billy Budd, for which he earned an Oscar nomination. His 50-yearcareer includes his portrayal of the transsexual Bernadette in The Adventure of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994). Stamp also was widely praised for his lead in director Steven Soderbergh’s 1999 crime drama, The Limey.

Front Section, Pages 2 on 06/22/2013

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