World Class
Actor James Gandolfini looked at the
ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead hours before he died from a massive
heart attack, two tourists from Philadelphia have revealed.
Gandolfini was seen visiting the Egyptian exhibit at the Vatican Museum in Rome last Wednesday - part of a full day of sightseeing before the 51-year-old 'Sopranos' star collapsed in his hotel room.
The exhibit included sarcophagi covered in inscriptions from the Book of the Dead, as well as a copy of the manuscript itself - which contains 'magic spells' that the ancient Egyptians used to help the dead cross over to the afterlife.
The New York Daily News reports that John McGlaughlin was on his honeymoon with his new wife Priscilla when the pair spotted Gandolfini and his son Michael at the museum.
They never realized that their encounter foreshadowed tragedy.
'It’s eerie because she took the picture through a glass case and on either side of him he’s flanked by coffin lids with hieroglyphics from the Book of the Dead,' Mr McGlaughlin told the newspaper.
'We didn’t think anything of it at the time. Then we got back from our honeymoon and found out he was dead.'
The McGlaughlins said Gandolfini appeared perfectly healthy when they saw him at the museum. At one point, Mr McGlaughlin passed the actor and clapped in on the shoulder.
'I felt like such an idiot, so I gave him a thumbs-up,” he said. “I thought he was going to knock me out. But he gave me a sort of smile. I felt bad afterward, like a total fanboy,' he said.
Gandolfini's son teenage Michael found the beloved New Jersey actor on the floor of the Boscolo Exedra Hotel hours later. An autopsy confirmed he died of a massive heart attack.
His body was returned to the United States on Saturday. On Sunday, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ordered all flags in the state to be flown at half-staff to honor the native son's return home.
His funeral is planned at the Episcopal Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in Manhattan for Thursday. Thousands of mourners - including Gandolfini's 'Sopranos' co-stars - are expected to pay their respects.
Gandolfini was seen visiting the Egyptian exhibit at the Vatican Museum in Rome last Wednesday - part of a full day of sightseeing before the 51-year-old 'Sopranos' star collapsed in his hotel room.
The exhibit included sarcophagi covered in inscriptions from the Book of the Dead, as well as a copy of the manuscript itself - which contains 'magic spells' that the ancient Egyptians used to help the dead cross over to the afterlife.
Mourned: James Gandolfini reportedly toured an
exhibit featuring the Egyptian 'Book of the Dead' just hours before his
unexpected death
The 'Book of the Dead' contained 'magic spells'
that the Ancient Egyptians believed would help the dead pass over to the
afterlife
The New York Daily News reports that John McGlaughlin was on his honeymoon with his new wife Priscilla when the pair spotted Gandolfini and his son Michael at the museum.
They never realized that their encounter foreshadowed tragedy.
'It’s eerie because she took the picture through a glass case and on either side of him he’s flanked by coffin lids with hieroglyphics from the Book of the Dead,' Mr McGlaughlin told the newspaper.
'We didn’t think anything of it at the time. Then we got back from our honeymoon and found out he was dead.'
The McGlaughlins said Gandolfini appeared perfectly healthy when they saw him at the museum. At one point, Mr McGlaughlin passed the actor and clapped in on the shoulder.
Gandolfini's body was returned home to Newark
International Airport on Saturday after American and Italian authorities
pushed to cut red tape
'I felt like such an idiot, so I gave him a thumbs-up,” he said. “I thought he was going to knock me out. But he gave me a sort of smile. I felt bad afterward, like a total fanboy,' he said.
Gandolfini's son teenage Michael found the beloved New Jersey actor on the floor of the Boscolo Exedra Hotel hours later. An autopsy confirmed he died of a massive heart attack.
His body was returned to the United States on Saturday. On Sunday, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ordered all flags in the state to be flown at half-staff to honor the native son's return home.
His funeral is planned at the Episcopal Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in Manhattan for Thursday. Thousands of mourners - including Gandolfini's 'Sopranos' co-stars - are expected to pay their respects.
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