In the years since “The Sopranos” star James Gandolfini's passing at 51, there have been countless stories that have shown what a great guy he was. Recently, one such story was shared by a close friend of his.

Todd A. Kessler is best known for co-creating and running the writers’ room on “Damages” and “Bloodline,” but he was also part of the "Sopranos" writing staff on Seasons 2 and 3. At the end of Season 3 Kessler was let go by HBO, so Gandolfini decided to lift his spirits by taking him out to dinner.

At dinner Kessler quoted Gandolfini as having told him, "You hold your head high and know that you did great work." These words of encouragement were just a small reflection of Gandolfini's incredible generosity, added to the list of reasons why he is missed by so many.