Michael Imperioli's touching tribute to James Gandolfini 10 years after his passing

Michael Imperioli has paid tribute to his Sopranos co-star James Gandolfini, who passed away 10 years ago last month.

The Sopranos is recognised as one of the greatest television shows in history, with Gandolfini receiving critical acclaim for his performance as the New Jersey mob boss.

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Imperioli played his nephew, Christopher Moltisanti.

A decade ago, Gandolfini passed away after suffering a heart attack in Rome. He was 51 years old.

Imperioli shared a picture of the pair on Instagram with the caption:

"Batman and Robin…my favourite picture of us And I can’t help thinking where we ended up that night and what you said. That was one for the books….It’s so very strange that it’s 10 years today since you left us. Would love to have shot one more scene or had another laugh or one more late night chat. Forever grateful to have done so much work together, to have spent so much time in your company and for all the generosity and kindness.

"Miss you lots as do so many on the planet."

For his role as Tony Soprano, Gandolfini won three Emmy Awards, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and one Golden Globe Award. His son, Michael Gandolfini, played a younger version of the character in the Sopranos prequel, The Many Saints of Newark.

David Chase's Gandolfini tribute

Several more of Gandolfini's old colleagues paid tribute to the star, including Sopranos creator David Chase, who wrote on Instagram:

"So many of them are gone already. It's so hard to believe. But his passing is the hardest to accept... I got to work with a full-fledged genius. And though we irritated each other plenty, the whole thing creating with James was some kind of great dream. Besides, it was so much fun.

"Getting him to read for the part was hard, but finally he came over to my garage and we put it on tape. He's somewhere in the universe now, and I miss him."