Michael Gandolfini, son of the late actor James Gandolfini, recently revealed some heartbreaking experiences from his childhood. He explained what it was like growing up in the long shadow of his father’s celebrity. In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, the 25-year-old actor discussed playing a younger version of Tony Soprano to the titular Newark in the 2021 prequel film, The Many Saints of Newark. He opened up about how his father’s legacy motivated his career trajectory.
James Gandolfini, who portrayed the iconic mob boss Tony Soprano in the acclaimed HBO series The Sopranos, passed away from a heart attack in June 2013 at the age of 51. Michael confessed that up until that point, he had never seen an episode of The Sopranos. This was shocking, particularly in light of his father’s illustrious career. To him, it was incredibly important to get inside the mind of Tony Soprano. This understanding would allow him to powerfully develop the character as a true teenager.
While growing up, Michael often visited his father on the Sopranos set, where he would spend time in James’s trailer. He recalled, “When I’d visit him on the Sopranos set, I’d hang out in his trailer.” Yet he added that his parents were quite controlling, just allowing him to be a normal kid. “Being excluded on set drove me crazy. My parents were protective and wanted me to enjoy being a kid,” he added.
Michael told us that his entire family never fully acclimated to stardom. This special circumstance allowed him to play his role in the acting world without the burden of having to follow in his dad’s footsteps. He understood that James needed him to find out how to act in his own way. “From my father’s perspective, if I was going to follow him into the business, he wanted me to discover acting on my own,” he stated.
The younger Gandolfini has continued to build his career, appearing in projects such as Daredevil: Born Again. His interest in pursuing filmmaking was further fueled once he understood “the concept of filmmaking.” He attributes this sense to his childhood and the voyages he took with his father.
Back during the strike Michael was asked whether he thought a Sopranos prequel series was possible in a February interview with Entertainment Tonight. And the fact that there’s still an appetite for anything in the Sopranos universe. Since then, creator David Chase has been adamantly moving on. “Look, it’s David’s universe. It’s up to David, ultimately. I know that David’s working on some other things, not Sopranos related, which would be exciting,” he said.
As for Tony Soprano’s legacy, Michael believes that the character’s story may be complete. “I think Tony’s probably set to rest now for good,” he remarked, adding that “my guess would be, that character [has] now closed the book.”
Michael Gandolfini is making his own way into the entertainment world. In doing so, he honors the legacy of his father while exploring the complex figure that developed much of James’s career.