Michael Gandolfini Steps Into His Late Father's Shoes As Young Tony Soprano

Even though James Gandolfini is no longer with us, his legacy lives on through his son, Michael, who's stepping into his father's shoes in a big way. Michael, just 19 years old, has taken on the monumental task of portraying a younger version of Tony Soprano in the upcoming film "The Many Saints of Newark," a prequel to the iconic HBO series "The Sopranos." But here's the twist—Michael recently revealed that his late father wasn’t exactly thrilled about the idea of him following in his acting footsteps.

Speaking to Esquire, Michael shared the difficulty of making this decision. Despite his childhood love for performing—often acting out scenes from the musical "Wicked"—his dad had other plans for him. "It was a tough choice," Michael admitted. "Growing up, I dressed up as the Scarecrow almost every night, and my dad would videotape me singing. But as I got older, he wanted me to play sports. He felt that burden, too. He wanted me to be proud of myself. And he’d always say, ‘Don’t be an actor; be a director. They have the power.’"

How Michael Found His Way Back to Acting

Despite his father's wishes, Michael eventually found himself drawn back to acting, and the experience has been transformative, especially after losing his dad to a heart attack in 2013. "From the first day, I fell in love with it," Michael said. "It actually started my grieving process with my dad. It was like reconnecting with him in a way that felt real and personal."

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Walking in His Father's Footsteps

Here's the kicker: Michael wasn’t too familiar with "The Sopranos" before the audition. "The funny thing is, before the audition, I had never watched a minute of 'The Sopranos.' I was just a kid when he was making it," Michael told the outlet. "I would go to the set and ask him what it was about, and he’d say, 'Oh, it’s about this guy who’s in the mob and kind of goes to therapy.' The hardest part of this whole process was watching the show for the first time." Watching his father's iconic performances was both inspiring and challenging. "It was an intense process. As an actor, I had to watch this guy who created the role, looking for mannerisms, voice, all those things I would have to echo," he continued. "But then I’d also be seeing my father. I think what made it so hard was I had to do it alone. I was just sitting alone in my dark apartment, watching my dad all the time."