Michael Gandolfini Reflects on His Father’s Legacy in New Film

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Michael Gandolfini, the son of the late actor James Gandolfini, is carving his own path in Hollywood with his recent role in the film “Warfare.” In an interview published on Tuesday, the 25-year-old actor candidly discussed his upbringing and the influence of his father’s iconic role in “The Sopranos.”

Michael reminisced about visiting his father on the set of HBO’s groundbreaking series, sharing that he would often hang out in James’ trailer, where he had his own drawer full of toys. “My parents didn’t want me outside on set, exposed to the show’s violence and language,” he explained.

Despite the restrictions, Michael was drawn to the world of filmmaking from a young age. “Being excluded on set drove me crazy. My parents were protective and wanted me to enjoy being a kid. 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.

Michael revealed that creativity has always been a part of him. “I wasn’t into sports when I was really young. Lots of kids I knew played football or soccer. I just wanted to create imaginative worlds, act out stories I made up with friends, and tape them using my camcorder. Pretending was what calmed me,” he recounted.

Following the divorce of his parents, James Gandolfini and film producer Marcy Wudarski, the family remained close. Michael shared, “Friends of the family stepped in to help raise me when my dad was away, and I enjoyed being home alone. I could write plays and perform them for my dad later.”

At age 12, Michael and his mother moved to Los Angeles in search of a fresh start. “She loved L.A., and we wanted a change from the gray, cold weather,” he recalled. “We lived in Studio City and Encino, which visually reminded me of suburban New Jersey. In middle school, I started playing ice hockey and football.”

Tragedy struck just a year after their relocation when Michael’s father died of a heart attack in 2013 while in Italy. “When I was 13, my dad died of a heart attack at age 51. His death was a heavy blow,” Michael shared.

In 2021, Michael honored his father’s legacy by portraying a young Tony Soprano in the prequel film “The Many Saints of Newark.” Reflecting on the transformative role, he stated, “To play Tony as a teen, I had to get a full sense of him, but I’d never watched an episode of ‘The Sopranos.’ Going through the series to prep wasn’t like watching home movies. Tony was a role, and there were many layers to what my dad was doing with the character.”

During promotions for the prequel, Michael spoke about the absence of his father during his creative endeavors. “I had known there isn’t a world where I’m going to make my dad proud — because I can’t. I understand that. But I wanted to make David proud, and I wanted to make my fellow actors proud and learn as much as I can — that was a goal I could set,” he said.

In his recent interview, Michael described his father with fondness, calling him “goofy, incredibly humble, and sensitive.”