It is hard to imagine something more horrifying for a 13-year-old boy than finding his most
precious person in the world lying unconscious on the bathroom floor. Unfortunately, Michael
Gandolfini, the son of The Sopranos star James Gandolfini knows how it feels as he was the
one to discover the breathless body of his dad back in 2013.
That moment changed everything for young Michael, who watched the famous TV series featuring
his dad only after his passing. Michael had never planned to pursue acting, but when James
Gandolfini was gone, he turned his life around. And now, this autumn, the world will see The
Sopranos prequel featuring Michael Gandolfini as young Tony Soprano. Look at this boy: he
looks so much like his dad.
Before we tell you the chilling and powerful story of the young Gandolfini, subscribe to
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Gandolfini the father was known to be a camera-shy person, which is hard to believe minding his
brilliant portrayal of Tony Soprano, the Italian-American crime boss throughout six seasons.
The actor's stellar performance garnered extraordinary critical acclaims and widespread recognition,
with Tony still being cited as one of the greatest TV characters of all time.
Despite having a successful career, Gandolfini never wanted his only son Michael born in
2000 to follow his footsteps. Moreover, he would discourage his kid to do so. Michael,
who is now 20, recalled in one of his interviews:
"As I got older, he wanted me to play sports. I felt that burden. I wanted to make him proud.
And he said, 'Don't be an actor; be a director. They have the power.'"
It was the year 2013 when father and son were vacationing in Rome, having a great time together,
as they always did. Nothing foretold troubles but one night around 10pm the 13-year-old
reportedly found his dad collapsed in the bathroom of their hotel room. James was rushed
to the hospital, but nothing could be done already. The 51-year-old star died following
a heart attack, which was revealed later.
After suffering an unbearable loss Michael found consolation in acting.
"From the first day, I fell in love with it. It actually started my grieving process with
my dad."
In 2019, Gandolfini was cast in The Many Saints of Newark to play the young version of Tony
Soprano. It turned out, however, that Michael had never watched a minute of the original
TV series featuring his dad. But it was time to prepare for the role now. Hardly did the
young actor know how emotional it would be for him.
He told Esquire:
"It was an intense process. Because, as an actor, I had to watch this guy who created
the role, to look for mannerisms, voice, all those things I would have to echo. 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."
He also confessed there were two scenes that hit him especially hard, both involving Tony's
kids. The first one is his conversation with Meadow:
[…]
And there was another scene that according to Michael "crushed" him:
[…]
If we take a look at his Instagram account, we can clearly see that even after 7 years
without his dad, Michael confesses that not a day goes by without him missing his father.
"Thinking about our laughs, hugs, and jokes today. Thank you for being the best dad and
my hero. I miss you and I love you."
"I miss your laugh and I miss your smile, but I'm so lucky that I got to be your son.
I'm working hard to make you proud and I feel you beside me every step of the way."
Michael and father were really close and he obviously gets emotional as he speaks about
their special bond. He told Us Weekly in 2014 that his dad was the funniest person he had
ever met adding:
"When I think of my dad, the number one thing I think of is love. His huge arms. Big hands
hugging me. Putting his finger in my ear. He was hilarious. "
The Many Saints of Newark featuring Gandolfini as young Tony Soprano is set to premiere in
September 2020. It is also in September when James Gandolfini would have celebrated his
birthday. The world holds its breath to see how Michael, who has literally grown up to
be his dad's twin, has nailed the role. We are sure the 20-year-old will make his father
proud.