When it was announced that David Chase was returning to the world of “The Sopranos” for a new prequel film, “The Many Saints of Newark,” folks wondered who might play the younger version of Tony Soprano. Of course, when everyone found out that James Gandolfini’s son, Michael, had landed the role, ‘Sopranos’ fans breathed a sigh of relief. But according to Michael Gandolfini, the decision wasn’t nearly as simple as fans might have imagined.
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Speaking to Empire about his role in “The Many Saints of Newark,” Michael Gandolfini explained that taking on the role of Tony Soprano, famously portrayed by his father James Gandolfini in “The Sopranos,” was “probably the toughest decision I’ve ever had to make.” But when ‘Sopranos’ creator David Chase calls and offers a role like this, obviously the young Gandolfini said yes. But that took a special type of focus from the actor.
When talking about taking on the iconic role of Tony Soprano, Michael Gandolfini explained his mindset and why he had to focus on the work instead of trying to reckon with his own feelings about his father.
“You know, I didn’t want to put pressure on myself to walk out of this feeling like I’d grown in terms of my feelings towards my dad,” Gandolfini said. “I just wanted to be the best actor I could be, portraying Tony in the way David wanted, scene by scene. I didn’t think about my grief because… well, I would have shit the bed.”
He added, “My dad’s character had all this beautiful sensitivity underneath this aggression. This version of him is the reverse. His curiosity and sensitivity comes first. He’s not a gun-wielding gangster. He’s a kid who gets whittled down and pulled in.”
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Judging by the small bits in the trailer, it does seem as if Michael Gandolfini has really figured out how to play a young Tony Soprano without doing just an imitation of his father. Hopefully, ‘Many Saints’ is able to capture that same idea with “The Sopranos” and not just feel like a bit of a retread. We’ll find out when “The Many Saints of Newark” arrives on HBO Max and in theaters on October 1.
Empire also released a new image from the film:
