David Chase’s “The Many Saints of Newark” has been making the buzz for months now, not only because it’s a prequel film for “The Sopranos”, but also because he plays Michael Gandolfini in the role made emblematic by his late father, James Gandolfini. Michael stars in “Many Saints” as a young Tony Soprano, an idealistic teenager whose worldview is shaped by his relationship with his mafia uncle Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola). In a new interview with Empire magazine, Michael called accepting the role of Tony Soprano from his late father as “the most difficult decision I have ever had to make.”

“You know, I didn’t want to put pressure on myself to come out of that feeling like I grew up in terms of feelings towards my dad,” Michael said. “I just wanted to be the best actor I could be, portraying Tony the way David wanted him, scene by scene. I didn’t think about my grief because… well, I would have shit the bed.

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Michael continued, “My father’s character had all this beautiful sensitivity under that aggression. This version of him is the other way around. His curiosity and sensitivity comes first. He’s not an armed gangster. kid getting chopped down and locked up.

Young Gandolfini’s experience of slipping into his late father’s iconic character could be best summed up by “Many Saints” director Alan Taylor, a veteran of “The Sopranos” who won an Achievement Emmy for his work. on the HBO drama.

“We all had dinner one night,” Taylor told Empire. “At one point, [Michael] stood up and said, “I want to thank everyone for doing this because it was a chance to say hello to my dad… and goodbye again.” There was not a dry eye in the house.

Michael previously revealed that he started watching “The Sopranos” for the first time to prepare for his Tony Soprano audition. The actor told Vanity Fair: “It was really hard watching my dad. I recorded four hours of his monologues with [Dr.] Melfi and I walked around New York with them constantly, constantly, constantly playing in my ear.

The story continues

Warner Bros. opens “The Many Saints of Newark” in theaters October 1. The film will be available to stream exclusively on HBO Max for 31 days from its theatrical release.

Launch gallery: Guide “The Many Saints of Newark”: 17 details to know about the previous film “The Sopranos”

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David Chase’s “The Many Saints of Newark” has been making the buzz for months now, not only because it’s a prequel film for “The Sopranos”, but also because he plays Michael Gandolfini in the role made emblematic by his late father, James Gandolfini. Michael stars in “Many Saints” as a young Tony Soprano, an idealistic teenager whose worldview is shaped by his relationship with his mafia uncle Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola). In a new interview with Empire magazine, Michael called accepting the role of Tony Soprano from his late father as “the most difficult decision I have ever had to make.”

“You know, I didn’t want to put pressure on myself to come out of that feeling like I grew up in terms of feelings towards my dad,” Michael said. “I just wanted to be the best actor I could be, portraying Tony the way David wanted him, scene by scene. I didn’t think about my grief because… well, I would have shit the bed.

More IndieWire

Michael continued, “My father’s character had all this beautiful sensitivity under that aggression. This version of him is the other way around. His curiosity and sensitivity comes first. He’s not an armed gangster. kid getting chopped down and locked up.

Young Gandolfini’s experience of slipping into his late father’s iconic character might be best summed up by “Many Saints” director Alan Taylor, a veteran of “The Sopranos” who won an Emmy for Achievement for his work. on the HBO drama.

“We all had dinner one night,” Taylor told Empire. “At one point, [Michael] stood up and said, “I want to thank everyone for doing this because it was a chance to say hello to my dad… and goodbye again.” There was not a dry eye in the house.

Michael previously revealed that he started watching “The Sopranos” for the first time to prepare for his Tony Soprano audition. The actor told Vanity Fair: “It was really hard watching my dad. I recorded four hours of his monologues with [Dr.] Melfi and I walked around New York with them constantly, constantly, constantly playing in my ear.

The story continues

Warner Bros. opens “The Many Saints of Newark” in theaters October 1. The film will be available to stream exclusively on HBO Max for 31 days from its theatrical release.

Launch gallery: Guide “The Many Saints of Newark”: 17 details to know about the previous film “The Sopranos”

The best of IndieWire

Sign up for the Indiewire newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.