The 20-year-old will star in 'Sopranos' prequel 'The Many Saints of Newark'
For fans of 'The Sopranos', one of the most anticipated films of 2020 is 'The Many Saints of Newark'.
The film, directed by Alan Taylor ('Game of Thrones', 'Thor: The Dark War') and co-written by Sopranos creator David Chase, will focus on the early years of Tony Soprano.
As you may know, James Gandolfini's son Michael has been cast as the young Tony in the film - and now the 20-year-old has spoken about taking on the iconic role of his father's, who died in 2013 at the age of 51.
Speaking to Esquire, he said that he had never seen 'The Sopranos' before landing the role.
" I was just a kid when he was making it," he revealed. "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.”
He added: "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. I started having crazy dreams. I had one where I auditioned for David and I looked down at my hands, and they were my dad’s hands.”
Gandolfini also features in the forthcoming Season 3 of David Simon's 'The Deuce' - which he reveals was the first acting job he ever auditioned for.
'The Many Saints of Newark' will be released next year and also stars Vera Farmiga, Jon Bernthal, Ray Liotta and Corey Stoll.