James Gandolfini Didn’t Want Son Michael Gandolfini to Become an Actor
James Gandolfini is best known for his work in the iconic TV series The Sopranos, a show that many believe is one of the greatest TV shows of all time. An accomplished film actor as well, with numerous awards to his credit, Gandolfini enjoyed not only great renown but a lot of fan affection as well. At home, he was a devoted father to two children – including his son, Michael Gandolfini. Although the younger Gandolfini is enjoying a steady rise to the top in Hollywood, the young man opened up to Esquire in 2019, revealing that his late father never wanted him to become an actor.
James Gandolfini unexpectedly died in 2013
James Gandolfini started acting in the early 1990s, appearing in various stage productions all while working odd jobs. By the late 1990s, Gandolfini had become an established character actor. He landed his big breakout role in 1999 – and as Tony Soprano, Gandolfini’s work in The Sopranos received great critical acclaim. Gandolfini won several Emmy Awards and five Screen Actors Guild Awards for his acting throughout the series run.
Even after The Sopranos went off the air in 2007, Gandolfini enjoyed a healthy acting career, appearing in movies like The Taking of Pelham 123 and Where the Wild Things Are. Sadly, Gandolfini died at 51 in 2013 from a heart attack. The actor left behind not only a legion of devoted fans but a family as well – including two children. At the time of the actor’s passing, Gandolfini’s son Michael was only 14 years old.
What did James Gandolfini tell his son about acting?
After James Gandolfini’s death in 2013, Michael Gandolfini was living life out of the spotlight. However, in recent years, the young man has decided to pursue an acting career. While the younger Gandolfini had a natural path into the entertainment business, he recently admitted that his father didn’t love the idea of his son going into acting. As Gandolfini told Esquire in 2019, “I dressed up as the Scarecrow almost every night, and my dad would videotape me singing. 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.'”
However, after Gandolfini passed, Michael realized that acting helped provide him with an outlet for his grief. “From the first day, I fell in love with it,” he said. “It actually started my grieving process with my dad.” He made his acting debut in the 2018 film Ocean’s 8, following up that role with one in the film Cherry. He landed his biggest part to date in the 2021 movie The Many Saints of Newark – playing a young Tony Soprano, the role originated by his father.
Michael Gandolfini has embarked on a successful acting career of his own
Michael Gandolfini is a dead ringer for his late father, and that resemblance worked to his advantage in The Many Saints of Newark. Actor Steve Schirripa praised the young actor, with Insider reporting that he said, “It’s uncanny. He looked so much like his dad and he always has.” To tackle the role of young Tony, Gandolfini prepped by watching the entire Sopranos series – a show that he had never watched before due to how young he was when his father was filming it.
“So in many ways it was really fun to watch him explore this complete character. But there are scenes that are very tough. Anything with his kids (is) tough, of course,” Gandolfini said in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning. Still, Gandolfini was able to make the character his own, proving that he has the same natural acting talent that his late father was blessed with.
