Born four months after ‘The Sopranos’ premiered, Michael Gandolfini grew up with an icon for a father – but he didn’t know the late James Gandolfini as the iconic mobster, Tony Soprano. He only knew him as ‘Dad.’ Though James and Michael’s mother, Marcy Wudarski, divorced when their son was only 3, James continued to be a presence in his son’s life. James advised Michael to not pursue an acting career, encouraging his son to get into sports or become a director instead, since they ‘have the power.’
Michael was, sadly, the one who discovered an unconscious James on the bathroom floor at the Boscolo Exedra Hotel in 2013. The Gandolfinis were in Rome, since James was to travel to Sicily to receive an award at the Taormina Film Fest. Michael called reception, who in turned summoned the paramedics. Sadly, it was too late. James had passed away from a heart attack.
Following his father’s death, Michael enrolled in New York University to pursue acting. His first big role came in 2018, portraying Joey Dwyer on ‘The Deuece.’ In 2021, he was tasked with playing a young Tony Soprano in the prequel film, ‘The Many Saints of Newark.’
