Michael Gandolfini had never watched his dad in ‘The Sopranos’ before auditioning for prequel

James Gandolfini brought to life one of the most iconic TV characters of all time — and made HBO appointment viewing on Sunday nights in the process — as New Jersey mafia don Tony Soprano for years on “The Sopranos.” But his son Michael, who is set to portray a young Tony Soprano in the upcoming David Chase film “The Many Saints of Newark,” had never seen the revered show before landing a role in the movie.

“The funny thing is, before the audition, I had never watched a minute of ‘The Sopranos,’” Gandolfini told Esquire in a new piece on Tuesday. “I was just a kid when he was making it. 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 younger Gandolfini was born in 2000 — during the second season of “The Sopranos.” James Gandolfini starred in the series from 1999 to 2007 as the ruthless, hard-partying, womanizing and chronically-depressed mob boss that also cracked jokes, fiercely loved his kids, grilled Italian sausages at family cookouts, and even showed a remarkable tenderness towards animals. He died while on vacation in Italy in 2013.

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