James Gandolfini's Son Is All Grown Up & Looks Just Like His Dad

Jul 06, 2021

James Gandolfini was a New Jersey-born actor who is most well-known for his role as Tony Soprano on the HBO series "The Sopranos," which is regarded as one of the greatest shows in television history. He won many accolades for the role as well, including three Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and one Golden Globe.

James is also remembered for his film roles, such as playing henchman Virgil in "True Romance," Lt. Bobby Dougherty in "Crimson Tide" and Colonel Winter in the movie "The Last Castle." He also excelled in the comedy "Get Shirty," where he portrayed enforcer and stuntman Bear. The actor received critical praise for the 2013 film "Enough Said" after his passing the same year. He posthumously received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for playing the role of Albert.

In 2007, James produced a documentary called "Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq." In the film, he interviewed veterans from the Iraq War. In 2010, he produced another documentary, this time focusing on the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on soldiers and their families. It was titled "Wartorn: 1861–2010."

James passed away while on vacation in Italy with his family. His son, Michael, who was 14 at the time, found his father unconscious on the floor of their hotel room. Reports after his death said the actor passed away from cardiac arrest and that doctors had tried to resuscitate James for 40 minutes when he arrived at the hospital before he was pronounced dead.  

Michael is all grown up now and pursuing a career as an actor, like his father. Keep reading to learn more about James' life and what his son Michael is up to now.

James was born in Westwood, New Jersey, on September 18, 1961. His mother was Santa Penna, and she was born in the United States but was raised in Naples. The actor's father was James Gandolfini Sr. and he was from Borgo Val di Taro, in Northeastern Italy. James Sr. earned a Purple Heart from serving in World War II, and his father's experience impacted the actor's decision to produce war documentaries later on in life.

James' parents spoke Italian at home, and his strong identity as an Italian-American drove him to visit Italy many times later in life. The star grew up in Park Ridge, New Jersey, and attended Park Ridge High School. While in school, James played many sports and performed in plays. 

In 2004, James gave a rare interview to New Jersey Monthly, where he spoke about his career and personal life. When recalling his time as a child, James said he had "normal kid memories. My father coached a baseball team and wouldn't play me. He told me I stunk. Now he tells me we all stunk. And I remember my mother was always prodding my father to let me play." 

James continued, "I went to the Jersey Shore with my family, to our house in Lavallette. We had what seemed like a palace there. Playing football in high school, driving down the Parkway to the Jersey Shore, chasing girls at Rutgers, and hanging out with my college friends, who I still see." The actor always went back to visit the town he grew up in after he became a star. 

In 1983, James graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor's degree in communications. He worked as a bouncer at an on-campus pub and moved to New York City after graduating. While in New York, he worked as a bartender and bouncer and eventually opened up his own business. 

"My major was English literature and communications, but I didn't have a clue, so I moved to New York. I managed nightclubs; I started at a club called Private Eyes on 24th Street. I saw a lot of different kinds of people doing a lot of different kinds of things. It was an interesting learning experience," James shared with New Jersey Monthly. Living in the city also exposed James to acting, and he quickly fell in love with it.

When asked when he considered becoming an actor, James answered, "I guess I thought about it seriously after college. I was about 24 years old. A friend of mine was doing a class, and I thought it was interesting. But nobody in my family had ever really done anything like that. I thought it was pretty silly, but I really liked the class. So I went back and kind of got hooked into it." 

James attended his friend Roger Bart's Meisner technique acting class and then studied for two years at The Gately Poole Conservatory under Kathryn Gately. The star said in the same interview that he came from a blue-collar family, so acting wasn't exactly encouraged as a career choice for him. However, James had incredible talent, and soon, his career began to pick up.

James recalled his family's reaction when he first became an actor. He said:

"My parents laughed at me. At one point when things were starting to happen, I was thinking about changing my name, so I asked my family. We talked about it, and I got up to go to the bathroom or something, and my sister and my mother were hysterically laughing. They were saying, 'Who the hell does he think he is? He thinks he's going to have to change his name.'"

Despite his differences from his family members, they all remained incredibly close throughout his life. "My family is a good family. They keep me in line. They have kind hearts. We're like any family though—we have our idiosyncrasies. But I would never be afraid to bring anyone home to them. I think that they would back me up on anything I ever did. That is really all you can ask for in a family," James said to New Jersey Monthly. 

A Career Cut Short

Before starring in any TV or film productions, James appeared in Broadway plays. "My first really big break was when I got hired for a Broadway play—without an agent. Some friends of mine knew the casting director, and I got the job. That was 'A Streetcar Named Desire.' Most of my first roles were parts in original plays that most people would not recognize," he explained.

James described the differences between film and the stage, saying, "Stage acting is about two hours of concentration, and the concentration is intense. Film acting is concentration in little snippets all throughout the day. After a day of film, you're exhausted. That is why 95 percent of the time after a play, everyone goes out to eat or do something. After a film, everybody goes home."

When asked which film project he was most nervous for, James responded:

"'Get Shorty,' because I didn't know what to do with the character, and at the time, I didn't have any experience to be able to fix it. When I opened my mouth, a Southern accent came out. To this day, I don't know why."

The actor said his favorite roles to play were, "My characters in 'True Romance' or 'A Civil Action,' or maybe Mitch in Streetcar. Obviously, I love Tony Soprano—that goes without saying—because the writing is so good. He's from Jersey. How hard is that?"

Speaking about Tony Soprano, James did not mind that it was the defining character of his career. He loved the show and thought the writing was perfect. The interviewer asked James if he enjoyed Tony's scenes with his therapist, and he responded, "I think those scenes made the show. They were kind of like the ancient Greek chorus, which allowed the audience to experience what the character was experiencing. I think these scenes let you into Tony's head, bringing him a little closer to the audience."

Some people said that playing Soprano for so long may have stunted James' career. James told New Jersey Monthly:

"On one level, I am typecast because this show is so popular, so in-everybody's-face. I'll make a conscious effort after this is over to take other roles. I can't keep doing Mafia roles. That would be idiotic. If you do character after character of dark people, I think eventually it might begin to bug you. So am I typecast? In a way, well, yeah. I'm 260 pounds and look a certain way. I'm not going to play Tinkerbell."

During his career, James rarely agreed to do interviews. He explained, "I don't really want to say anything about me. That's why I don't do a lot of interviews, particularly on television. A lot of young actors get interviewed and go on television, and it makes them start to think that they are important. And we're not, not anymore than anybody else."

Near the end of his life, James took more roles that children could enjoy since his son was too young to watch "The Sopranos." James said, "I think having a son, I don't want to go to those places as much, you know what I mean? You want to play different types of characters that your son could see." In 2009, James starred in the film adaptation of "Where the Wild Things Are."

Michael Gandolfini Today

Michael was born in 1999, and his mother is James' first wife, Marcy Wudarski. When his father was alive, he expressed that he did not want his son to pursue acting. Michael opened up to ET about his decision to become an actor anyway: "Yeah, it was a difficult decision. 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.'"

Michael's first major production was appearing in a small role in the film "Oceans 8." Now, he is set to star in a new film that is about the life of a young Tony Soprano called "The Many Saints of Newark." Michael will be reprising his father's role of Tony, which is perfect because he looks so much like his dad.

Michael booked the role before he even had a chance to watch the original show. He said, "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 hardest part of this whole process was watching the show for the first time."

The young actor described the task, saying, "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."

Michael said there were moments during the show when he knew his father was thinking of him as he acted. "There's a scene where Meadow comes home late at night, and he's sitting with a drink, and he's like, 'You know I love you, right?' That hit hard. The other one that crushed me was when he yells at AJ, and he gets a pizza to apologize, and he sits by his son's bed and says, 'I couldn't ask for a better son.' I just knew he was talking to me in that scene," Michael shared.

The film is set to be released in late 2021. Michael told Deadline, "It's a profound honor to continue my dad's legacy while stepping into the shoes of a young Tony Soprano. I'm thrilled that I'm going to have the opportunity to work with David Chase and the incredible company of talent he has assembled."

James Gandolfini never wanted his son to be an actor, but we think he would be proud of what Michael has accomplished. Are you a fan of James' work? Which one of Gandolfini's films is your favorite? Can you see the resemblance between the father and son? Let us know your opinion, and be sure to pass this story along to your friends and family.