Michael Gandolfini has revealed that taking over his late father’s iconic Sopranos role, mob boss Tony Soprano, in The Many Saints of Newark was one of the “toughest decisions” of his life.

Co-written and produced by the original Sopranos creator David Chase, and directed by Alan Taylor, the upcoming prequel will arrive 14 years after the ambiguous series finale. If the resurrection of such an iconic show wasn’t enough of a draw, the film also casts James Gandolfini’s son as a younger version of his character, documenting his induction into a life of crime amid the 1967 Newark riots.

Discussing the complex emotions involved in accepting the role, Michael Gandolfini says it was “probably the toughest decision (he’s) ever had to make”. Speaking to Empire, he adds: “I didn’t want to put pressure on myself to walk out of this feeling like I’d grown in terms of my feelings towards my dad.”

“I just wanted to be the best actor I could be, portraying Tony in the way David wanted, scene by scene. I didn’t think about my grief because… well, I would have shit the bed.”

The actor also goes into some of the differences between his and his dad’s respective portrayals of Tony Soprano, at different stages of the mobster’s life. “My dad’s character had all this beautiful sensitivity underneath this aggression,” he explains. The Many Saints of Newark version, however, “is the reverse”. 

“His curiosity and sensitivity comes first. He’s not a gun-wielding gangster. He’s a kid who gets whittled down and pulled in.”

Michael Gandolfini also spoke out about playing Tony Soprano earlier this year, revealing in an interview that he’d never seen The Sopranos before he was cast in the role. “My dad didn’t want me to see Tony Soprano – the violence, the angry, the mean,” he said. “Of course I was on set and would visit him in his trailer, but I had never watched the show… I never knew Tony Soprano. I only knew my dad.”

The Many Saints of Newark is scheduled to hit UK cinemas on September 22. A US release will follow on October 1. Revisit the trailer below.