Video Interviews

Michael Gandolfini on “Sensitivity and Nerdiness” of Young Tony Soprano

The cast of prequel film The Many Saints of Newark talk upholding the legacy of the iconic series and reveal their gangster nicknames.

by | September 30, 2021 | Comments

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It’s been 14 years since HBO’s The Sopranos said farewell with a controversial fade to black, but the multiple Emmy-winning series still boasts a devoted fanbase, and it’s never absent from “Greatest TV Series of All Time” conversations. If you’ve been hungry for more, you’re in luck: The Many Saints of Newark adds a new chapter to the story of Tony Soprano, charting the future mob boss’s teenage years growing up amid widespread racial unrest.

Ahead of the film’s release, RT Editor Jacqueline Coley sat down with director Alan Taylor and stars Michael Gandolfini — who portrays his late father’s character in a genius stroke of casting — Alessandro Nivola, Leslie Odom Jr., Michela De Rossi, Ray Liotta, Billy Magnussen, and Corey Stoll to talk about upholding the legacy of the iconic series and working with ‘Sopranos’ creator David Chase.

Plus, Gandolfini talks about portraying his father’s character in a surprising new light, Taylor describes what he brought to the film from directing the series, and everyone reveals their mob nicknames (tune in to find out who calls himself “The Jackhammer” and who James Gandolfini himself dubbed “Cupcake”).

The Many Saints of Newark is in theaters and available on HBO Max from Friday October 1, 2021.


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