Michael Gandolfini never watched 'The Sopranos' before filming prequel

The son of late actor James Gandolfini is taking over the role of Tony Soprano in the new prequel to The Sopranos.

The Many Saints of Newark follows a young Tony Soprano and the man who heavily influenced the mobster he would grow up to be. It’s also written by the creator of The Sopranos himself, David Chase.

Michael Gandolfini sat down with FOX 32 Entertainment Reporter Jake Hamilton and spoke about the difference between his father and the iconic television mob boss.

DOWNLOAD THE FOX 32 CHICAGO APP FOR BREAKING NEWS ALERTS

"Tony Soprano, to me, was my dad in a robe in his trailer eating food and joking around," Michael Gandolfini said. "I really never saw anything that was Tony Soprano. That’s what was one of the great parts of watching it for the first time was meeting Tony Soprano through the show and falling in love with him through the script and falling in love with Tony through the show."

"I got to fall in love with the physical manifestation of my dad but it wasn’t my dad. I love Tony but I never met him before watching the show."

The Many Saints of Newark hits theaters and starts streaming on HBO Max on October 1.