Michael Gandolfini on his dad playing Tony Soprano for nine years: 'I’m exhausted after three months'

Michael Gandolfini has an entirely new respect for his father, the late James Gandolfini, and the commitment he had to his iconic role of Tony Soprano in The Sopranos.

"He so was not Tony," the 22-year-old actor, who will star as a young Tony Soprano in prequel film The Many Saints of Newark, told The New York Times. "The only insight that I think I gained was deep pride in him. I'm exhausted after three months — you did that for nine years?"

Michael was just 14 years old when James died of a heart attack in June 2013. He had never watched a single episode of The Sopranos until Many Saints came around, and he recently admitted to Empire that taking the opportunity was "probably the toughest decision I've ever had to make."

"The pressure is real," Gandolfini added to the NYT. "There's fear. But the second layer, that a lot of people don't think about, which was actually harder, is to play Tony Soprano. ... Not only was it the feeling of my dad — it was like, Tony Soprano is a [expletive] hard character."

Created by David Chase, Sopranos ran for six seasons from 1999 to 2007 to the tune of 21 Primetime Emmys, three of which went to James Gandolfini. The crime drama centered around Tony, a New Jersey mob boss, as he tries to navigate his dichotomous personal and professional lives.

The Many Saints of Newark, directed by Alan Taylor, explores Tony's upbringing in New Jersey as he's mentored by Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola), father to Sopranos central character Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli), and slowly drawn into a life of crime. The Newark race riots serve as the backdrop.

The film will simultaneously release in theaters and on HBO Max on Oct. 1. Watch the trailers below.