Remembering his late great father. Michael Gandolfini, the teenage son of late actor James Gandolfini, spoke with Us Weekly at a special screening of his dad’s final film, The Drop, in NYC on Monday, Sept. 8.
“It was really bittersweet,” the 14-year-old told Us of watching the film. “It was amazing to see him… the screen comes on, and I see him. I know he was happy — happy acting and happy in that moment… It was the last time he could be happy filming a movie, so it was very hard.”
As much as Gandolfini loved his career, he loved his family more. “When I think of my dad, the number one thing I think of is love,” Michael told Us. “His huge arms. Big hands hugging me. Putting his finger in my ear. He was hilarious. The funniest person I’ve ever met.”
Gandolfini suffered a heart attack and died in June 2013 in Rome, Italy, at the age of 51. Michael was the actor’s only child with first wife Marcy Wudarski. Gandolfini later remarried former model Deborah Lin in 2008, with whom he welcomed a baby girl named Liliana in October 2012.
“We’re all joined together,” Michael told Us of the Gandolfini brood. “It’s hard, but we’re all here for each other.”
In the late actor’s place, the cast of The Drop (Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, and Michael Aronov) has reached out to the Gandolfini family to show support and affection. “Every single person — Tom, Noomi, every single person on this cast — they see me and hug me and my mom,” Michael said. “They’ve included us so well and treated me with the utmost respect.”
Michael said his favorite moments with the stars are when they share memories of James. “They all have incredible things to say about my dad,” Michael told Us. “They’re great people, just amazing.”
