TONY SOPRANO
Father and son: Originally played by James Gandolfini (right) the leading role of the Italian American mob boss is being taken over by his son, Michael. James won’t see his son take on his famous role, as he died of a heart attack at the age of 51
SERIES: James Gandolfini
PREQUEL: Michael Gandolfini
Originally played by James Gandolfini, the leading role of the Italian American mob boss is being taken over by his son, Michael.
The 22-year-old followed in his father’s acting footsteps taking on small roles in Ocean’s Eight and HBO’s The Deuce last year. Tragically, James won’t see his son take on his famous role, as he died of a heart attack at the age of 51.
Michael prepared for the role by watching The Sopranos’ first season for the first time, learning his father’s many monologues for the audition.
LIVIA SOPRANO
Mother knows best: TTaking on the iconic role of Livia, the mother of Tony Soprano, is The Conjuring star Vera Farmiglia (left) it was a role originally played by Nancy Marchand (right)
SERIES: Nancy Marchand
PREQUEL: Vera Farmigli
Taking on the iconic role of Livia, the mother of Tony Soprano, is The Conjuring star Vera Farmiglia.
It’s a role close to creator David’s heart, as he’s admitted he based the character on his own mum, Norma Chase. He described her as being paranoid, sharp-tongued, abusive, and disregarding of her son’s career achievements.
The character is so iconic that in 2016, nine years after the series ended, Rolling Stone ranked her #3 of their 40 Greatest TV Villains of All Time’.
JANICE SOPRANO
Younger years: Tony’s sister Janice Soprano will be featured in the prequel played by 15-year-old Mattea Conforti who has met the role’s previous actress Aida Turturro (right) in real life
SERIES: Aida Turturro
PREQUEL: Mattea Conforti
Taking on the role of Janice – the elder sister of Tony – is 15-year-old Mattea Conforti, who has a tough role ahead of her as the original series already saw child actors take on the younger role in flashback scenes played by Madeline Blue and Juliet Fox.
Aida recently filmed a Cameo message for the grandfather of Mattea and recalled telling him: ‘I heard your eldest one is playing me — well, not me, the character Janice in the movie. I think I met her? Lovely, beautiful girl. Bravo to her.’
While Mattea may only be 15, she’s already landed a few big roles, notably in the TV series Power and as the voice of Young Elsa in Frozen II.
Johnny Boy Soprano
Room to play: As Tony’s father, Giovanni ‘Johnny Boy’ Soprano, only featured in flashbacks newcomer Jon Bernthal (left) has some room for interpretation in the role. In the series he was portrayed by Joseph Siravo
SERIES: Joseph Siravo
PREQUEL: Jon Bernthal
As Tony’s father, Giovanni ‘Johnny Boy’ Soprano, only featured in flashbacks and dream sequences in the original series, newcomer Jon Bernthal has some room for interpretation in the role.
The role will be an interesting one, however, as in the various times Johnny Boy popped up in the series it was clear that he had a tense and fractured relationship with Tony.
Jon has said that he was ‘grateful’ to be given the role. Telling EW: ‘I was enormously grateful to be able to do it alongside Mikey Gandolfini, and the personal journey that he’s on and what it meant for him and his father’.
Uncle Junior
Legendary: Tony’s uncle and the official boss of the DiMeo crime family will be making a return for the prequel with Corey Stoll (left) stepping into the role. He was originally played by Dominic Chianese (right)
SERIES: Dominic Chianese
PREQUEL: Corey Stoll
Tony’s uncle and the official boss of the DiMeo crime family – originally played by Dominic Chianese – will be making a return for the prequel. Although the character was portrayed in flashbacks by Rocco Sisto, the prequel will see Corey Stoll step into the role.
It will be interesting to see the younger dynamics between Junior and Tony, as the characters frequently butted heads in the series.
The character has a special place in creator David’s heart, who previously said: ‘I was always very satisfied with the stories about Junior, what Junior became and how it started. He was everybody’s favorite character to write.’
Paulie ‘Walnuts’ Gualtieri
Unpredictable! Taking on the role of Tony’s violent, impulsive, and paranoid chief henchmen Paulie ‘Walnuts’ Gualtieri is Billy Magnussen. The role was played by Tony Sirico in the series
SERIES: Tony Sirico
PREQUEL: Billy Magnussen
Taking on the role of Tony’s violent, impulsive, and paranoid chief henchmen Paulie ‘Walnuts’ Gualtieri is Billy Magnussen.
The unpredictable yet loyal henchman killed nine people in the series, the largest total of any character on the show, so it will be interesting to see when his murderous tendencies first began.
In the series, Tony originally auditioned for the role of Uncle Junior, but after Dominic landed the role he agreed to take on Gualtieri under the condition that his character would not ‘become a rat’.
WHO HAS YET TO BE NAMED?
Who are you? Ray Liotta has landed a role in The Many Saints of Newark, but his character has been kept tightly under wraps, as has actress Michela De Rossi playing an ‘ambitious’ Italian immigrant who comes to America to settle in New Jersey
Ray Liotta has landed a role in The Many Saints of Newark, but his character has been kept tightly under wraps. He was the first person to be cast in the prequel by creator David, who had previously considered the star for the part of Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos. The role ended up going to Joe Pantoliano.
Actor and screenwriter Nick Vallelonga has been cast in the prequel but his character is yet to be announced. Interestingly, his real life father, Tony Lip had a starring role in The Sopranos, playing crime boss Carmine Lupertazzi.
Italian actress Michela De Rossi has also landed a part in the prequel, playing an ‘ambitious’ Italian immigrant who comes to America to settle in New Jersey – her character has not been named.
Leslie Odom Jr. has been cast as a character named Harold McBrayer while Germar Terrell Gardner stars as Cyril, but no further information has been released on these roles.
Wait and see: Actor and screenwriter Nick Vallelonga (left) has been cast in the prequel but his character is yet to be announced. His real life father, Tony Lip (right) had a starring role in The Sopranos, playing crime boss Carmine Lupertazzi
Details incoming: Leslie Odom Jr. (left) has been cast as a character named Harold McBrayer while Germar Terrell Gardner (right) stars as Cyril, but no further information has been released on these roles