James Gandolfini’s son Michael was ‘the only one’ who should’ve played young Tony Soprano, says Jamie-Lynn Sigler

Jamie-Lynn Sigler said in a new interview with Insider that Michael Gandolfini was “the only one” that should have played a young Tony Soprano.

Michael is the son of late actor James Gandolfini, who famously played Tony on HBO’s “The Sopranos” and died in 2013 of a heart attack. Michael recently took on his father’s most iconic character in the “Sopranos” prequel film “The Many Saints of Newark,” which premiered last year.

“He was probably the only one that could have, or should have, played young Tony,” Sigler told Insider of Michael’s high-profile role during a recent interview about her new “Sopranos”-inspired Super Bowl ad for Chevrolet. “It was a beautiful thing that happened.”

“I’ve been a fan of Michael as a person for a very long time and it’s no surprise the talent that he possesses,” the actress, who costarred with the elder Gandolfini on “The Sopranos” as Tony’s daughter Meadow, added.

Sigler said that she’s “really excited to see where” Michael’s acting career goes.

“Because not only is he extremely talented, but he’s an exceptional human,” she said of the 22-year-old, who was recently cast in “Landscape with Invisible Hand,” Cory Finley’s movie adaptation of M.T. Anderson’s young adult novel of the same name.

Sigler’s “Sopranos” costar Steve Schirripa previously spoke about Michael’s resemblance to his late father in an interview with Insider last year.

“It’s uncanny,” Schirripa said. “He looked so much like his dad and he always has.”

And James’ widow, Deborah Lin, said that it was “almost surreal” seeing Michael as a young Tony.

“I know it took a lot of courage for him to take this role. It was very emotional,” Lin told Page Six last year. “But the whole family is just so proud of him. His father would be very proud.”