Michael Gandolfini’s Father James Sent Subjects of ‘Warfare’ Gifts After Their Injuries

• Michael Gandolfini met Navy SEALs who had once received watches as gifts from his late father, James Gandolfini, while working on the movie Warfare
• Warfare follows a group of Navy SEALS who get caught in a firefight with insurgents during the Iraq War; the movie is based on the real-life experiences of former Navy SEAL and co-director Ray Mendoza and other soldiers
• James, who died in 2013 at 51, worked with charitable organizations, like the Wounded Warrior Project, and produced documentaries about Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans to place attention on veteran’s affairs

Michael Gandolfini discovered a profound connection to his late father, James Gandolfini, while making his new movie, Warfare.

Michael, 25, told The Hollywood Reporter in an article published on Friday, April 11 that he learned during the Iraq war-set movie’s production that his father, James, who died in 2013 at 51, once sent watches as gifts to injured soldier who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan — and some of Warfare‘s real-life subjects were recipients of those gifts.

“Elliot actually got one of the watches,” Gandolfini told THR, referring to real-life Navy SEAL Elliott Miller, who was severely wounded in a firefight with insurgents in Iraq in November 2006. The events of that incident make up the majority of Warfare‘s plot, which depicts Miller and other SEALs, including co-director Ray Mendoza’s, memories of the incident to put the movie on the big screen.

“I didn’t know until Elliot showed me a picture of this watch, and Joe [Hildebrand, another Navy SEAL injured in the incident] came up and he’s like, ‘Your dad sent us watches when we were injured back in 2006,’ ” Michael said. “It was just so crazy to feel that connection to my dad again, and also a connection with [Elliot, Joe] and Ray.”

James was best known for portraying Tony Soprano on HBO’s The Sopranos. As THR noted, both Michael and James came from a family with a military background — both of Michael’s grandfathers served in the armed forces and James worked with the Wounded Warrior Project charity by visiting with active duty soldiers and sending them gifts.

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James produced two documentaries about veterans’ experiences at war and after returning home — 2007’s Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq and 2010’s Wartorn: 1861-2010.

Additionally, the Wounded Warrior Project itself commended James for his support in a statement issued at the time of James’ death in 2013, noting that “these public efforts were only part of his commitment; he gave so much more behind the scenes and for that we are forever grateful.” The charity even named an award after Gandolfini following his death, according to Variety.

While speaking with THR about Warfare, Michael recalled that he and other actors — the movie costars Will Poulter, D’Pharoah Woon-A-Tai, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Noah Centineo and Joseph Quinn, among others — felt a responsibility to accurately depict what happened to Miller, Mendoza and the other Navy SEALS caught in that 2006 firefight.

“It’s the first time that my job has ever had a real-life application: To show Elliot what happened to him,” he said. “I’m such an anxious person, and I feel like I have to be of service to someone or put my focus on someone else to get out of my own head. And that was this from the beginning.”

Warfare is in theaters now.