Michael Imperioli gets approached in public for more than just his Sopranos role.
“A lot of the younger people know me from White Lotus because that has a real strong younger audience,” Imperioli, 59, told Us Weekly exclusively while promoting his partnership with Sanpellegrino CIAO! “Especially younger women in their 20s and 30s.”
Imperioli played Dominic Di Grasso in the second season of The White Lotus, which aired in 2022. Of course, that’s not the only character people want to talk about. There are Sopranos fans in the mix too.
“In New York, because you’re on the street a lot, you’re around a lot of people,” he added. “On the subway, and here and there, quite a lot of people say hello.”
Related: ‘The Sopranos’ Cast: Where Are They Now?
During its six-season run, The Sopranos transformed television as we know it, earning its title as one of the greatest shows of all time. The HBO crime drama began in January 1999 with Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) reluctantly walking into the office of his new psychiatrist, Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco), after having a panic attack. […]
It’s been over two decades since Imperioli made his HBO debut as Christopher Moltisanti when The Sopranos premiered in 1999 — and he could have never imagined the popularity this show has all these years later.
“It’s a continual shock that this show has relevance to people who, maybe, weren’t even born when we first went on the air. It’s very rare in television or film,” Imperioli told Us. “Our culture right now, everything’s in the moment. Attention spans are short, stuff comes out, it’s gone, and it’s forgotten in weeks.”
The Sopranos, which aired for seven seasons from 1999 to 2007, lives on.
“It’s a testament to just how good the show was on every level,” he added. “Acting, writing, directing, filmmaking, production-wise. But it’s kind of a mystery at the same time.”
Imperioli also revealed to Us the Sopranos moment he’s most proud of when reflecting on the show.
“There’s an episode [in the sixth season] called ‘The Ride,’ where there’s this Italian American feast and Christopher’s high on heroin. There’s this Fred Neil song, ‘The Dolphins,’ playing and it’s very dreamy,” the actor recalled. “There’s something about that whole sequence. I liked what I did with it acting-wise. I have a soft spot for that episode and what the character went through there.”
While Christopher Moltisanti is in his past, Imperioli did get a chance to embody his Sopranos character once again with the help of former costar Steve Schirripa. The iconic duo (who previously hosted the “Talking Sopranos” podcast) teamed up with Sanpellegrino CIAO!, which is a new line of flavored sparkling water inspired by Italy’s zest for life.
“Sanpellegrino is a product that I’ve loved forever,” Imperioli told Us. “I also like the idea that Sanpellegrino water with fruit juice, and some Sicilian salt, is a great beverage.”
The collaboration became “perfect” for both Imperioli and Schirripa, 67, when they were able to “lean into our differences” and show off their close friendship in a five-minute ad.
“It’s a funny idea to have these two friends trying to be nice, and everyone has these preconceived ideas about them being dangerous people,” he added. “That was fun.”
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