Michael Imperioli

Michael Imperioli
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Name	Michael Imperioli
Caption	Imperioli in 2019
Birth date	26 March 1966
Birth place	Mount Vernon, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, writer, director, musician
Years active	1985–present
Spouse	Victoria Chlebowski, 1995

Michael Imperioli is an American actor, writer, and director best known for his portrayal of Christopher Moltisanti on the acclaimed HBO television series The Sopranos. For this role, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2004 and was nominated five other times. Imperioli has built a diverse career spanning film, television, and theatre, often collaborating with director Spike Lee and appearing in notable projects like Goodfellas, Jungle Fever, and The Last Full Measure. He is also a published playwright and the frontman for the band Zopa.

Early life and education

Michael Imperioli was born in Mount Vernon, New York, to Dan and Claire Imperioli, a homemaker and a school bus driver, respectively, and was raised in an Italian-American family in The Bronx. He developed an interest in acting during his teenage years, attending Stella Adler Studio of Acting and the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute to study his craft. Imperioli graduated from Mount Saint Michael Academy in the Bronx before fully pursuing a career in the performing arts, initially performing in Off-Off-Broadway productions throughout New York City.

Career

Imperioli's film career began with small roles in the late 1980s, but his breakthrough came with a memorable part as Spider in Martin Scorsese's gangster film Goodfellas. He soon became a frequent collaborator with Spike Lee, appearing in films such as Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, and Clockers. His television career escalated with his role on The Sopranos, where he also served as a writer for several episodes. Post-Sopranos, he starred as Detective Louis Fitch on Law & Order and had leading roles in series like Life on Mars and Detroit 1-8-7. He co-created, wrote, and starred in the ABC drama The Whole Truth and later played a recurring role on Californication. In 2023, he joined the main cast of the second season of the HBO series The White Lotus, set in Sicily.

Personal life

Imperioli married Victoria Chlebowski, a costume designer, in 1995, and they have three children. The family resides in Manhattan and also owns a home in Sicily. A practicing Buddhist, Imperioli took refuge with Lama Surya Das in 2008. He is an avid supporter of the New York Yankees and has been politically active, endorsing Bernie Sanders during the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries. In 2023, Imperioli made headlines when he humorously banned certain individuals from watching his work following a Supreme Court ruling.

Filmography

A selective list of Imperioli's notable film and television work includes his early role in Goodfellas (1990), followed by performances in Jungle Fever (1991), Bad Boys (1995), and The Last Full Measure (2019). His defining television role was on The Sopranos (1999–2007). Other significant TV credits include Law & Order (2008–2009), Life on Mars (2008–2009), and a starring role in the HBO miniseries The White Lotus (2023). He has also directed episodes of television, including for the series Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

Awards and nominations

For his work on The Sopranos, Imperioli received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2004. He earned five additional Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the same role. His performance also garnered him three Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, which the cast won in 2000 and 2008. He has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film and several Online Film & Television Association awards.

Stage work

Imperioli has maintained a strong connection to theatre, both as a playwright and an actor. His play Livin' La Vida Imparati was produced in New York City in 1995. He wrote and starred in The Last Iphigenia and The Paper Hat, the latter presented at the Cherry Lane Theatre. As an actor, his stage credits include performances in The Bacchae at the Public Theater and a 2009 production of The Motherfucker with the Hat at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Category:American male television actors Category:American film actors Category:American Buddhists Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners