Michael Imperioli
Michael Imperioli is an accomplished Emmy Award-winning actor, recognized primarily for his role as Christopher Moltisanti in the critically acclaimed HBO series "The Sopranos," which aired from 1999 to 2007. Born on March 26, 1966, in Mount Vernon, New York, to Italian American parents, Imperioli pursued acting at a young age, moving to Manhattan after high school to follow his passion. His career began in film with notable performances in Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas" and Spike Lee's "Clockers," both of which showcased his talent in dramatic roles.
Throughout his career, Imperioli has appeared in various television shows and films, including "Law & Order," "Californication," and the recent series "The White Lotus." In addition to acting, he has contributed to the industry as a writer and director, notably with his feature film "The Hungry Ghosts." Imperioli is also actively involved in the arts community, cofounding the off-Broadway theater Studio Dante and supporting jazz initiatives. He resides in New York City with his wife, Victoria Chlebowski, and their three children. Michael Imperioli's multifaceted career continues to influence contemporary cinema and television.
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Subject Terms
Michael Imperioli
Actor
- Born: March 26, 1966
- Place of Birth: Mount Vernon, New York
Contribution: Michael Imperioli is an Emmy Award–winning actor best known for his roles in Goodfellas (1990), Clockers (1995), and The Sopranos (1999–2007).
Background
James Michael Imperioli was born on March 26, 1966, in Mount Vernon, New York, to working-class Italian American parents. His father, Dan Imperioli, was a bus driver as well as an amateur actor. Imperioli has one brother, John.
Imperioli graduated from Brewster High School in Putnam County, New York. His family planned for him to continue his education at college, but the night before he was supposed to leave for school, Imperioli told his parents that he wanted to move to Manhattan to pursue an acting career instead. After moving to Manhattan, Imperioli studied acting and supported himself by working numerous odd jobs, including stints as a furniture mover, a bartender, and a waiter.
Career
In 1989, at the age of twenty-three, Imperioli made his professional debut in the drama Lean on Me. The film follows an inner-city principal, played by Morgan Freeman, who implements drastic changes to improve a crumbling high school. Imperioli plays George, a hoodlum who, along with many other reprobates, is expelled from the school by Freeman’s character. The following year, Imperioli appeared in a small but memorable role in the gangster drama Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese. Imperioli’s character, Spider, is a low-level errand boy who is shot in the foot by a sadistic gangster played by Joe Pesci.
Imperioli next played a small part in the drama Jungle Fever (1991), directed by Spike Lee. The two went on to work together on several films, including Malcolm X (1992), Clockers (1995), and Girl 6 (1996). Lee and Imperioli later collaborated on the screenplay for Summer of Sam (1999), a period piece set during the summer of 1977. The film, for which Imperioli also served as a producer, tells interconnected stories that take place at the time of the spree killings perpetrated by David Berkowitz, known popularly as the Son of Sam. During the mid-1990s, Imperioli also appeared in the dramas Dead Presidents (1995) and The Basketball Diaries (1995) as well as the independent film Trees Lounge (1996).
In January 1999, the dramatic television series The Sopranos premiered on the premium cable channel HBO. Throughout the series, Imperioli plays Christopher Moltisanti, a mobster struggling with addiction and trying to find his place in the criminal organization headed by mob boss Tony Soprano, played by James Gandolfini. The highly acclaimed show ultimately ran for six seasons between 1999 and 2007.
Imperioli received many accolades for his performance. He was nominated for an Emmy Award five times and in 2004 won the award for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series. He was also nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for best performance by an actor in a supporting role, and the ensemble cast of The Sopranos was nominated for seven Screen Actors Guild Awards, winning the award in 2000 and 2008. Imperioli also wrote five episodes of the series.
During the run of The Sopranos, Imperioli also worked on other acting projects, including voice-acting work for the 2004 animated film Shark Tale and a 2006 episode of the long-running television comedy The Simpsons. In 2005 and 2006, Imperioli appeared in five episodes of the hit series Law & Order, playing the recurring role of Detective Nick Falco; he had previously appeared as a different character in a 1996 episode of the procedural drama.
Following the end of The Sopranos, Imperioli directed his first feature film, the 2009 drama The Hungry Ghosts, which he also wrote. He continued to act as well, starring in two short-lived television programs. Imperioli played arrogant detective Ray Carling in the science-fiction crime drama Life on Mars (2008–9) and went on to secure a lead role in the police procedural Detroit 1-8-7 (2010–11), playing Louis Fitch, a detective with a troubled past. After the cancellation of Detroit 1-8-7, Imperioli appeared in several television movies as well as the 2013 thriller film The Call.
Imperioli took on numerous film and television projects during the mid-to-late 2010s. In 2014, he starred in the horror film Foreclosure,in the dramedy film The M Word, and in the television movie Saint Francis. That same year he appeared in eleven episodes of the television series Californication and played the role of Michael Todd in Cantinflas, a biopic about Mexican comedy film star Mario Moreno Cantinflas. Over the next few years he in appeared in the mob drama The Wannabe (2015), the television series Mad Dogs (2015–16), Hawaii Five-0 (2015–18), Blue Bloods (2016), Lucifer (2016–17), and Alex, Inc. (2018). He starred in and produced the 2018 feature film Cabaret Maxime, directed by Bruno de Almeida. In the film he plays Bennie Gazza, a cabaret owner who is trying to hang onto his club despite pressure to sell it as the neighborhood gentrifies. That same year, he portrayed New York governor Andrew Cuomo in the television miniseries Escape at Dannemora. Imperioli's projects in 2019 included a part the television series Project Blue Book and the role of attorney Paul Freed in the action feature Primal.
In 2022, Imperioloi took on the role of Dominic Di Grasso for the television series The White Lotus (2022). He then played Malcom in the film Oh Canada (2024).
Impact
Along with his fellow Sopranos cast members, Imperioli played a significant role in the success of the series. A supporter of the arts, Imperioli cofounded the off-Broadway theater Studio Dante, which hosted productions by emerging playwrights for several years before closing in 2008. He is a member of the Jazz Foundation of America’s advisory board and cohosted a 2009 benefit concert to celebrate the foundation’s twentieth anniversary.
Personal Life
Imperioli married Victoria Chlebowski in 1995. They have three children and reside in New York City.
Bibliography
Harrington, Douglas. “Michael Imperioli, The Sopranos Actor Seeks Enlightenment through Buddhism.” Hamptons.com. Hamptons Online, 31 Dec. 2009. Web. 2 July 2013.
Harris, Will. “A Chat with Michael Imperioli.” Bullz-Eye. Black Mountain, 7 Apr. 2011. Web. 2 July 2013.
Lee, Felicia R. “A New York Actor Moves On by Going Back to 1973.” New York Times 30 October 2008, New York ed.: C1. Print.
Leigh, Danny. “The King of New York.” Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 18 June 2001. Web. 2 July 2013.
McDermott, Tricia. “Michael Imperioli’s Mob Scene.” CBS News. CBS Interactive, 11 Feb. 2009. Web. 2 July 2013.
"Michael Imperioli." Internet Movie Database, 2024, www.imdb.com/name/nm0408284/. Accessed 24 Sept. 2024.