Michael Imperioli

Michael Imperioli (Italian: [impeˈrjɔːli] ; born March 26, 1966) [1] is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti in the HBO crime drama series The Sopranos (1999–2007), which earned him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2004. In the early part of his career, Imperioli played the role of Spider in Goodfellas (1990). He went on to play many supporting roles in films such as Jungle Fever (1991), Bad Boys (1995), The Basketball Diaries (1995), Shark Tale (2004), The Lovely Bones (2009), and most recently, One Night in Miami (2020) and Song Sung Blue (2025). He also co-wrote the screenplay for Summer of Sam (1999) with Spike Lee , and wrote five episodes of The Sopranos . He made his directorial feature film debut with The Hungry Ghosts (2008), which he also wrote. For his role as Dominic Di Grasso in the second season of The White Lotus (2022), Imperioli was nominated again for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. On stage, he made his Broadway debut in the revival of the Henrik Ibsen play An Enemy of the People (2024). PICTURE: By PhilipRomanoPhoto - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=178223633

On this week’s Talkhouse Podcast, we’ve got an interesting pairing—two guys that hadn’t met before, and who come from different parts of the arts world, and who are both pretty damn great at their jobs. It’s Bill Callahan and Michael Imperioli. Bill Callahan made music under the name Smog for about 15 years, releasing an incredible catalog of gorgeous, mostly minimal, often wandering songs delivered in his unmistakable baritone. He’s one of the most profound lyricists of the past 30 years, crafting careful little worlds that are often funny and heartbreaking at the same time. In 2005, he dropped the Smog moniker and started releasing records under his own name, but there’s no obvious break in the continuity. It’s a fantastic body of work and you can start almost anywhere: I’d recommend 1999’s Knock Knock as an entry point, or maybe 2007’s A River Ain’t Too Much Too Love , which comes up in this chat. But you could just as easily jump in with Callahan’s fantastic new one, My Days of 58 , which was finished after a scary cancer battle. In spite of that—or maybe because of it—it’s one of Callahan’s most relaxed and charming ever. Check out “Why Do Men Sing” right here . Today’s other guest is instantly recognizable to fans of The Sopranos as Christopher Moltisanti, the tragic character that surely wouldn’t have been nearly as indelible without Michael Imperioli’s genius-level portrayal. You’ve seen him in a million other things, too, from Goodfellas to Summer of Sam —which he also co-wrote—to The White Lotus . What perhaps you didn’t know about Imperioli is that he’s also a musician. He’s the singer/guitarist in a band called ZOPA, which plays catchy, straight-ahead rock that sounds deeply rooted in New York City, which Imperioli still calls home. He also wrote a novel, which comes up in this chat with Callahan, and he’s a practicing Buddhist, another topic of conversation. Even though Callahan and Imperioli didn’t know each other, they were clearly fans of each other’s work. In this chill chat, Michael tells Bill about the exact moment he first heard one of his songs. They also get into Bill’s health scare and how it inspired his new record, Michael’s kids and what they’re up to, and there’s a lot of talk about Lou Reed—a guy that inspired them both. Enjoy. 0:00 — Intro 2:35 — Living in Austin & New York 3:34 — On Bill’s new record and discovering Smog’s past work 5:03 — On birthdays and the Chinese Zodiac 6:34 — On cancer and writing the new album, My Days of 58 8:33 — On Michael’s novel, fiction, and inspiration 10:47 — On practicing Buddhism, reincarnation, and monks 16:03 — On raising kids and their musical talents 19:07 — On AI and why human emotion matters in art and work 25:10 — On playing instruments and recording musicians 29:08 — On knowing Lou Reed, and his inspirations 34:35 — On Bill’s upcoming tour, and favorite guitars Thanks for listening to the Talkhouse Podcast and thanks to Bill Callahan and Michael Imperioli for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcasting platform and check out all the great stuff we’ve got going at Talkhouse.com . This episode was produced by Myron Kaplan, and the Talkhouse theme is composed and performed by the Range. See you next time! Find more illuminating podcasts on the ⁠⁠⁠Talkhouse Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠ . Visit ⁠⁠⁠talkhouse.com⁠⁠⁠ to read essays, reviews, and more. F

Listen without ads for 25 cents at www.patreon.com/dopeypodcast This Dopey Greatest Hits episode kicks off with Dave introducing a fan-voted theme around iconic TV characters, with Michael Imperioli winning the poll. Dave goes on a classic rant about ads vs Patreon, breaking down the cost to “25 cents a day,” before spiraling into plans for DopeyCon — including a long-shot idea to book Steve Jones during the CBGB Festival. A voicemail delivers pure Dopey chaos: a listener recounts taking acid, drinking, and shooting whiskey bottles in his basement, ultimately blowing apart his finger with a ricochet and attempting to cover it up using an angle grinder. The episode then pivots to a legendary Dopey story from Bill Blaber. After falling deep into crystal meth addiction, Bill describes wandering New York City in full paranoia, convinced AOL was responsible for ruining his life. This leads him to break into a building, climb to the roof, scale a water tower, and pass out inside. He’s rescued by the FDNY, greeted by news cameras, and somehow avoids jail by fabricating a story — landing instead in a psych hold. Dave calls it one of the greatest Dopey stories ever before transitioning into an interview with Michael Imperioli, who discusses his early acting career, Goodfellas, working with Scorsese, and the infamous glass-breaking stunt that landed him in the hospital. Plus the Sopranos - and Michael's crazy Lou Reed Fan Fiction - The Perfume Burned His Eyes! All that and more on the Brand new old Greatest Hits Show! PLUS MORE! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael Imperioli, the actor known for his roles in The Sopranos and The White Lotus, is also the guitarist of a three-piece indie band called Zopa. Their latest album, Diamond Vehicle, came out in early 2025. KEXP’s Martin Douglas spoke with Imperioli about how he started playing music, the influence of Buddhism in his songwriting, and his fondness of The Beatles, Lou Reed, and The Smiths. “When you play with people for a long time, hopefully something gels,” Imperioli says of Zopa’s music. “It took a while to get there, but I’m happy with how it came out.” Support the show: kexp.org/deeper photo by Kayla Rocca Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many know Michael Imperioli for his unforgettable roles in The Sopranos and The White Lotus , but his artistic reach extends far beyond the screen. In this episode, Michael opens up about the writing and recording of "A Still Life," the 2025 single from ZOPA’s album Diamond Vehicle . He shares how his musical influences—from The Beatles to an array of 90s alternative bands—shaped the song, and how working with producer John Agnello helped bring the band’s vision to life. Michael reflects on the intersection of his acting and music careers, the meditative themes of Mahayana Buddhism that weave into his lyrics, and the raw energy captured in live recording. From unique instrumentation to the balance between studio precision and stage spontaneity, this conversation offers a deep insight into his creative process and what’s next for ZOPA. Chris DeMakes A Podcast is brought to you by DistroKid, the ultimate partner for taking your music to the next level. Get 30% off your first YEAR with DistroKid by signing up at http://distrokid.com/vip/demakes For bonus episode of The After Party podcast, an extensive back catalog of past After Party episodes, early ad-free releases of new episodes of Chris DeMakes A Podcast, full video versions of episodes, and MUCH more, head to the Patreon at http://www.ChrisDeMakes.com Follow Chris DeMakes A Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisdemakesapodcast/ Join the Chris DeMakes A Podcast community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2643961642526928/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WTOP's Jason Fraley interviews actor Michael Imperioli as the new two-part “Sopranos” docuseries “Wise Guy” premieres this weekend on HBO and Max. They hopped on the phone in April 2020, a month into the pandemic, when Imperioli launched his “Sopranos” watch-along podcast “Talking Sopranos.” They also discussed his early role in Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas." (Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion") Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the greatest actors of all time—The Sopranos’ Michael Imperioli—is also a confirmed, dyed-in-the-wool music nerd and songwriter in his own right. The Smiths came along and changed the game for him, and Discograffiti needed to find out exactly why. Here’s just a few of the things Michael and I discuss in Part Two of this podcast series: In-depth discussions of The Queen Is Dead, Louder Than Bombs, and Strangeways Here We Come; Michael’s favorite few Morrissey solo songs; And sections in the Patreon Ultimate Cut detailing the vitriol-fueled end of the band, all four members’ post-Smiths musical endeavors, and their travails in court as they battled it out for royalties! I support a wife and a five-year-old son with Discograffiti as my sole source of income. If you love the episode, please Venmo me a tip @ David-Gebroe, or see below for other ways to support the show! Pretty please. Listen: https://podfollow.com/1592182331 If you’re a Smiths superfan like me, you’ll want the DIRECTOR’S CUT of this episode. It’s ad-free and features plenty of essential material that had to be cut for time. You can purchase it as a one-off from our Patreon Shop: www.patreon.com/discograffiti/shop/ Or subscribe! Extended edits of all shows are available on either the Lieutenant (longer) or Major (longest) Tiers. Discograffiti’s 4-show-a-week release schedule can be yours for the price of a cup of coffee a week. https://www.patreon.com/discograffiti Order the $11 Digital package of our METAL MACHINE MUZAK double album (feat. Lou Barlow, Cory Hanson, Mark Robinson, & Will Cullen Hart): www.patreon.com/discograffiti/shop/197404 Please help support the show by ordering some choice goods from our new merch shop: https://discograffitipod.myspreadshop.com/all CONNECT Join our Soldiers of Sound Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1839109176272153 Patreon: www.Patreon.com/Discograffiti Podfollow: ⁠⁠https://podfollow.com/1592182331⁠⁠ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClyaQCdvDelj5EiKj6IRLhw Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/discograffitipod/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Discograffiti/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Discograffiti To order the Digital version of the METAL MACHINE MUZAK 2xLP (feat. Lou Barlow, Cory Hanson, Mark Robinson, & W. Cullen Hart): www.patreon.com/discograffiti/shop/197404 To Order the METAL MACHINE MUZAK Double Vinyl + Digital package: https://www.patreon.com/discograffiti/shop/169954 Merch Shop: https://discograffitipod.myspreadshop.com/all Venmo Dave A Tip: @David-Gebroe Web site: http://discograffiti.com/ CONTACT DAVE Email: dave@discograffiti.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hooligandave Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidgebroe/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaveGebroe #michaelimperioli #thesopranos #sopranos #jamesgandolfini #tonysoprano #christophermoltisanti #hbo #davidchase #mafia #newjersey #mobster #stevenvanzandt #mob #thesmiths #morrissey #johnnymarr #indie #moz #music #mozzer #andyrourke #mikejoyce #manchester #postpunk #stevenpatrickmorrissey #britpop #alternative #discograffiti #metalmachinemuzak #soldiersofsound

One of the greatest actors of all time—The Sopranos’ Michael Imperioli—is also a confirmed, dyed-in-the-wool music nerd and songwriter in his own right. The Smiths came along and changed the game for him, and Discograffiti needed to find out exactly why. Here’s just a few of the things Michael and I discuss about The Smiths: Why the group made such a huge impact on a young Michael Imperioli at that particular time of his life; The song that Johnny Marr describes as what Joni Mitchell would’ve done if she had been an MC5 fan; And in-depth dissections of The Smiths’ self-titled debut, Hatful Of Hollow, and Meat Is Murder! I support a wife and a five-year-old son with Discograffiti as my sole source of income. If you love the episode, please Venmo me a tip @ David-Gebroe, or see below for other ways to support the show! Pretty please. Listen: https://podfollow.com/1592182331 If you’re a Smiths superfan like me, you’ll want the DIRECTOR’S CUT of this episode. It’s ad-free and features plenty of essential material that had to be cut for time. You can purchase it as a one-off from our Patreon Shop: www.patreon.com/discograffiti/shop/ Or subscribe! Extended edits of all shows are available on either the Lieutenant (longer) or Major (longest) Tiers. Discograffiti’s 4-show-a-week release schedule can be yours for the price of a cup of coffee a week. https://www.patreon.com/discograffiti Order the $11 Digital package of our METAL MACHINE MUZAK double album (feat. Lou Barlow, Cory Hanson, Mark Robinson, & Will Cullen Hart): www.patreon.com/discograffiti/shop/197404 Please help support the show by ordering some choice goods from our new merch shop: https://discograffitipod.myspreadshop.com/all CONNECT Join our Soldiers of Sound Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1839109176272153 Patreon: www.Patreon.com/Discograffiti Podfollow: ⁠⁠https://podfollow.com/1592182331⁠⁠ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClyaQCdvDelj5EiKj6IRLhw Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/discograffitipod/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Discograffiti/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Discograffiti To order the Digital version of the METAL MACHINE MUZAK 2xLP (feat. Lou Barlow, Cory Hanson, Mark Robinson, & W. Cullen Hart): www.patreon.com/discograffiti/shop/197404 To Order the METAL MACHINE MUZAK Double Vinyl + Digital package: https://www.patreon.com/discograffiti/shop/169954 Merch Shop: https://discograffitipod.myspreadshop.com/all Venmo Dave A Tip: @David-Gebroe Web site: http://discograffiti.com/ CONTACT DAVE Email: dave@discograffiti.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hooligandave Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidgebroe/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaveGebroe #michaelimperioli #thesopranos #sopranos #jamesgandolfini #tonysoprano #christophermoltisanti #hbo #davidchase #mafia #newjersey #mobster #stevenvanzandt #mob #thesmiths #morrissey #johnnymarr #indie #moz #music #mozzer #andyrourke #mikejoyce #manchester #postpunk #stevenpatrickmorrissey #britpop #alternative #discograffiti #metalmachinemuzak #soldiersofsound

Two huge interviews on this episode. TV star Michael Imperioli makes his Broadway debut this Spring, alongside Jeremy Strong in the revival of An Enemy Of The People . Plus, he just opened a new bar on New York City's Upper West Side. Tamsen sits down with Michael Imperioli at 'Scarlet'. To learn more visit https://www.broadway.com/shows/an-enemy-of-the-people/ But first, it's the star-studded revival of Merrily We Roll Along . Paul Wontorek chats with the stars, Jonathan Groff , Lindsay Mendez , and Daniel Radcliffe . To learn more visit https://www.broadway.com/shows/merrily-we-roll-along/

Michael Imperioli has a knack for playing mobsters and villains. Best known for his roles as Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos and Dominic Di Grasso on The White Lotus , the Emmy Award–winning actor has made a career out of exploring addiction and afflictive emotions on screen. Offscreen, though, Imperioli is a committed Buddhist practitioner. In 2008, he and his wife took refuge with Garchen Rinpoche, and during the pandemic, they began teaching online meditation classes together, exploring Tibetan Buddhist texts like The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva . Though his practice no doubt influences his creative work, Imperioli prefers to focus on the everyday ways that Buddhism has restructured his life. For him, Buddhism offers a way to liberate harmful emotions and cultivate patience and compassion on a day-to-day level. In this episode of Tricycle Talks , Tricycle ’s editor-in-chief, James Shaheen, sits down with Imperioli to talk about the dangers of the instrumentalization of Buddhist practice, what The White Lotus can teach us about craving and dissatisfaction, and whether he believes that liberation is possible in this lifetime.

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. -------- Actor Michael Imperioli is best known for a string of memorable onscreen performances that include Goodfellas , The Sopranos , and most recently on The White Lotus . What you may not know is that he has a deep Buddhist practice and has actually grown into something of a meditation teacher. In this episode we talk about: The classic celebrity life crisis that brought Imperioli to Buddhism The importance of consistent practice as a way to get familiar with your mind so that your thoughts and emotions and urges don't own you The specific Tibetan Buddhist tradition Imperioli practices and what his daily practice looks like Whether meditation helps him be more creative How acting and meditation are similar Whether getting older affects our ability to grok impermanence Why Imperioli started teaching meditation online How to meditate off the cushion in daily life Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/michael-imperioli-591

Even though Michael Imperioli is famous, the person who has been by his side for the last twenty years has been his wife, Victoria Chlebowski. In addition to raising their three kids, she has built a thriving career for herself as an actor, producer, and entrepreneur. This is the lowdown on the lady who has been instrumental in Michael Imperioli’s rise to fame. Source: https://primeprofitmedia.com/article/know-about-victoria-chlebowski/