Michael Imperioli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael Imperioli
Imperioli in 2024
Born	(1966-03-26) March 26, 1966 (age 59) Mount Vernon, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1985–present
Spouse(s)	Victoria Chlebowski ​ (m. 1996)​
Children	3

Michael Imperioli (born March 26, 1966) is an American actor, writer, and musician. He is famous for playing Christopher Moltisanti in the TV show The Sopranos. He won an Primetime Emmy Award for this role in 2004. He also played Dominic Di Grasso in the show The White Lotus in 2022.

Michael has appeared in many movies like Goodfellas, Jungle Fever, and Bad Boys. He also helped write the movie Summer of Sam and wrote five episodes of The Sopranos. He even directed his own movie called The Hungry Ghosts. In 2024, he made his first appearance on Broadway in the play An Enemy of the People.

Early Life and Becoming an Actor

Michael Imperioli was born in Mount Vernon, New York, a town near New York City. His dad was a bus driver and an amateur actor. His mom worked in a department store and was also an amateur actress. His family came from Italy a long time ago.

When Michael was 11, his family moved to Brewster, New York. In high school, he started watching Broadway plays. After finishing high school in 1983, Michael planned to study medicine in college. But the night before he was supposed to start, he told his parents he wanted to be an actor instead.

At 17, Michael moved to Manhattan's East Village. He went to an acting school called Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. There, he met John Ventimiglia, who later acted with him in The Sopranos. They became roommates. In the early 1990s, Michael was also the singer for a band called Wild Carnation before he focused on acting.

Acting Career Highlights

Imperioli in 2005

Michael Imperioli has been nominated for many awards for his acting. He was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and five Emmy Awards for his role as Christopher Moltisanti in The Sopranos. He won an Emmy in 2004 for his work in the fifth season of the show.

Besides The Sopranos, Michael has been in many other films. These include Goodfellas, Jungle Fever, Bad Boys, and Shark Tale, where he did a voice for a character. He also helped write and produce Summer of Sam. Michael also wrote five episodes for The Sopranos.

Michael was the artistic director of Studio Dante, an Off-Broadway theater he started with his wife. He is also involved with The Jazz Foundation of America. In 2010, Michael played the main character in the TV show Detroit 1-8-7.

In 2014, Michael won a cooking competition show called Chopped. He won $50,000 for his charity, the Pureland Project, which helps build schools in Tibet. In 2016, he played an angel named Uriel on the TV show Lucifer.

Since 2020, Michael has co-hosted a podcast called Talking Sopranos with Steve Schirripa. They share behind-the-scenes stories about The Sopranos show. They also wrote a book about the show called Woke Up This Morning: The Definitive Oral History of The Sopranos. Michael is also the guitarist and singer for a band called Zopa. Their first album, La Dolce Vita, came out in 2020.

In 2022, Michael played a main role in the second season of the HBO show The White Lotus. He was nominated for another Primetime Emmy Award for this role. In 2024, he acted on Broadway in the play An Enemy of the People alongside actors Jeremy Strong and Victoria Pedretti.

Personal Life

Michael Imperioli married Victoria Chlebowski in 1996. They have three children and homes in Manhattan and Santa Barbara, California. He and his family enjoy practicing Tae Kwon Do. In 2008, Michael became a Buddhist.

Michael is a big fan of the cartoon show American Dad!. He has said it's his favorite TV show and even voiced a character in an episode.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Michael Imperioli para niños