IMPERIOLI: Yeah, well, Paulie Walnuts was such a funny character, as was Tony Sirico - very superstitious, paranoid, hypochondriac, narcissistic BRIGER: This is the person, not the role, right? But he wakes you up because he wants to assuage his fears about hell. IMPERIOLI: There is. I mourn for the way the city was where I lived. We'll be back after a short break. But that kind of faded away, you know, and he's really seeing the effects of his actions both on himself and on his psyche and on his family. After Artie learns that Tony was indirectly responsible for burning down his restaurant (which is ironic as Tony did it intending to save his business), he does not hesitate to threaten his life. In the show, he plays Artie Bucco, a temperamental chef that is close friends with Tony Soprano. Most actors dont work. But he has a really good bulls*** sensor. For more information, please see our Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. They were - yeah, Tony had a lot of those traits as well. IMPERIOLI: Yeah. So a lot of the characters were together. Probably at some point in his life earlier on, he did them without being conscious of these aftereffects, justifying them, you know, felt entitled to them, compartmentalizing them. You know, last year, you published a book called "Woke Up This Morning: The Definitive Oral History Of The Sopranos" that you co-wrote with Steve Schirripa, and he played Bobby Bacala in "The Sopranos." Michael Imperioli In the show, Gross plays Perry Annunziata whom Tony hires him as his bodyguard and driver towards the end of the series. And, you know, I did a movie with Jon Voight once, who - I mean, who I think is just one of the best that's ever done movies. Dominics efforts have payed off as he is not only a famous actor, but a talented songwriter as well. There was always a certain something about the character of Christopher Moltisanti that drew fans to him. Michael Imperioli If you're just joining us, our guest is Michael Imperioli, who stars in the second season of the HBO show "The White Lotus." BRIGER: You know, in your book, you said that Tony Sirico, he used to identify very closely with the character Paulie and that he was, like, protective of how Paulie was written. When The Sopranos first aired in 1999, the creator of the show had no idea just how important it would become in influencing popular culture. WebThe Sopranos actor Robert Iler, who portrayed Tony Sopranos son AJ, has revealed that he became addicted to alcohol, hardcore drugs and Xanax in the wake of the acclaimed But let's start with "The White Lotus," the Emmy-winning HBO series created by Mike White. Copyright 2022 NPR. But I just try to express as much as I can - you know? I mean, the book is not factual IMPERIOLI: Or biographical. BRIGER: I mean, that's funny. SIRICO: (As Paulie Walnuts Gualtieri) Purgatory, a little detour on our way to paradise. As someone whos in recovery, there where times when they was he absolutely killed this character, I was @MichaelImperio9. His firstone in the pilot is a testament to this fact. We became really good friends, spent a lot of time together, not only on the show, but in private life. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. However, despite her diagnosis, she made a request to David Chase to let her continue working for as long as she was able. Imperioli plays a sex-addicted Hollywood producer on vacation in Sicily in the HBO show. BRIGER: That's "Red Sky" by the band ZOPA. August 18, 2020. Elephants are a menace for these 6th graders. "And the idea of shooting in Sicily for four months didn't hurt either," Imperioli added. WebThe much-anticipated film is part of a greater Sopranos revival that includes Talking Sopranos, the self-proclaimed definitive rewatch podcast hosted by Michael Imperioli BRIGER: This is FRESH AIR. It's contemplating Lou Reed after he's died, and you say something like, I mourn for the loss of you. That seems to be playing out as well in your character. And he secretly contracted a local sex worker to stay the week with him, which is causing him a lot of shame and guilt as he hopes to change and save his marriage. However, as brutal as he is as Christopher, Michael Imperioli is it the total opposite of his counterpart. BRIGER: You know, there's kind of a pattern in the Tony-Christopher scenes, where, like, Christopher is grousing about something. All of his classes are posted to YouTube on his channel, Meditation with Michael Imperioli. "We found that immediately it was Pesci, it was De Niro, and Ray Liotta and me we felt immediately that [Imperioli] understood intrinsically who Spider was, and he understood the situation in the atmosphere.". IMPERIOLI: (As Dominic Di Grasso) OK. No, I don't want to put you in the middle. One of his biggest passions is music, which is the main reason he got into acting. IMPERIOLI: Yeah. And as The White Lotus ignites his on-screen renaissance, The Sopranos has been experiencing a revival of its own. The fact that he comes from a family of well respected mobsters further increases his reputation. How Ben Afflecks Air Makes the Case for Movie Theaters to Build Buzz, How Succession Trapped the Roy Family in a VIP Room of Grief in Episode 3, Movies Shot on Film 2023 Preview: From Oppenheimer to Killers of the Flower Moon and Maestro, How Gene Kelly and Singin in the Rain Taught John Wick to Fight, The 50 Best Movies of 2022, According to 165 Critics from Around the World, All 81 Titles Unceremoniously Removed from HBO Max (So Far), 10 Shows Canceled but Not Forgotten in 2022. And John Heard's character kills himself. After all several of the shows actors, many of whom are on this list, are responsible for a variety of crimes.