I’ve met fans from Outer Mongolia...
REFUSE. SOPRANOS ACTOR MICHAEL IMPERIOLI TELLS MARION McMULLEN WHY HE’S COMING TO THE UK TO SPILL THE BEANS
You played Christopher Moltisanti in The Sopranos. Did you always feel the series would be a success? I fell in love with the show the first season. I even wrote a script and showed it to creator David Chase simply because I fell in love with the show and the cast of characters. That’s how I got the gig. I ended up writing five episodes. Writing is never easy, but there is also an overwhelming sense of pleasure for the material. I was just highly excited about it. It was a lot of work, but something I enjoyed.
You are heading to the UK this summer for a Sopranos tour with your co-stars Steven Schirripa and Vincent Pastore. How did it come about?
A few years ago Steven had the idea to do something like Inside The Actor’s Studio, talking about the show. We did it a bit in the US and it was a big success and then we took the same show to Australia.
It went so well that they said come to the UK and Ireland. The Sopranos is a massive hit and has been for years – people are still watching it. It’s really exciting to finally get to come to the UK.
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What can audiences expect?
We will be showing clips from The Sopranos. It’s geared towards the comedic and has a lot of heart. We take questions from the audience and that can go anywhere [like] have you ever met the Mafia in real life or what have we all done since the show ended?
That keeps it interesting for us. It’s a fun insider look behind the scenes and we all have lots of funny stories. There is a lot of love coming our way from the fans. A lot of people have fond memories of when the show was on.
People would get together on a Sunday night to catch the show and have parties with pizza or pasta. There is a lot of nostalgia connected with the show.
Is it strange seeing clips of series star James Gandolfini, who sadly passed away in 2013?
Very much so. We do talk about Jim and it’s emotional being in a world without him. He was a big part of my life and I acted more with him on the Sopranos than any other actor. I miss him.
He was a great friend and a great colleague.
His death was completely unexpected; he was only 51. I think I had seen him two weeks before, in a children’s movie that Jim and Steven Schirripa were in, and we all went to the premiere.
I hadn’t seen him for a bit and he had recently had a little girl and he was so happy, and then two weeks later he was gone. Honestly, it’s hard to watch some of the clips because he is not here.
It’s very strange. I’m in my 50s now and I do see our time here as very temporary. I do not want to get morose about it, but our time here is limited and you need to make the most of it.
Is there a typical Sopranos fan?
I’ve met fans from Outer Mongolia. I travel a lot and I’ve met fans from all over the place. The typical fan is from New York and New Jersey, where the show is set.
It connects with a lot of people there, particularly Italians, they relate to it in way that they know the people, the culture, they grew up with a lot of elements of that. I’m not talking about the Mafia, simply the cultural side of things here in New York and New Jersey.
How did you start acting?
Al Pacino was always my favourite actor, but I didn’t want to be an actor when I was a kid, but now it’s what I do, what I am.
After high school I was doing acting classes for a few years and when I was 21 I was working in theatre and then film and television. I don’t know anything else. I still love it. As long as I can still remember my lines and am physically able and healthy, I am going to keep doing it.
My parents were always very supportive and would say ‘be happy’. I feel the same thing for my kids. If you push really hard, if it is what you want, then you can do it. Acting is very hard and competitive. People talk about luck, but I don’t think luck has much to do with it. You have to be good and work hard and keep persisting.
How do you relax?
Reading. I’m a big reader, and I cook to relax. I like to cook with my family, I like walking and I love music – rock, classical, blues. I listen to everything, especially Morrissey. I’m a big Smiths fan.
Where do you keep your Emmy Award for the Sopranos?
I keep it at home on a shelf in the office. I don’t have it where everyone can to see it, but (laughs) I make sure my kids can see it there. ■ In Conversation With The Sopranos tours from June. Ticket details available from BookingsDirect.com