The Sopranos is one of the most popular TV shows ever made, so it’s not surprising that many of the HBO drama’s stars are still recognized for their roles. So while it’s been well over a decade since Michael Imperioli last played Christopher Moltisanti, he still gets plenty of love. However, it sounds like that admiration has led to a few “unusual” encounters with fans. Imperioli revealed that he gets a disturbing request from some series devotees and, as you would imagine, it’s one that he always says no to.
Those who watched David Chase’s acclaimed crime drama know that Michael Imperioli had to put a considerable amount of energy into the role of Christopher. The gangster and aspiring filmmaker was arguably one of the series’ most volatile and detestable characters. As such, he committed a number of heinous acts – some executed on behalf of his “uncle” Tony Soprano and others done of his own accord. So with all of that in mind, when select fans see Imperioli, they want him to intimidate them and do so in a very frightening way:
It was The Sopranos for a long time, and now it’s a lot of White Lotus from young people. Some people want to take a picture with me pretending I have a gun to their head, and I never will do that. . . . I’ll strangle them, but I won’t put a gun to their head. (Laughter.)
The 57-year-old star shared this revelation while taking part in THR’s Drama Actors Roundtable and, while I’m glad he can see the humor in it, that’s definitely an odd request. I mean, I’m a big fan of the show myself, but I’d probably ask for an autograph or photo (respectfully) before asking him to point a firearm at me. To be fair, many of us do have our fandoms, yet something like this is taking things a little too far.
If anything though, I suppose this wild requisition is a testament to just how much people were enthralled by Michael Imperioli’s Emmy-winning role, which he played during the show’s entire six-season run. He gave incredible performances in episodes like “The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti” and “Long Term Parking,” one of the show’s best. And don’t think that Imperioli doesn’t like talking about the fact that he’s a Sopranos cast member. During the COVID lockdown, he started a rewatch podcast with former co-star Steve Schirripa. He even reprised the role when he served as the narrator of the prequel film, The Many Saints of Newark.
But more recently, Michael Imperioli’s been receiving immense praise for his role as Dominic Di Grasso in the second season of HBO’s The White Lotus. That performance will surely be talked about for years to come, though I think Christopher will continue to be the biggest role he gets fan love for. Let’s just hope that after hearing these comments, many of those admirers – when showing their appreciation – choose not to ask to have a gun pointed at them.
You can check out the actor’s work in The Sopranos and The White Lotus by streaming both series with a Max subscription.
