Today’s guest, Michael Imperioli, starred as Christopher Moltisanti in the hit HBO series "The Sopranos," which helped usher in the golden age of television; he’s appeared in several movies and television shows since; he wrote a novel called The Perfume Burned His Eyes, which pubbed in 2018 from Akashic Books; and he has a short story featured in The Nicotine Chronicles, a collection edited by Lee Child, which is the reason for his Writer’s Bone visit. Oh yeah, and if he weren’t busy enough, he started a podcast called "Talking Sopranos" with fellow actor Steve Schirripa and he conducts meditation sessions online.
We chatted with Imperioli about what inspired his short story "Yasiri," his contribution to The Nicotine Chronicles, his acting and writing process, what he’s learned in the early going as a podcaster, interacting with people on social media about art and politics, and some reflections about "The Sopranos" and James Gandolfini.
“Once you commit to a story and start to work on it regularly, any thought you have in relation to it you have to write down. Once you set your conscious mind to the story and characters, no thought is random. You’ve set your compass.”
Follow Michael Imperioli on Instagram. Pick up The Nicotine Chronicles and The Perfume Burned His Eyes from Bookshop.org or your local indie bookstore.
Today’s episode is sponsored by:
