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Michael Imperioli on work and leisure - Radio Times, July 2001 |
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The Sopranos star talks family, work and leisure with Celia Dodd.
"My house in New York is in lower
Manhattan. My Russian wife
Victoria, who has a bar in the city, is
currently renovating it. I have a
stepdaughter, Isabella, who's
nearly 11, a three-year-old son,
Vadim and another son expected
in September.
I think New York is a great place
to bring up kids, although a lot of
people wouldn't agree. I love
taking them to Central Park and
the zoo and the Museum of
Natural History. And I wouldn't
be happy living in the suburbs.
I grew up outside Manhattan, in
Mount Vernon, and I was always
a bit behind the city kids in
knowing about things. My
parents are Italian-American,
and my grandfather came here
from Rome, where most of my
relatives still live.
When we're shooting The
Sopranos we start early in the
morning on Monday and get
later as the week goes on. The crew
and the cast are all good friends
and we joke around a lot.
We hang out together away from
work, too. I spend so much of my
time with those guys as
Christopher that I slip into his
character even when we're not
working. But it's not a role that's
hard to snap out of when I get
home. It's only the moods that are
difficult to switch off - like if
you've been playing an angry
scene, or a heavy, sad scene all day
it becomes kind of physical, it
stays with you.
To relax, I cook. If I'm at home
I make dinner for my family most
evenings.
I also like horse racing, and I'm
getting seriously tempted to buy a
thoroughbred. I went to the
Kentucky Derby for the first time
this year - it was awesome. I
picked the winner and I won big -
$1,000. I only bet on Saturdays,
but I pick horses most days and
keep track of how I do without
actually betting.
The Sopranos has changed my
life. I've learnt a lot, both as an
actor and as a writer - I've written
two episodes. The Sopranos taught
me a lot about concision. Getting
a Sopranos script to a really sharp
edge takes a lot of meticulous
work.
The show has changed my life
on a personal level, too. Now,
when I walk down the street
people come up about every half a
block. A lot of times they're
disappointed that I'm not like
Christopher - people say I'm
much more quiet and low-key.
One guy told me I was his role
model, and that worried me. I can
see that Christopher's kind of
power is interesting, but I don't
think he's someone to aspire to.
I watched The Godfather as a kid
but I certainly never wanted to be
in the mob."
**
Now take a look at our full guide to The Sopranos.
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