‘The White Lotus’: Michael Imperioli Shares What His ‘Sopranos’ Character Would Think of Dominic in Season 2
Michael Imperioli, who shot to fame thanks to his Emmy Award-winning performance on the HBO crime series The Sopranos, is again making headlines. This time, though, Imperioli has a starring part in another HBO series, Season 2 of The White Lotus, to thank for his success. The actor recently shared what his The Sopranos character would think of his role in The White Lotus.
Michael Imperioli plays Dominic in the second season of ‘The White Lotus’
Imperioli’s breakthrough role was on The Sopranos as Christopher Moltisanti, a low-ranking member of the Soprano crime organization who moves through the ranks thanks to family ties to mob boss Tony Soprano. The Sopranos, which ended after six seasons in 2007, became the gold standard for must-see television, and fans widely lamented its cancellation.
A lot has changed in the years since The Sopranos ended. According to WESA FM, the actor has become a Buddhist, an author, and joined a touring indie music band. Additionally, he was cast as the main character in the second season of the HBO comedy-drama The White Lotus.
In the second season of The White Lotus, Imperioli portrays Dominic Di Grasso, a Hollywood A-lister on a downward spiral. Dominic, whose marriage is failing after he cheated, travels to Sicily with his widowed father, Bert, and his son Albie to get in touch with their Italian heritage.
Even though his role in The White Lotus may seem like Imperioli’s big comeback, he never really left the limelight. Since The Sopranos, the actor hasn’t stopped working. He did roles in theater, small independent films, TV shows like This Fool and Californication, and cameos in other shows.
Michael Imperioli thinks his ‘Sopranos’ character would relate to Dominic
In more than one way, Imperioli’s role as Dominic in The White Lotus isn’t that different from that of Christopher Moltisanti in The Sopranos. Like in The Sopranos, in his new role, Imperioli plays a man who can’t help but give in to his addictions and hurts the people he loves the most.
In November, Imperioli dropped by Vanity Fair’s Still Watching to discuss his new role in The White Lotus. When asked what his Sopranos character would think of Dominic, the actor said:
“I think if they spoke about addiction, he would understand that because he’s somebody who went to rehab and was in a 12-step program and tried really hard to get sober and struggled with it and failed at it.
And he’s certainly not as smart as Dominic, but he might relate to that feeling of impulse behaviors that you want to control that you can’t. He might relate on that level.”
‘The White Lotus’ Season 2 focuses on toxic masculinity and sexual politics
The White Lotus‘s first season wowed viewers with its criticism of white privilege at a Hawaiian resort. When creator Mike White began working on the follow-up, he wanted to explore issues of sex and toxic masculinity.
In contrast to last season’s emphasis on the effects of money, colonialism, and class, this time around, White makes his characters confront the impact of sex on their relationships and the power dynamics it creates.
The White Lotus Season 2, which takes place in a fictitious White Lotus hotel in Sicily, expertly mixes the hotel’s affluent American guests with the locals for maximum hilarious effect and a healthy dose of cultural commentary.
Speaking about the new season, Theo James, who plays Cameron, said, “It’s about the clash of Americana meets European meets Sicilian and Italian. It’s about sexual politics. It’s heavily about gender and gender roles.”
The first season took place in a luxury resort in Hawaii. This is not coincidental as the island has a history of colonialism and social stratification. The second season takes place in Sicily, the center of machismo and The Godfather central!
