‘White Lotus Sicily’ Actor Michael Imperioli Landed a Role in ‘The Office’ After Rainn Wilson Googled Him
The White Lotus Sicily put Michael Imperioli front and center for the first time since The Sopranos. Still, die-hard fans of The Office will have recognized the sex-addicted Dominic anywhere. Find out who The White Lotus Season 2 actor plays in the NBC comedy series and how Rainn Wilson helped him get the role.
Michael Imperioli’s character survives ‘The White Lotus Sicily’ finale
All three Di Grasso men survive the conclusion of The White Lotus Sicily. Dominic (Imperioli), Burt (F. Murray Abraham), and Albie (Adam DiMarco) arrive at the airport and demonstrate how none of them have truly changed. They all turn their heads as an attractive young woman passes them in the airport just moments after paying off the sex worker both Albie and Dominic slept with throughout the season.
As far as Imperioli’s return to The White Lotus universe, creator Mike White hasn’t ruled it out. “Who knows, maybe there’ll be another White Lotus season where Dominic comes with his wife and they patch it all up!” he told Esquire.
“I don’t want to think about it too much,” Imperioli told the outlet of his potential return. “Because the idea of that makes me so happy. I don’t want to be disappointed…I would want nothing more than that. I just loved working with Mike so much.”
Michael Imperioli plays Sensei Billy in ‘The Office’
Dwight (Rainn Wilson) holds his black belt ceremony in the season 9 episode “Livin’ the Dream.” He invites Sensei Billy, played by The White Lotus Sicily star, to the office to watch. “Most students don’t spend $150,000 over 20 years to get their black belt,” Sensei Billy says in the episode.
Like many of his co-workers, Sensei Billy finds Dwight annoying, but tenacious and determined nonetheless. Dwight’s invitation was intentional, as David Wallace (Andy Buckley) also attended the ceremony, where Sensei Billy’s opinion influences David to promote Dwight to regional manager.
‘The Sopranos’ star was cast after Rainn Wilson discovered his black belt in martial arts
In a TikTok posted by Esquire, Imperioli explains how he landed a role in the final season ofThe Office. “[Rainn Wilson] googled actors who have black belts in martial arts and that’s how I got that,” Imperioli said. “That’s showbiz.” If you’re wondering about the other actors who are trained in martial arts, the list includes Ed O’Neil, Herschel Walker, Guy Ritchie, Jessica Alba, Christian Bale, Jessica Biel, and Jack Black.
Other TV shows and movies starring Michael Imperioli
Long before The White Lotus Siciliy, Imperioli’s breakthrough role was in The Sopranos. He played Christopher Moltisanti, a low-ranking member of the Soprano crime organization who moved up thanks to his familial ties to Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini).
Imperioli later reprised his role in The Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark. The Italian American actor also appeared in mob-inspired movies like Witness to the Mob and Goodfellas. The actor has also appeared in dozens of other movies and TV shows, including well-known projects like Watchmen, Hawaii Five-O, Girls, The Lovely Bones, Law & Order, and NYPD Blue.
Stream every episode of The Office on Peacock and The White Lotus Sicily on HBO Max.
