“He puts ‘clever’ in ‘sage,'” said his co-star DiMarco.
White repeated this. “He’s very mellow,” he said. “It may sound cliche because he’s a Buddhist, but he has a certain Zen vibe.” .)
One time, over dinner, I asked Imperioli if he thought the adoption of Buddhism had improved his skills. He gracefully resisted this. “What it’s about is much more valuable,” he said. Buddhism may have made him a better person, he admitted. But it didn’t matter. The point was to learn to embrace impermanence, unpredictability and interdependence.
Despite its apparent continuity, Imperioli appreciates this professional renaissance, the final break from the kinds of roles he’d previously played. He also credits Rolling Stone for naming his Zopa debut one of his 2021 Best His Albums.
In his 20s, he said, all he could think about was work. “I still love it and of course I care,” he said. “But before I know it, I’m going to the next life.”
Back in the booth, in the dark, I sat on a stool and listened to Imperioli record the last line of the song. An 11-minute mini-opera, “Hamlet,” “Romeo and Juliet,” The Who, and seemingly some oh-oh-oh, “Uptown Girl.” “Somehow I’m going to fight my way,” he sang. he sang it many times.
I looked at the lyric sheet later and realized he didn’t sing “Fight” at all. The word was “find”. Imperioli was trying to find his way and pave the way to his next life. One show at a time, one song at a time.