Skip to main content
Tags: michael imperioli | sopranos | emmy | trash

Michael Imperioli Says He Threw 'Sopranos' Emmy Award in Trash

michael imperioli holds emmy
Actor Michael Imperioli, winner for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for "The Sopranos", poses with his Emmy backstage during the 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 19, 2004, at the Shrine Auditorium, in Los Angeles, California. (Carlo Allegri/Getty Images)

By    |   Tuesday, 07 December 2021 10:52 AM EST

Michael Imperioli's iconic portrayal of Christopher Motlisanti on "The Sopranos" won the actor an Emmy in 2004 for Best Supporting Actor but what many do not know is that he threw the award in a hotel trash bin by the end of the night. 

Imperioli made the confession during an interview with Rolling Stone which was published on Monday. 

"We were up all night, because like I said, we won best show," the star explained, referencing the Emmy that "The Sopranos" took home for Outstanding Drama Series that year. "By five in the morning, we were drunk out of our minds. My wife and I go back to our room. We get in bed, she says, 'You know what, you won this Emmy, everybody you know, kissing your a--, gushing all over you. I’m not impressed.'"

Imperioli recalled his wife saying if he had any guts he would 'take that statue and throw it in the garbage."

"I was pretty drunk, and I was like, 'f--k this thing,' and I take the Emmy, throw it in the garbage," he continued. "We go to bed, pass out until like noon. She wakes me up and is like, ‘Why don’t you call room service, get some coffee and some breakfast. I’m like, 'OK.' She goes, 'Oh. Don’t forget to take your Emmy out of the garbage pail.'"

During the interview, Imperioli also recalled meeting Martin Scorsese while auditioning for "Goodfellas." At the time, the actor was struggling to land parts in mobster films despite his award-winning career so there was a lot weighing on the success of the audition, which Imperioli said was "a big deal for a young Italian-American actor from New York."

"Weirdly enough I felt very free around him," he said of meeting Scorsese. "And even when I got to the set and after I got cast, and was with you know, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta and those guys … I just felt like he would get me."

Zoe Papadakis

Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.

© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


TheWire
Michael Imperioli's iconic portrayal of Christopher Motlisanti on "The Sopranos" won the actor an Emmy in 2004 for Best Supporting Actor but what many do not know is that he threw the award...
michael imperioli, sopranos, emmy, trash
334
2021-52-07
Tuesday, 07 December 2021 10:52 AM
Newsmax Media, Inc.

Sign up for Newsmax’s Daily Newsletter

Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.

(Optional for Local News)
Privacy: We never share your email address.
Join the Newsmax Community
Read and Post Comments
Please review Community Guidelines before posting a comment.
 

Interest-Based Advertising | Do not sell or share my personal information

Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.

NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
© 2025 Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Download the Newsmax App
NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
© 2025 Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved