Sopranos star reveals why he stayed in character when ejecting climate protestor

Sopranos and White Lotus actor Michael Imperioli has responded on Instagram after he forced an Extinction Rebellion protester out of a Broadway play he was starring in, remaining in character the entire time.

On Thursday, a protester, who identified himself as a Broadway actor, interrupted a performance of An Enemy of the People, which Imperioli is starring in alongside Succession's Jeremy Strong at the Circle in the Square Theater.

Imperioli plays Mayor Stockmann in the play and amazingly manages to remain in character when escorting the protester from the theatre himself.

The 57-year-old actor, best known for playing Christopher Moltisanti in The Sopranos, is a well-known activist and promotes many liberal causes so it's no surprise that he has said that he supports Extinction Rebellion's efforts. However, in a statement on Instagram he said that his character in the play would be on the other side of the argument.

Imperioli wrote: "Tonight was wild….no hard feelings Extinction Rebellion crew. Michael is on your side but Mayor Stockmann is not. Much love."

The play, written in 1882, focuses on a small town where the drinking water is discovered by a doctor (played here by Strong) to be contaminated. However, his warnings are shunned by locals, including his brother the mayor, played here by Imperioli.

Given that context there is no surprise that Imperioli acted on his instincts and remained committed to the bit, as Mayor Stockmann would likely have scoffed at Extinction Rebellion as well.

In a press release, Extinction Rebellion demanded that "the government tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, halt biodiversity loss, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025."

"This action follows a tradition of nonviolent civil disobedience in arts and theatre, such as Parisian students’ occupation of the Odéon theatre in 1968— not to mention theatre itself as a powerful medium for provoking social change," the release read in part. "Today’s action highlights the failure of governments and corporations to treat climate and ecological breakdown as the crisis it is."

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