Getty Image
Former The Sopranos and The White Lotus star Michael Imperioli physically removed a protester who interrupted the Broadway show that he’s starring in alongside Succession lead Jeremy Strong.
The incident, which happened on Thursday, March 14, saw a group of climate change protesters disrupt An Enemy of the People, leading to Imperioli walking off stage to kick one of them out.
“Shouting ‘No Broadway on a dead planet,’ ‘No theater on a dead planet’ and ‘The water is coming for us,’ at least three or four protesters, most in the audience seats but at least one storming the stage area, brought the play to a stop for several minutes.”
“Several of the cast’s actors, including Imperioli and David Patrick Kelly, shouted back at the disrupters and physically began pushing them up the stairs toward an exit.” [via Deadline]
The video of the incident, which can be seen below, sees Imperioli pushing one of the protesters up the stairs and toward the exit.
holy shit? pic.twitter.com/vIveQw4I7c
— nitsi | succession broadway era ! ♡ (@hosseinisgeckos) March 15, 2024
Imperioli then addressed the incident on Instagram following the show and implied that he stayed in character during the ordeal because while “Michael” is on the protester’s side, his character Mayor Stockmann “is not.”
Imperioli and Strong are starring together in a revival of An Enemy of the People, which is the 1882 play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen.
An Enemy of the People tells the sorty of Dr. Thomas Stockmann, a small town spa owner who becomes ostracized and punished for exposing a harsh truth about the town (basically, being a whistleblower). The Emmy Award-winning Strong stars as Dr. Thomas Stockmann, while Imperioli plays Peter Stockmann, Thomas’ older brother and Mayor of the town.
In addition to HBO alums Imperioli and Strong, the Broadway adaptation of An Enemy of the People also features Victoria Pedretti, a 28-year-old actress who has starred in the Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, and You.
Pedretti — who portrays Petra Stockmann, Thomas’ daughter, in the play — has also had recent roles in films such as Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Shirley, and Origin.
An Enemy of the People is currently in previews and will run for 16 weeks until June 16.