Michael Imperioli's Better Half: Spotlight on Victoria Imperioli's Life

Victoria Chlebowski is best recognized for being the wife of Michael Imperioli, who is an actor, writer, director, and musician. He became famous for playing Christopher Moltisanti in the HBO show "The Sopranos" and won a Primetime Emmy Award for his supporting role in 2004.

Victoria Chlebowski's Wiki/Bio

Born in 1966 during the Soviet Union era in Russia, Victoria Chlebowski is currently 58 years old as of 2024. Raised in a Jewish family, she is a devoted Christian. 

Chlebowski's parents, originally from Russia, relocated to the United States. She holds dual nationality, being both Russian and American, and practices the Christian faith. 

Victoria Chlebowski's Escape From Communist Russia and Struggle Against Anti-Semitism 

At the age of 16, Victoria Chlebowski, along with her mother Raisa Chlebowski, fled their native Ukraine in 1976 due to prevailing anti-Semitism. In the late 2000s, Raisa worked in real estate. 

Upon arriving in the United States, Chlebowski and her family resided in a modest railroad apartment, which she described as less than ideal. 

Victoria's stepfather, Ryczard Chlebowski, originally from Poland, is a skilled artisan known for crafting custom paneling and moldings in a 19th-century factory building in Tribeca. He has also collaborated with his daughter and her business partner on renovating a theater in Chelsea. 

Victoria pursued studies in art, philosophy, and German in Munich before delving into art history at Parsons and The New School, a private art and design college. It is located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City.

Victoria Chlebowski is an Interior Designer And Entrepreneur 

Victoria Chlebowski is the proud owner of the design firm SVE New York, which she co-founded with her business partner, Sonya Chang, in New York. Together, Victoria and her husband played a significant role in the renovation of a 19th-century factory building in Tribeca. They also own a popular bohemian bar in Chelsea. 

Expressing her eco-friendly approach, Ms. Imperioli prefers recycling furniture over buying new pieces. The partnership between Chlebowski and Imperioli extends beyond design, as they have launched an Off-Broadway theater called Studio Dante, with Victoria serving as the artistic director. 

In a lesser-known aspect of her career, Victoria also holds a credit in the 2013 New York noir dramatic thriller film titled "Joy de V," directed and written by Nadia Szold.

Victoria Chlebowski Ventures Into Documentary Filmmaking 

Apart from her roles as an interior designer and movie producer, Victoria Chlebowski has expanded her portfolio to include documentary filmmaking. She served as a producer for her husband's 2009 directorial film, "Hungry Ghosts."

Currently, after twenty-six years of partnership with her husband, they are collaborating on a new spiritually-themed film, where they hold executive producer roles. 

Their latest project focuses on creating a documentary about the Tenzin Gyatso Scholars Program, which sponsors Tibetan monastics studying neuroscience, biology, physics, and social sciences in the United States. This initiative is part of the Tenzin Gyatso Institute, dedicated to advancing the vision and values of the Dalai Lama. 

In addition to her interior design and film production roles, Victoria's diverse professional background showcases her involvement in creating meaningful and impactful content.

Victoria Chlebowski And Michael Imperioli Are College Sweethearts 

Victoria Chlebowski and Michael Imperioli tied the knot on September 19, 1996. This was four years before "The Sopranos" premiered and five months after they first met. 

They had known each other since college, meeting around 1995/96 at a bar. Imperioli, in a May 2007 interview in a small theater, mentioned this, but she didn't want to reveal the bar's location because it was too personal. 

Together, Chlebowski and Imperioli are proud parents to three children: Vadim, David, and Isabella. Isabella is from Victoria's previous relationship.

Balancing their lives between Santa Barbara, California, and the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City, the family has a rich and diverse background. Their eldest son, Vadim, pursued Film studies at Purchase College and graduated from Santa Barbara High School in California.

Victoria Chlebowski And Her Husband Follow Buddhism

During college, Victoria Chlebowski delved into philosophy and read numerous Buddhist books, sharing her discoveries with her future husband, Michael Imperioli. Around 2016, the couple started attending Buddhist teachings in New York City, initially by Gelek Rinpoche, teacher to Allen Ginsberg and Phillip Glass. 

They actively participate in Gelek Rinpoche's teachings, as well as those by Sogyal Rinpoche and the Dalai Lama. In July 2020, the parents of three took refuge with Garchen Rinpoche. 

The couple are students of Tibetan Buddhist lama Namkha Rinpoche and have established a center in Tribeca for Rinpoche to teach. According to Imperioli, Buddhism has brought positive changes to Chlebowski, enhancing her patience, tolerance, and peace of mind. 

Michael notes how her kindness to herself has been an inspiration to him and their children. The couple incorporates meditation into their daily routine, practicing in the morning and shortly before bedtime.

Victoria Chlebowski Contracted COVID-19  

In April 2020, Victoria Chlebowski's husband shared the time he believed he had COVID-19 but didn't get tested. Michael Imperioli revealed he felt extremely unwell when he arrived in California from New York on March 1st, 2020, but opted not to visit the doctor.  

Imperioli suspected that the virus had also affected one of his sons and his wife, Chlebowski. Although the family experienced being "pretty sick," fortunately, their condition didn't necessitate hospital treatment.  

Also See: Exploring the Musical World of Kandy Johnson Isley: Wife of Ronald Isley 

Michael explained, "My wife and one of my kids got it. We had most of the symptoms. We didn’t get tested because we weren’t sick enough to go to the hospital. We didn’t want to go to the hospital. We haven’t been tested... We're better now but we were pretty sick."  

In addition, Chlebowski's husband admitted that on his first day of The Sopranos, he feared getting fired. Because he hadn't informed producers that he couldn't drive, a crucial skill for his character who often served as Tony Soprano's driver.

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