Edith Falco (born July 5, 1963) is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Carmela Soprano on the HBO series The Sopranos (1999–2007), and Nurse Jackie Peyton on the Showtime series Nurse Jackie (2009–2015). She also portrayed Diane Whittlesey in HBO's prison drama Oz (1997–2000).
Edie Falco | |
|---|---|
 Falco in 2010 | |
| Born | Edith Falco July 5, 1963 New York City, U.S. |
| Education | State University of New York at Purchase (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Edward Falco (uncle) |
| Awards | Full list |
In 2016, she played Sylvia Wittel on the web series Horace and Pete. In 2017, she portrayed defense attorney Leslie Abramson in the first season of the true crime anthology cubic series Law & Order True Crime. Falco's film work includes lead roles in Laws of Gravity (1992), for which she was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead and Judy Berlin (1999), and supporting roles in films including Sunshine State (2002), Freedomland (2006), The Comedian (2016), and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). For her role in the 2011 Broadway revival of The House of Blue Leaves, she earned a nomination for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.
Falco has won two Golden Globe awards (from eleven nominations) and four Emmy awards (from fourteen nominations), all for individual performances.
Early life
Falco was born in the New York City borough of Brooklyn on July 5, 1963, the daughter of Judith Anderson, an actress, and Frank Falco, a jazz drummer who later worked for an advertising agency.[1][2] Her father was of Italian descent and her mother had Swedish, English and Cornish (1/16th) ancestry.[3][4][5] She has two brothers, Joseph and Paul, and a sister, Ruth. Her uncle is novelist, playwright, and poet Edward Falco. In 2012, Falco was the subject of an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? which focused on one of her ancestors, a Cornish master mariner from Penzance who was born at sea and died in 1840.[6][7][8]
From the age of four, Falco was raised on Long Island, moving with her family to Hicksville, then North Babylon, and finally West Islip.[1][9] As a child, she acted in plays at the Arena Players Repertory Theater in East Farmingdale, where her mother also performed.[1][2][10] Her family eventually moved to Northport, where she attended high school and played Eliza Doolittle in a production of My Fair Lady during her senior year.[1][2] Falco graduated from Northport High School in 1981.[1][2] She attended the acting program at State University of New York at Purchase,[1][2][11] and graduated in 1986 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting.[12]
Career
1987–1999: Early career
Early in her career, Falco made appearances on television shows like Law & Order and Homicide: Life on the Street. Tom Fontana, executive producer of Homicide, cast Falco as Eva Thormann, the wife of an injured police officer, after watching Falco's performance in Laws of Gravity, a 1992 film directed by Nick Gomez. Fontana said of her, "She's an actress who's unadorned by any embroidery. She does everything with such simplicity and honesty, it's breathtaking."[13] A struggling actress at the time, Falco said her salary from these television episodes paid for one month's worth of rent.[14]
She debuted on the big screen in 1987's Sweet Lorraine starring Maureen Stapleton.[15] Later, she had a small speaking role in the 1994 Woody Allen film Bullets over Broadway. Her friendship with former SUNY Purchase classmate Eric Mendelsohn, who was the assistant to Allen's costume designer, Jeffrey Kurland, helped her to be cast in the role. Mendelsohn went on to direct Falco in his feature film Judy Berlin, for which he won Best Director honors at the Sundance Film Festival. Falco went on to star in Mendelsohn's next film 3 Backyards, for which he won Best Director a second time.[16]
During this time, Falco appeared in the films Trust, Cop Land, Private Parts (nonspeaking part), and Random Hearts. On Broadway, she appeared in the Tony Award-winning Side Man and in the revivals of Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune opposite Stanley Tucci, and 'night, Mother opposite Brenda Blethyn.[17]
In 1997, Falco started portraying prison officer Diane Whittlesey, in the HBO series Oz. Falco got the role after working with Fontana on Homicide.[18]
1999–2007: The Sopranos
Falco received her breakout role in the HBO drama The Sopranos. The series premiered in 1999 and ended in 2007. She portrayed Carmela Soprano, wife of Mafia boss Tony Soprano. The series received wide acclaim, and is often considered to be one of the greatest television series of all time.[19][20][21][22][23] For her role on the series, Falco won three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and five Screen Actors Guild Awards. As of 2008, Falco, The X-Files star Gillian Anderson, Ugly Betty star America Ferrera, and 30 Rock's Tina Fey were the only actresses to have received a Golden Globe, an Emmy, and a SAG Award in the same year. Falco won these awards in 2003 for her performance as Carmela Soprano during the fourth season of The Sopranos. During her tenure on The Sopranos, Falco appeared in films such as Freedomland and John Sayles' Sunshine State, for which she received the Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress.[24] Falco also guest starred on the television series Will & Grace[25] and had a recurring role on the second season of 30 Rock as Celeste Cunningham.
2007–2015: Nurse Jackie and Horace and Pete
Falco starred as the title character in the Showtime dark comedy series Nurse Jackie, which premiered on June 8, 2009, and ended on June 28, 2015. She won her fourth Primetime Emmy Award for the series.[26][27][28][29]
In 2011, Falco played the part of Bananas in the Broadway revival of The House of Blue Leaves in New York City with Ben Stiller and Jennifer Jason Leigh, for which she received her first and only Tony Award nomination.[30] Ben Brantley, in his review for the show, noted that, "Ms. Falco endows the anguished Bananas with such unvarnished emotional transparency — and clinical exactness — that it hurts to look at her."
It was announced in January 2013 that Falco would star in Liz Flahive's The Madrid off-Broadway. The limited engagement, directed by Leigh Silverman, began previews on February 5 with an official opening on February 26. Along with Falco, the play starred John Ellison, Christopher Evan Welch, Phoebe Strole, and Frances Sternhagen.[31]
In 2016, Falco started portraying Sylvia Wittel on the Louis C.K. series Horace and Pete. The first episode was released on January 30, 2016, on C.K.'s website without any prior announcements.[32] New episodes premiered weekly until the tenth episode was released on April 2, 2016.[33]
2016–present: Continued television work
In September 2017, she began portraying Leslie Abramson in the first season of the NBC true crime anthology series Law & Order True Crime, subtitled The Menendez Murders.[34]
In 2020, she appeared as the lead character in the Paul Attanasio TV series Tommy.
Falco originally reprised her breakout role as Carmela Soprano for the 2021 film The Many Saints of Newark, a prequel to The Sopranos. However, her scenes were cut from the finished film.[35]
Falco also starred in the FX true crime series Impeachment: American Crime Story as Hillary Rodham Clinton, wife of President Bill Clinton.
She can currently be seen playing Amy Davidson in Pete Davidson's semi-autobiographical series, "Bupkis" on peacock (streaming service).
Politics
During the 2004 U.S. presidential election, Falco appeared in a 30-second television commercial on behalf of Mothers Opposing Bush in which she said, "Mothers always put their children first. Mr. Bush, can you say the same?" [36]
Falco has become the spokesperson for Health Care for America Now and appeared on CNN on June 25, 2009.[37]
Personal life
In 2003, Falco was diagnosed with breast cancer. She chose not to make the news public until the following year.[38] She has struggled with alcoholism and decided to become sober in the early 1990s after "one particular night of debauchery". She said in an interview that it was difficult to be around the hard-partying cast of The Sopranos, stating, "This cast, in particular, they really love to hang out and party. They make it look like fun. And it was fun for me! They spend a lot more time without me than with me, by my own choice. I'm always invited, and I'm always there for two minutes and I leave, because I can't live in that world anymore. It's too dangerous."[38] She is an advocate of Alcoholics Anonymous' 12-step program.[39]
Falco is a Buddhist.[40][41] She adopted a son in 2005 and a daughter in 2008.[42] She is a vegan and has worked with PETA on projects, including a public-service message urging parents to keep their children away from the circus.[43] She told Parade magazine, "I believe this is at the base of everything bad in society—you can bring it back to cruelty to animals. If you don't have respect for the life of any kind, it will manifest in more obvious ways."[44]
Filmography
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
Film
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Sweet Lorraine[45] | Karen | Credited as Edith Falco |
| 1989 | The Unbelievable Truth | Jane – The Waitress | |
| Sidewalk Stories | Woman in Carriage | ||
| 1990 | Trust | Peg Coughlin | |
| 1991 | I Was on Mars | Female Cab Driver | |
| 1992 | Laws of Gravity | Denise | |
| Time Expired | Ginny | Short film | |
| 1993 | Rift | Film Director | |
| 1994 | Bullets over Broadway | Lorna | |
| 1995 | The Addiction | Jean | |
| Backfire! | Mom | ||
| 1996 | Layin' Low | Angie | |
| The Funeral | Union Speaker | ||
| Breathing Room | Marcy | ||
| Childhood's End | Patty | ||
| 1997 | Hurricane Streets | Joanna | |
| Private Parts | Alison's Friend | Uncredited | |
| Cop Land | Berta (Bomb Squad Agent) | ||
| Trouble on the Corner | Vivian Stewart | ||
| Cost of Living | Billie | ||
| 1998 | Blind Light | Diana DiBianco | |
| A Price Above Rubies | Feiga | ||
| 1999 | Judy Berlin | Judy Berlin | |
| Stringer | TV Producer | ||
| Random Hearts | Janice | ||
| 2000 | Death of a Dog | Mom | |
| Overnight Sensation | Festival Coordinator | ||
| 2002 | Sunshine State | Marly Temple | |
| 2004 | Family of the Year | ||
| 2005 | The Girl from Monday | Judge | |
| The Great New Wonderful | Safarah Polsky | Segment: "Emme's Story" | |
| The Quiet | Olivia Deer | ||
| 2006 | Freedomland | Karen Colluci | |
| 2010 | 3 Backyards | Peggy | |
| 2013 | Gods Behaving Badly | Artemis | |
| 2016 | The Comedian | Miller | |
| 2017 | Landline | Pat Jacobs | |
| Megan Leavey | Jackie Leavey | ||
| Outside In | Carol Beasley | ||
| I Love You, Daddy | Paula | ||
| 2018 | Every Act of Life | Herself | Documentary |
| Viper Club | Charlotte | ||
| The Land of Steady Habits | Helene Harris | ||
| 2022 | Avatar: The Way of Water | General Frances Ardmore | |
| 2023 | Fool's Paradise | The Agent | |
| The Mother | Eleanor Williams | ||
| I'll Be Right There | Wanda | ||
| 2025 | Avatar 3 † | General Frances Ardmore | Post-production |
| TBA | The Parenting † | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–1995 | Loving | Nurse Becker | Recurring role, 14 episodes |
| 1993–1997 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Eva Thormann | Recurring role, 5 episodes |
| 1993–1998 | Law & Order | Sally Bell | 4 episodes |
| 1995–1997 | New York Undercover | Sgt. Kelly | 3 episodes |
| 1996 | The Sunshine Boys | Carol | Television film |
| 1997 | Firehouse | Kate Wilkinson | Television film |
| 1997–2000 | Oz | Diane Whittlesey | Recurring role, 23 episodes |
| 1999–2007 | The Sopranos | Carmela Soprano | Main role, 85 episodes |
| 2000 | The Sight | Ghost | Television film, uncredited |
| 2001 | Jenifer | Wheelchair Saleswoman | Teleivison film |
| 2004 | Will & Grace | Deirdre | 1 episode |
| 2007–2008 | 30 Rock | Celeste "C. C." Cunningham | Recurring role, 4 episodes |
| 2009–2015 | Nurse Jackie | Jackie Peyton | Main role, 80 episodes |
| 2016 | Horace and Pete | Sylvia | Main role, 8 episodes |
| 2017 | Law & Order True Crime | Leslie Abramson | Main role, 8 episodes |
| 2018 | Animals. | Psycho (voice) | 1 episode |
| 2020 | Tommy | Abigail "Tommy" Thomas | Main role, 12 episodes |
| Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party | Herself | 1 episode | |
| 2021 | Impeachment: American Crime Story | Hillary Clinton | Main role, 7 episodes |
| 2023 | Bupkis | Amy Davidson | Main role |
| The Other Two[46] | Herself | 1 Episode |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Side Man | Terry | Classic Stage Company Mar 11, 1998 – Mar 29, 1998 |
| 1999 | John Golden Theatre Jan 8, 1999 – Jul 1999 | ||
| 2002 | Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune | Frankie | Belasco Theatre Aug 8, 2002 – Dec 29, 2002 |
| 2004–2005 | 'night, Mother | Jessie Cates | Royale Theatre Nov 14, 2004 – Jan 9, 2005 |
| 2010 | This Wide Night | Lorraine | Peter Jay Sharp Theater May 8, 2010 – June 27, 2010 |
| 2011 | The House of Blue Leaves | Bananas Shaughnessy | Walter Kerr Theatre Apr 25, 2011 – Jun 25, 2011 |
| 2013 | The Madrid | Martha | New York City Center - Stage I Feb 5, 2013 – May 5, 2013 |
| 2018 | The True | Dorothea "Polly" Noonan | Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre Oct 12, 2018 – Oct 28, 2018 |
| 2021 | Morning Sun | Charley | New York City Center - Stage I Oct 12, 2021 – Dec 19, 2021 |
Awards and nominations
References
- ^ a b c d e f Jacobson, Aileen (April 26, 2011). "Edie Falco: Climbing Trees and Following Leads". Long Island Pulse.
- ^ a b c d e Raymond, Chris (July 16, 2012). "Edie Falco's Life Lessons". Success.com.
- ^ Priggé, Steven. "Edie Falco". Steven Priggé. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
- ^ Foreman, Jonathan (July 13, 2002). "Mob happy". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
- ^ Stated on Who Do You Think You Are?, April 6, 2012.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (January 6, 2012). "Martin Sheen, Reba McEntire, Rob Lowe Among 'Who Do You Think You Are?' Season 3 Cast". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
- ^ Eastman, Dick (April 8, 2012). "Last Friday's Who Do You Think You Are? with Edie Falco". Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
- ^ "tracingthetree". Edie Falco, Who Do You Think You Are?. April 8, 2012. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
- ^ Green, Jesse (November 7, 2004). "Edie Falco, Unmarried to the Mob". The New York Times. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
- ^ Jacobson, Aileen (October 14, 2011). "A Final Curtain, but More Opening Ones Are Ahead". The New York Times.
- ^ Alston, Shaniese (October 22, 2013). "8 SUNY Alumni You Can See On The Screen". SUNY.edu.
- ^ "Media & Entertainment Award Winners". SUNY.edu. Archived from the original on July 2, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
- ^ Fretts, Bruce (January 15, 1999). "The Courtship of Edie Falco; The much sought-after star of Oz and Sopranos". Entertainment Weekly. p. 48.
- ^ Koltnow, Barry (June 21, 2002). "Edie Falco follows unlikely path to stardom and her latest movie". The Orange County Register. Santa Ana, California.
- ^ Maslin, Janet (May 1, 1987). "FILM: 'SWEET LORRAINE'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ Lim, Dennis (March 4, 2011). "O Suburbia, With a Touch of the Cosmic". The New York Times. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
- ^ Brantley, Ben (November 15, 2004). "Mother-Daughter Angst, With Death in the Wings". The New York Times. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
- ^ Morris, Mark (September 24, 2000). "Shooting star". The Observer. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
- ^ Lusher, Tim (January 12, 2010). "The Guardian's top 50 television dramas of all time". The Guardian. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ^ Rorke, Robert (April 27, 2008). "THE 35 BEST SHOWS ON TV–EVER". New York Post. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ^ Mann, Bill (December 14, 2009). "Bill Mann: TV Critic's Call: Here Are The Decade's 10 Best Series". The Huffington Post. Retrieved May 31, 2012.
- ^ Johnston, Andrew; Sepinwall, Alan (March 5, 2008). "David vs. David vs. David; or Which Is the Greatest TV Drama Ever, Simon's The Wire, Milch's Deadwood, or Chase's The Sopranos?". Slant Magazine. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
- ^ Sheffield, Rob (September 21, 2016). "100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
- ^ King, Susan (December 15, 2002). "L.A. Film Critics Pick 'Schmidt' as Year's Best Film". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
- ^ "Memorable Will & Grace guest stars: Edie Falco and Chloe Sevigny". Entertainment Weekly. March 30, 2006. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
- ^ "Nurse Jackie: Official Site". Sho.com. Archived from the original on June 14, 2010. Retrieved March 3, 2009.
- ^ Starr, Michael (June 30, 2008). "Nurse Edie: First Look at Sopranos Star's Dark, New Hospital Comedy". New York Post. NYPost.com. Retrieved March 8, 2009.
- ^ Krukowski, Andrew (July 18, 2008). "Showtime Orders Nurse Jackie, Grows Weeds". TVWeek.com. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2009.
- ^ "Cable Networks Draw Big Names For New 2009 Series". NBCWashington.com. December 22, 2008. Retrieved March 8, 2009.
- ^ "2011 Tony Nominations Announced! THE BOOK OF MORMON Leads With 14!". Broadwayworld.com. Retrieved February 23, 2012.
- ^ "Edie Falco Heads Off-Broadway with 'The Madrid'". BroadwayTour.net. January 30, 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
- ^ "Louis C.K. Surprises Fans With 'Horace and Pete' Web Series Co-Starring Steve Buscemi". Variety. January 30, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ Seitz, Matt Zoller (April 5, 2016). "Horace and Pete Was More Comfortable With Silence Than Any TV Show in Recent Memory". Vulture. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
- ^ Gelman, Vlada (February 3, 2017). "Law & Order: True Crime: Edie Falco Cast as Menendez Brothers' Attorney". TVLine. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
- ^ Starkey, Adam (September 20, 2021). "Edie Falco shot a Carmela scene for 'The Many Saints Of Newark' which didn't make the final cut". NME. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
- ^ "Groups Want Piece of Campaign Ad Buy Pie". Fox News. September 10, 2004.
- ^ "Video News - CNN". CNN.
- ^ a b Nussbaum, Emily (April 1, 2007). "The Loneliest Soprano". New York Magazine. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
- ^ "Edie Falco: Sobriety Helped Battle Cancer". Parade Magazine. March 24, 2009.
- ^ Jones, Nate (March 30, 2018). "Coffee With Edie Falco, Buddhist Mom of the West Village". Vulture.com. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
- ^ Nevins, Jake (April 11, 2018). "Edie Falco: 'I've never loved the work more, but I'm not cut out for the business'". The Guardian. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
- ^ Slonim, Jeffrey (February 9, 2010). "Edie Falco: My Kids Look Like Fabio and Chucky!". People. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
- ^ "Edie Falco Circus Boycott: Actress Teams With PETA Over Alleged Elephant Abuse (VIDEO)". Huffington Post. March 19, 2013.
- ^ Stephanie Stephens,"Edie Falco as Attorney Leslie Abramson in Menendez Brothers Series: 'She Just Knew'," Parade, September 26, 2017.
- ^ Maslin, Janet (May 1, 1987). "FILM: 'SWEET LORRAINE'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
- ^ "The Other Two Is Taking "Big Swings" in Season 3". Vanity Fair. March 16, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
External links
Media from Commons
Quotations from Wikiquote
Data from Wikidata
- Edie Falco at IMDb
- Edie Falco at the Internet Broadway Database
- Edie Falco at Emmys.com
- Edie Falco at The Interviews: An Oral History of Television
- Biography at Hollywood.com at archive.today (archived January 25, 2013)
