Edie Falco Worried People Would Know She Was 'Faking' Being a Mother and Wife in “The Sopranos”
Edie Falco Worried People Would Know She Was 'Faking' Being a Mother and Wife in “The Sopranos”
Tereza Shkurtaj, Raven BrunnerSat, March 7, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC
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Edie Falco.Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty -
Edie Falco attended a new exhibition at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City honoring 'The Sopranos'
The actress, who is known for playing Carmela Soprano, spoke on a panel with David Chase and Dominic Chianese
During the event, she opened up about how her acting perspective on The Sopranos has changed since becoming a mother
Edie Falco has long been celebrated for her unforgettable portrayal of Carmela Soprano on the HBO drama The Sopranos.
On Feb. 27, she appeared at the Museum of the Moving Image as the institution honored the groundbreaking series with a special exhibition. During a panel discussion alongside series creator David Chase and costar Dominic Chianese, Falco reflected on her time playing the complex mob wife. She shared how her understanding of Carmela has shifted over the years, especially after becoming a mother herself.
“When we shot these things, I was not married nor did I have children, and I was very concerned that that would somehow…everybody would know I was faking,” Falco said.
Robert Iler, James Gandolfini, Edie Falco and Jamie-lynn Sigler.Credit: Moviestore/Shutterstock
At the time, Falco worried that her performance as a devoted mother wouldn’t feel authentic. Carmela, the strong-willed wife of Tony Soprano, was raising two children — Meadow, played by Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and A.J., portrayed by Robert Iler.
Much of Carmela’s emotional life revolved around protecting and guiding her kids while balancing the realities of her husband’s criminal world. Falco admitted she doubted whether she could fully capture that maternal instinct.
“I didn't think I had that gene, but when A.J. pulls up after his trip, and how excited she is to see him, I was like, ‘No, I totally believed that,’” she said, relieved.
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Years later, life gave her a new perspective. Falco became a mother when she adopted son Anderson and daughter Macy. Experiencing parenthood firsthand changed how she views those earlier scenes.
“After having a son, who's now 21, I behaved exactly like that when he was away for a weekend,” she admitted. “I make a fool of myself and have him rolling his eyes at me.”
Edie Falco and her kids in 2016.Credit: Brad Barket/Getty
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Despite her iconic role, Falco revealed in a 2024 interview with PEOPLE that her children haven’t watched the series.
"They're so over it," she shared. "They've never seen it. Either of them. But I hope that maybe someday they will and maybe they'll like it. But yeah, they're not impressed at all."
Instead, Falco said her kids were more impressed with the perks of having an award-winning actress as their mother. "Not my work,” she emphasized. “But the things that I have that are available to them as a result of being my kids, they're alright with that, oddly enough.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
