Edie Falco

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Edie Falco
Edie Falco 2 by David Shankbone.jpg
Falco at the premiere of Tennessee at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival
Born Edith Falco
(1963-07-05) July 5, 1963 (age 49)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1987 – present

Edith "Edie" Falco (pron.: /ˈiːdi ˈfælkoʊ/; born July 5, 1963) is an American television, film and stage actress, known for her roles as Diane Whittlesey in the HBO series Oz, as Carmela Soprano on the HBO series The Sopranos, and as the titular character of the Showtime series Nurse Jackie.

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Early life [edit]

Falco was born in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Judith Anderson, an actress, and Frank Falco, a jazz drummer.[1] Her father was of Italian descent and her mother's ancestry was Swedish and English.[2][3][4] Falco's siblings are Joseph, Paul and Ruth. Her uncle is novelist, playwright and poet Edward Falco, an English professor at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. She was raised in West Islip,[5] on Long Island. Falco graduated from Northport High School in 1981, after playing Eliza Doolittle in a production of My Fair Lady. She attended the Acting Program at SUNY Purchase with fellow actors Stanley Tucci and Ving Rhames; she remains friends with both.

In 2012 Falco was the subject of an episode of Who Do You Think You Are?[6] which focused on her mother's descent from the daughter, born at sea, of an English master mariner who died in 1840.[7]

Career [edit]

Falco in 2007.

Early in her career, Falco made appearances on television shows like Law & Order and Homicide: Life on the Street. Tom Fontana, executive director 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."[8] A struggling actress at the time, Falco said her salary from these television episodes paid for one month's worth of rent.[9] Fontana cast Falco as a regular character, prison officer Diane Whittlesey, in his HBO series Oz based on her work in the Homicide episodes "Son of a Gun" and "A Shot in the Dark".[10]

Her first big break in films was 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 would go on to direct Falco in his feature film Judy Berlin, for which he won "Best Director" honors at the Sundance Film Festival. Falco would go on to star in Mendelsohn's next film "3 Backyards", for which he won "Best Director" a second time. Mendelsohn is the only director to ever win this award twice.

Falco, The X-Files star Gillian Anderson, Ugly Betty star America Ferrera, and 30 Rock's Tina Fey are 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 during the fourth season of The Sopranos.

Edie has won four Emmys,[11] two Golden Globes and five Screen Actors Guild Awards.[12] Falco is the second actor to have won Emmys for lead acting in both a Drama and a Comedy series (the first actor to do so was Carroll O'Connor).

Falco has appeared in the films Trust, Reversal of Fortune,Cop Land, Private Parts (non-speaking part), Random Hearts, Freedomland, and John Sayles' Sunshine State, for which she received the Los Angeles Film Critics Award for "Best Supporting Actress". 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. She has also appeared as a guest star on the television shows 30 Rock and Will & Grace.

Edie stars as the title character in the Showtime dark comedy series Nurse Jackie, which premiered in June 2009.[13][14][15][16]

She recently played the part of Bananas in the Broadway revival of 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.[17] It was announced in January that Falco would star in Liz Flahive's The Madrid Off-Broadway. The limited engagement, directed by Leigh Silverman, will begin performances February 5 with an official opening February 26. Along with Falco, the play will star John Ellison, Christopher Evan Welch, Phoebe Strole and Frances Sternhagen.[18]

Politics [edit]

During the 2004 U.S. presidential election, Falco appeared in a 30-second television commercial on behalf of M.O.B. (Mothers Opposing Bush) in which she said "Mothers always put their children first. Mr. Bush, can you say the same?" referring to the fact that George W. Bush's daughters have no military experience in contrast to his perceived warmongering policies.[19]

Records show that she donated $1,000 to John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign, $300 to the Democratic National Committee in 2004, and two separate sums of $1,000 and $300 to Hillary Clinton in 2005.[20]

Edie Falco has become the spokesperson for Health Care for America Now (HCAN) and appeared on CNN on June 25, 2009.[21]

Personal life [edit]

In 2003, Falco was diagnosed with breast cancer. She chose not to make the news public until the following year.[22]

Falco has had problems with alcohol and decided to become sober after "one particular night of debauchery." She said in an interview that it is hard to be around the hard-partying cast of The Sopranos; "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."[22] She is an advocate of Alcoholics Anonymous's 12-step program.[23]

Falco adopted a son, Anderson, in 2005 and a daughter, Macy, in 2008.[24]

In 2013, Falco teamed up with PETA in an ad urging parents to keep their children away from the circus.[25]

Awards and recognition [edit]

Awards won [edit]

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series
  • 2010: Nurse Jackie (episode submitted: "Pilot")
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Drama Series
  • 1999: The Sopranos (episode submitted: "College")
  • 2001: The Sopranos (episode submitted: "Second Opinion")
  • 2003: The Sopranos (episode submitted: "Whitecaps")
Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama
  • 1999: The Sopranos
  • 2002: The Sopranos
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
  • 1999: The Sopranos
  • 2002: The Sopranos
  • 2007: The Sopranos
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
  • 1999: The Sopranos
  • 2007: The Sopranos
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
  • 2002: Sunshine State
Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture - Drama
  • 2002: Sunshine State

Award nominations [edit]

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series
  • 2011: Nurse Jackie (episode submitted: Rat Falls)
  • 2012: Nurse Jackie
Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Drama Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress - Comedy Series
Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama
  • 2000: The Sopranos
  • 2001: The Sopranos
  • 2004: The Sopranos
  • 2006: The Sopranos
  • 2007: The Sopranos
Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy
  • 2009: Nurse Jackie
  • 2010: Nurse Jackie
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
  • 2000: The Sopranos
  • 2001: The Sopranos
  • 2004: The Sopranos
  • 2006: The Sopranos
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
  • 2000: The Sopranos
  • 2001: The Sopranos
  • 2002: The Sopranos
  • 2004: The Sopranos
  • 2006: The Sopranos
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
  • 2010: Nurse Jackie
  • 2011: Nurse Jackie
  • 2012: Nurse Jackie
Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress
  • 2002: Sunshine State
Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
  • 2002: Sunshine State

Filmography [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ Edie Falco Film Reference biography
  2. ^ Steven Priggé - Interview with Edie Falco
  3. ^ "Mob happy", July 13, 2002. Accessed July 2, 2008.
  4. ^ Stated on Who Do You Think You Are?, April 6, 2012
  5. ^ Green, Jesse. Edie Falco, Unmarried to the Mob, The New York Times, November 7, 2004. Accessed July 2, 2008.
  6. ^ Goldberg, Lesley. "Martin Sheen, Reba McEntire, Rob Lowe Among 'Who Do You Think You Are?' Season 3 Cast". The Hollywood Reporter. 
  7. ^ Eastman, Dick. "Last Friday's Who Do You Think You Are? with Edie Falco". 
  8. ^ Fretts, Bruce (1999-01-15). "The Courtship of Edie Falco; The much sought-after star of "Oz" and "Sopranos"". Entertainment Weekly. p. 48. 
  9. ^ Koltnow, Barry (2002-06-21). "Edie Falco follows unlikely path to stardom and her latest movie". The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, California). 
  10. ^ Morris, Mark (2000-09-24). "Life: Interview: Shooting Stars: After 15 years of waiting tables and dressing up as the Cookie Monster, Edie Falco had given up hope of making it as an actress. But then she married the mob and became the TV hit of the year. Mark Morris is blown away by The Sopranos' Carmela". The Observer (London, England). p. 12. 
  11. ^ Edie Falco Emmy Award Winner
  12. ^ Edie Falco - Awards
  13. ^ "Nurse Jackie: Official Site". Sho.com. Retrieved March 3, 2009. 
  14. ^ 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. 
  15. ^ Krukowski, Andrew (July 18, 2008). "Showtime Orders Nurse Jackie, Grows Weeds". TVWeek.com. Retrieved March 8, 2009. 
  16. ^ "Cable Networks Draw Big Names For New 2009 Series". NBCWashington.com. December 22, 2008. Retrieved March 8, 2009. 
  17. ^ "2011 Tony Nominations Announced! THE BOOK OF MORMON Leads With 14!". Broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2012-02-23. 
  18. ^ "Edie Falco Heads Off-Broadway with 'The Madrid'". BroadwayTour.net. Retrieved 2013-01-31. 
  19. ^ "Groups Want Piece of Campaign Ad Buy Pie". Fox News. September 10, 2004. 
  20. ^ NEWSMEAT ▷ Edie Falco's Federal Campaign Contribution Report
  21. ^ Edie Falco on CNN, June 25, 2009
  22. ^ a b Nussbaum, Emily. The Loneliest Soprano, New York Magazine, April 1, 2007. Accessed July 2, 2008.
  23. ^ "Edie Falco: Sobriety Helped Battle Cancer". Parade Magazine. March 24, 2009. 
  24. ^ Slonim, Jeffrey (February 09, 2010). "Edie Falco: My Kids Look Like Fabio and Chucky!". People.  Text "http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20342668,00.html" ignored (help);
  25. ^ "Edie Falco Circus Boycott: Actress Teams With PETA Over Alleged Elephant Abuse (VIDEO)". Huffington Post. March 19, 2013. 

External links [edit]

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