The Life Behind the Character: How Edie Falco’s First-hand Experience Helped Her Propel Her Career For Two Decades
Kickstarting her career during the late 1980’s, Edie Falco wasn’t in the fast lane on her way to success. She had to act in a variety of roles before her breakthrough performance as a mafia wife Carmela Soprano in the hit HBO drama entitled The Sopranos (1999-2007).
From then on, after starring in different films, the 51-year old actress has found recent success as she portrayed the story of a nurse hiding her addiction on the Showtime black comedy called Nurse Jackie (2009).
The biggest secret to her incredible performances?
Simple: Falco also once experienced first-hand the exact same battles the characters she portrayed had.
Born as Edith Falco in Brooklyn, New York, “Edie” is a daughter of a Jazz drummer, Frank Falco, who worked in an advertising agency and Judith Falco who was also an actress.
The young Falco, together with her family, moved through many different places during her early days. Most of her childhood was spent in Long Island, but then her family went on to live in Hicksville and quickly moved to North Babylon, eventually leaving again to move to West Islip, before the family finally decided to stay in Northport a couple of years later.
After graduating high school in Northport High, Edie Falco then decided to go to college and pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting at the State University of New York. It was during this period where she also met her fellow actors such as Paul Schulze, Ving Rhames, Stanley Tucci.
Falco graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in 1986 and right after her graduation, she decided to move to Manhattan and pursue her dream to have an acting career. She auditioned for various roles while working different jobs to support herself financially while reaching her dreams.
Film Success
After years of doing the same thing, opportunities began to knock on Falco’s door. In 1989, she appeared in minor roles in films such as The Unbelievable Truth (1989) and Sidewalk Stories (1989). The world started to notice the actress’ talent and she became a part of a film entitled Trust (1990).
Things started to get better for the career of the actress. After three consecutive appearances in different films, she went on to act on even more flicks like Laws of Gravity in 1992, where she acted alongside Peter Greene and got her very first notable performance as an actress in 1994 for her role in Woody Allen’s Bullets over Broadway.
The Fall Off
Though things were going as great as ever for the actress’ acting career, this newfound fame was apparently taking its toll in the actress’ personal life.
It was also in the early 90’s where her drinking problems started to get a bit out of control, claiming that she was “drunk all the time” and that her life was “an absolute mess.”
She also said that she oftentimes “hang out with very scary and dangerous people” and was behaving in ways that she was “horrified” by. At this point of her career, the actress was very chaotic, and though she continued on to have enormous amounts of success, her life was on for a ride in a downward spiral.
She spent most of the 1990’s partying and getting smothered by alcohol on a nightly basis. Though she was praised by some directors, her drinking habit seemed to be clipping her wings, stopping her from getting any higher than she was at this point.
Despite having acted in different roles for various films, it was obvious that the actress was not meeting the expectations and is not living up to her potential.
Bouncing back
Realizing the things that were happening to her career, the actress woke up after another night of obsessive drinking, and decided that she needed to change her ways.
After one particular night of debauchery, she said that she was not going to do it anymore with a simple, “Okay, I’m done.”
Those are the exact words that came out on Falco’s mouth when she finally thought about concluding her habits.
After this happened, Falco went on to start changing her ways. This was also the time where her career started to take on new heights. Landing her a role in the absolutely amazing The Sopranos where her performance got the attention of not only her fans, but viewers throughout the world.
However, the success of the series also brought Falco’s commitment to stay sober to the test. She said that while shooting The Sopranos, the cast would always go out to have fun.
“This cast in particular, they really love to hang out and party,” she said. But it seems like her decision is already finalized and she has no plans in going back to her old ways, “They make it look like fun. And it was fun for me! They spend a lot more time without me than with me… 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.” Falco stated.
After the success of her film, she made use of the momentum that she got and continued to play a part of the success of another film entitled Nurse Jackie. The actress claimed that playing the role of an addict nurse resonates with her because addiction was also a “big part of her life.”
“All that stuff is of tremendous interest to me,” she said while describing her character in the film, “The helplessness around [addiction], and learning to deal with that, and all the various 12-step programs I’ve been a part of over the years, and how much they’ve helped me, and how hard it is to love somebody who is going through that and remain distant enough to not let it crush you each time.”
Up until today, after more than two decades of sobriety, the actress still describes her professional success as “an embarrassment of riches” claiming that she never in her wildest dreams thought that she would become this successful, especially back when she used to struggle with drugs and alcohol. Fortunately, she went on to have such an amazing run not only in her professional career, but also in her life.
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