Edie Falco worried fans would know she was 'faking' being a mom and wife on 'The Sopranos'

'When we shot these things, I was not married nor did I have children, and I was very concerned,' she said

Edie Falco is looking back on her iconic role as Carmela Soprano and admitting she once worried viewers might see through her performance as a devoted mother and wife on The Sopranos.

The Emmy-winning actor shared the concern during a panel discussion at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City, where she appeared alongside series creator David Chase and co-star Dominic Chianese as part of an event celebrating the landmark HBO drama.

Falco revealed that when the show was filming, she was neither married nor a parent, which made her anxious that audiences would notice she was “faking” the maternal side of the character. “When we shot these things, I was not married nor did I have children, and I was very concerned that somehow everybody would know I was faking,” she said.

On the series, Falco played Carmela Soprano, the strong-willed wife of mob boss Tony Soprano, portrayed by the late James Gandolfini. Carmela spent much of the show raising their two children, Meadow and A.J., while navigating the complicated realities of Tony’s criminal life.

Falco said she questioned whether she truly understood the instincts of a mother while portraying the role. But there were moments in the script that reassured her that the emotional reactions she brought to the character felt genuine.

Years later, Falco gained a new perspective after adopting her son Anderson and daughter Macy. Experiencing motherhood firsthand made her realize that many of Carmela’s emotional responses were closer to real life than she initially thought.

Reflecting on her parenting now, Falco joked that she behaves much like Carmela did, especially when reacting enthusiastically to her children. Her son, now in his twenties, often rolls his eyes when she becomes overly excited, she said.

Despite Falco’s unforgettable performance on the series, she has previously revealed that her children have never watched The Sopranos and are largely unimpressed by her acting career, though they do enjoy the perks that come with it.

The acclaimed HBO drama ran for six seasons from 1999 to 2007 and is widely considered one of the most influential television series of all time, with Falco’s portrayal of Carmela remaining one of its most celebrated performances.