Edith Falco, known as Edie, was born on July 5, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York, to Judith Anderson, an actress, and Frank Falco, a jazz drummer. Her parents' diverse backgrounds contributed to her mixed ancestry, with Italian, Swedish, English, and Cornish roots.
Growing up on Long Island, Edie attended SUNY Purchase, where she honed her acting skills at the prestigious Conservatory of Theatre Arts and Film. After graduating, she moved to Manhattan, auditioning for roles and supporting herself through various means, including working parties for an entertainment company, where she wore a Cookie Monster costume to get people dancing.
Edie's early film career consisted of small supporting parts, starting in the late 1980s. Her breakthrough role came in 1994 with a supporting part in Bullets Over Broadway.
However, it was television where Edie's career truly flourished. She secured her first recurring roles in 1993 on the acclaimed police dramas Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order. Next came a recurring role on the prison drama Oz, where she played a sympathetic corrections officer.
Despite her continued work in film, Edie's career didn't gain significant traction until 1999, when she was cast in the HBO series The Sopranos as Carmela, the wife of New Jersey Mafia street boss Tony Soprano. Her exceptional dramatic skills earned her widespread acclaim and numerous awards, including the Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG Award.
Edie's roles often find her on one side of the law or the other, playing characters such as a defense attorney, corrections officer, cop's wife, mobster's wife, or police officer. She has also worked extensively on stage, earning awards for her performances in plays like "Sideman," "The Vagina Monologues," "Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune," and "'night Mother."
In contrast to her bold on-screen persona, Edie is self-described as shy, but she is also witty and down-to-earth. She has traveled with her beloved dog Marley, drives instead of putting the dog in the baggage compartment, and has had a relationship with her "Frankie and Johnny" co-star Stanley Tucci.
Edie has faced challenges, including a breast cancer diagnosis in 2004, but her prognosis is excellent. She has also adopted two children, Anderson and Macy, in 2004 and 2008, respectively.
