Edie Falco says she was forced to accept her alcoholism and give up drinking after realizing she had hit rock bottom when she was in her late twenties.
The actress, 58, a household name thanks to starring roles in The Sopranos and Nurse Jackie, has been sober for 29-years after social drinking led to her over-compensating for a lack of self-confidence by using alcohol on a daily basis.
But she admits the reality of her actions hit home after a late night out led to a potentially dangerous situation, prompting her to change her lifestyle.
Opening up: Edie Falco says she was forced to accept her alcoholism and give up drinking after realizing she had hit rock bottom when she was in her late twenties
She told The Guardian: ‘I was a non-drinker for years, then I had my first drink at college and I found nirvana. It was the answer to all my problems, and the cause of all my other problems.
On whether she only used alcohol during those early years of experimentation, she added: ‘I was a big fan of cocaine if it was around, but I could never afford any, and marijuana just gave me anxiety.’
The reality check came after she woke up following a heavy night out to discover she had left her apartment door wide open a decision that ultimately served as the catalyst for an upturn in her career.
Success: The actress, 58, a household name thanks to starring role in The Sopranos (pictured), has been sober for 29-years
Small roles in big-budget films such as Sylvester Stallone’s Cop Land led to her winning a lead role in HBO show The Sopranos, as mafia boss Tony’s long-suffering wife Carmela.
Over a 10-year run she developed a close friendship with her screen husband, played by the late James Gandolfini, and she admits she was devastated by his sudden death from heart failure aged 51 in 2013.
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‘It’s sad. Just incredibly sad,’ she said, admitting she still finds it too painful to watch The Sopranos, which she confesses to having never watched despite her prominent role.
Tight bond: Over a 10-year run she developed a close friendship with her screen husband, played by the late James Gandolfini, and she admits she was devastated by his sudden death from heart failure aged 51 in 2013
‘It was too fraught, and a big part of that is Jim. People die and you move on, then you see them on screen, and it is too shocking.
‘And Jimmy and I were kids then! Neither of us knew what we were doing, but we worked in the same way, not preparing, but like kids in a sandbox.’
She added: ‘[Close friend and former co-star] Aida [Turturro] and I watched a few episodes and I said, “This is killing me.”‘
Old times: Edie gave up drinking almost 30 years ago, while struggling to establish herself as an actress with small parts in films such as 1990 release Trust (pictured)
Edie and James played married couple Carmela and Tony Soprano who try to live a normal life despite his criminal career and frequent indiscretions with other women.
‘We did not spend a lot of time talking about the scripts,’ she told the New Yorker recently. ‘It was like when you see two kids playing in the sandbox, completely immersed in their imaginary world. That’s what it felt like acting opposite Jim.’
The series also starred starred Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, Steven Van Zandt, Robert Iler and Tony Sirico.
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