In a 90-minute visit to John Jay High School in Cross River on Tuesday, March 19, Edie Falco, known for playing Carmela Soprano in "The Sopranos," spoke to over 100 students as part of the school's Social and Theoretical Criticism in the Serial Narrative elective.
During the visit, which took place in the school's auditorium, Falco answered students' questions about her life and career and told the story of how she was introduced to acting by her mother, who did community theater.
"It seemed so fun," Falco said, adding, "But my mom had a job!”
She eventually overcame shyness and began auditioning for high school plays and musicals, discovering a love for being on stage.
Falco also revealed to the students that she almost missed out on joining the cast of "The Sopranos."
"I almost didn’t audition for ‘The Sopranos. I had a job—I was in ‘Oz.’ I thought it was about singers. I could have so easily missed it," she told students, adding, "Only long after shooting it did we realize it was going to be big. The way things unfold in life has been magical.”
Toward the end of the visit, Falco received a particularly interesting question: "You’re speaking to a room full of kids about to graduate. What do you tell your 17-year-old self?”
Her response: "Stop worrying. It will work out."
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