• 28th of Sept, 2026: [New] A translated short video (with BTS & interview) for Cap Danger (1996) has been added.

• 26th of Sept, 2026: [New] Numerous curated publications spanning from the 1980s to the 2020s have been added to the site. There are too many to list here, so I've marked each new addition with a star. Enjoy~

• 12th of Sept, 2026: [Update] The site FAQ has been updated.

• 11th of July, 2026: [Fix] The site should no longer crash on iOS devices when navigating between pages. If you're still experiencing issues, please message me on my socials @braccobelle, or reach out via the contact form.

• 5th of July, 2026: [Update] The site FAQ has been updated. A few other fixes and changes across the site have been issued.

Born in Brooklyn in the autumn of 1954...

[source: wsj.com // lorraine bracco]

Lorraine grew up on Long Island with her Sicilian-American father, English mother and two siblings (Salvatore Jr. and Elizabeth). In true middle child fashion, she was a little aimless, and while grappling with dyslexia, she found herself struggling in her early school years both academically and socially.

---

“I hated school because I felt really dumb, it was a huge struggle.” — 12th Annual Katz Memorial Lecture, 2014

[source: wsj.com // lorraine bracco]

High school was a much more enjoyable experience for Lorraine because she was able to engage in her creative interests and make meaningful friendships. With the support of her English teacher and her parents, she was encouraged to pursue her aspirations. She went to Wilhelmina Models agency in New York where Wilhelmina herself saw a spark in her. Lorraine then started to work for the agency part-time during the last few years of high school, and was signed full time once she graduated. During this time she did catalogue work, and featured in multiple magazines such as TEEN, Seventeen and Mademoiselle. Before long, Lorraine decided to move to France to pursue her burgeoning modelling career more seriously.

[source: on the couch // lorraine bracco]

During her modelling career, she travelled the world, graced multiple magazine covers, and collaborated with renowned photographers and designers. Most notably, she earned the distinction of becoming Jean Paul Gaultier's muse, partnering with him on both editorial and runway projects. Her striking presence eventually paved the way for her transition into acting.

"All the great photographers used to say to me that I should go to Hollywood. I was like, 'Are you crazy?' All through my 20s people were telling me. Even Catherine Deneuve told me one night in Paris. We had friends in common and were having dinner together. She just looked at me and said: 'Oh, you're an actress!'" — The Big Issue, 2015

In the spring of 1979...

Lorraine welcomed her first child, Margaux, and later that year her debut feature Duos sur canapé was released, in which she played Bubble—an aptly-named "bubbly" girl to whom everyone makes advances that she readily reciprocates. Her debut in Duos sur canapé was followed by performances in Fais gaffe à la gaffe! and Mais qu'est-ce que j'ai fait?.

[source: on the couch // lorraine bracco]

[in her late 20s, surrounded by luxury silks at the hermès factory in france]

During the early 80s, Lorraine dabbled in presenting music programs and starred in documentaries, commercial work, and some bit parts for French television—including a small role in a segment called L'impeccable and an episode of a television show called Commissaire Moulin. Per a recommendation by her friends, she spent a summer working as a DJ for a renowned multilingual radio station called Radio Luxembourg.

In late 1983, Lorraine and her daughter Margaux moved back to New York where she took acting classes at the Acting Studio in addition to classes with Stella Adler as recommended by her then partner, Harvey. Inspired by watching him and other actors perform, she studied their techniques for a year before stepping onto the stage herself. During a trip to Naples, she was cast in a minor role in Lina Wertmüller's arthouse film Camorra and has said that it was an enlightening experience for her.

In the winter of 1985...

Lorraine and her then partner welcomed her second child, Stella. The following year, Lorraine had the opportunity to audition for David Rabe’s play, Goose and Tomtom. In multiple interviews, Lorraine shared how she felt like she performed terribly in the reading and strongly doubted her chances of being cast in the production. However, Rabe saw something special in her and decided she was right for the part. This marked a pivotal moment in her life that further fuelled her passion for acting.

[source: on the couch // lorraine bracco]

Director Ridley Scott became interested in Lorraine after being introduced to her in 1985 and after she auditioned, he subsequently cast Lorraine in her very first American feature role in Someone to Watch Over Me as Ellie Keegan—the tomboyish and fierce wife of an unfaithful NYPD detective. Lorraine credits her experience in this role for giving her invaluable insights into the film industry and how it operates.

"But I was such a rookie. If it weren't for Ridley Scott, my film career would have been over, maybe on the very first day of shooting. I learned so much, it was ridiculous. I didn't know so much, it was ridiculous. But he was my champion" — On the Couch, 2006

Her performance as Ellie was received well by critics and it remains one of her favourite roles to date.

[someone to watch over me]

[goodfellas]

Following this, she worked on a handful of other films before landing her iconic role as Karen Hill in Goodfellas (with zero auditions mind you!). Her performance was widely praised by critics and earned Lorraine her very first Academy Award nomination, cementing her status as a rising star in Hollywood.

[always her dad's winner!]

After the recognition and praise she received for her performance in Goodfellas aided in establishing her legitimacy as an actor, she developed a penchant for taking career risks, consciously choosing projects that she believed were worthwhile and roles that she thought were more fulfilling or said something integral and meaningful.

Throughout the 90s...

she averaged approximately two films per year, briefly returning to France to film Les menteurs and Cap Danger on location, until 1997 when she was subsequently cast as Dr. Jennifer Melfi in HBO's beloved The Sopranos.The 90s were also a tumultuous time in Lorraine's personal life. If you would like to read more about her experience with her relationships, her journey with depression, her recovery, her daughter's illness and her long custody battle, please read Lorraine's autobiography On the Couch in which she intimately and candidly recounts vignettes of her entire life up until the early 00s. It is not my story to tell and I certainly cannot tell it better than she did.

Lorraine attributes therapy, medication, and the people most dear to her as the things that saved her at a low point in her life when she felt like she was drowning in debt both emotionally and financially. The Sopranos came along at a critical time in Lorraine's life. This role didn't just help Lorraine; it also resonated with a lot of fans and Dr. Melfi became a comfort character for many of us.

Melfi also allowed viewers to see Lorraine's full unbridled range as an actor, garnering her considerable admiration from fans and critics alike. Her performance in Employee of the Month (S3E4) is arguably her most career-defining work.

"It was not gratuitous; it was real. So much of the violence we see on the screen especially on television—is airbrushed so that it doesn't appear as gut-wrenchingly awful as it is. I think that's a disservice to society, because violence against another human being is despicable and it should be seen as despicable. You should be revolted." — On the Couch, 2006

This specific episode had a profound impact on victims of sexual assault because it openly depicted the brutal reality of sexual violence and highlighted the widespread injustices that survivors often encounter when navigating the criminal justice system.Additionally, Dr. Melfi had a widespread influence on men by helping normalise and destigmatise the notion of them seeking mental health services, leading to a cultural shift in the ways they navigated their mental health. The rates at which men were attending therapy for their mental health noticeably increased across the country. The enduring impact of Melfi as a character is clear when considering the importance she continues to hold for fans as well as the larger impact she's had on society by helping to ignite critical conversations.

[the sopranos]

Lorraine's performance received widespread critical acclaim, earning her seven major award nominations for her portrayal of Dr. Jennifer Melfi over the course of the show's eight-year run.

In 2002, she made her Broadway debut in The Graduate . . .

taking over the iconic role of Mrs. Robinson from Kathleen Turner. While she had performed on stage before, stepping into this role marked a major milestone as her first time headlining a major theatrical production. She has noted that transitioning from the screen to the Broadway stage presented an exciting challenge. After completing her ten-week Broadway run, she later reprised the role in 2004 for a two-month national tour.

[on stage during her curtain call]

It was a formidable undertaking and certainly didn't compare to her short stint in Goose and Tomtom in the small invite-only workshops at the Lincoln Center.

---

"Opening night isn't easy, and doing the show is a mini-marathon. You run around all over the place, you're changing left and right" — Hampton Sheet, 2003

---

[w/ co-stars, john lavelle and andrea anders]

With The Sopranos nearing to a close in 2006, Lorraine (always eager to do something fun) soft-launched Bracco Wines and officially launched her collection of wines in 2008. Her passion for wine was effortless, stemming from her years in France where she cultivated a deeper appreciation for it. She loves wine so much that she even named her first daughter Margaux after the Château Margaux! (Note: Though she no longer sells Bracco Wines, her range was reportedly well-received at the time, and considered to be affordable with notable flavour profiles.)

[at the vineyards in italy]

In the summer of 2010...

a new crime drama series called Rizzoli & Isles began airing on TNT. Lorraine played the overbearingly loving matriarch Angela Rizzoli and remained one of the show's central characters until the series concluded in 2016.

[rizzoli & isles]

---

"I knew about Tess Gerritsen's books; I'd read them and been a fan for a long time, so when it came up, I said, 'Ah, somebody finally got it together.' And I knew Angie was cast; I thought she was a great Jane Rizzoli, and I thought I could be a good mama [laughs]." — Assignment X, 2011

---

The 2010s were emotionally difficult years for Lorraine, marked by profound loss and grief. Following the heart-breaking passing of both of her parents only a few days apart after battling their respective health issues, she lost her Sopranos scene partner and close friend James Gandolfini just a few years later.

[w/ her dad, mum and sister at the opening night of the graduate]

[messing around w/ james at the emmys in 1999]

These losses became the catalyst for initiating a change in her own life and inspired her to prioritise her health, which led her to try a liver cleanse that she found to be incredibly effective. Feeling significantly healthier and revitalised, she became motivated to extend that knowledge to others and published her second book To the Fullest in the spring of 2015. This book included a comprehensive and structured diet and exercise plan geared specifically for mature women. Her goal was to empower others to lose weight, improve their health, and embrace life to the fullest.

Lorraine has always been an ardent advocate for those in need . . .

as evidenced by her extensive history of activism and charitable work. Her efforts have predominantly centered on women's health and rights, mental health and disabilities, domestic violence prevention, environmental conservation, and foster care—though her compassionate commitment extends well beyond these specific causes as well.

Causes as currently linked on her official website:
Center for Discovery, The
Felix Organisation, The
Food Bank for NYC
Puppies Behind Bars
Retreat, The
Riverkeeper
Rockland Family Center
Safe at Home
Wounded Warrior Project

[on a patrol boat with riverkeeper, which she joined in 1993]

With a long-standing passion and interest in real-estate . . .

[source: nypost.com // hgtv]

it made sense for Lorraine to be intrigued by an opportunity to purchase a 200-year-old house in Sambuca di Sicilia, Italy for only €1. Knowing the house would require considerable renovation, she pitched the idea for a renovation show to HGTV and was given the green light for her three-part series My Big Italian Adventure. After a lot of hard work, more money than she expected to spend, and the help of her contractor Piero, friends, and many town residents, she successfully renovated the property and transformed it into a beautiful home. To my knowledge, Lorraine still owns this property and periodically takes trips there with her family.

During the winter of 2020...

Lorraine began filming for an independent movie called Jacir, a poignant story about a Syrian refugee (Jacir) struggling in the American South amidst pervasive poverty and discrimination.In the film (which released in 2022), Lorraine portrayed Meryl, Jacir's curmudgeonly, opioid-addicted and bigoted next-door neighbour. This was a challenging role for her and unlike any she'd played before. Her performance in Jacir was critically acclaimed and earned her the award for Best Actress at the Reel East Texas Film Festival in 2023.

[jacir]

In the spring of 2025...

[nonnas]

Netflix released Nonnas, a commercially successful, heartwarming family comedy in which Lorraine stars as a cranky-but-passionate Sicilian grandmother named Roberta.

---

"I've never, ever done a comedy before, so this was big for me. I was nervous; I didn't know where to start. (...) It's a character that, never in a million years, I thought I'd play." — AARP, 2025

---

During a 2006 episode of The View, Lorraine expressed a desire to play a character like Junior Soprano. With notable similarities between the characters of Junior and Roberta, it's safe to say that she did in fact realise that aspiration nearly two decades later.

[the mother, the menacer, and me]

Currently, Lorraine continues to work on interesting projects. Her most recently released project is a charming independent film called The Mother, The Menacer, and Me that was released in December of 2025.

Lorraine is at a point in her life where she's been able to find a balance between taking on new projects, engaging in her hobbies, staying active, and—most importantly—spending ample quality time with her family. Only time will tell what's next for her, but my hope is that she remains fulfilled both professionally and personally, while continuing to be a source of joy and inspiration to many.

"I love my work, but for me, the true measure of success is my family—my daughters, my grandchildren," — Women's World, 2025

The creation of The Bracchronicles...

was inspired by a multitude of reasons, many of them personal. One of those reasons is that as a former actor myself, I hold a deep admiration for her skill as a performer. Over the years, Lorraine has proven herself to be an actor with a diverse skillset, and on a technical level she is undeniably skilled (something that is especially evident in The Sopranos and Jacir where her personality seems to be the most subdued in my opinion).Not only does she favour improvisation, but she also excels in her use of subtle micro-expressions as much as she does when she lets her emotions release in raw unfiltered kinetic macro-expressions and explosive gestures. This makes her a fantastic and supportive scene partner for acting greats like James Gandolfini, allowing for their scenes to become much deeper than they would've been otherwise, though equally as effective at taking complete masterful control of a scene all by herself. She also knows when to turn up the camp factor for a scene, possessing a sense of humour and fun that makes her both endearing and incredibly enjoyable to watch.Stylistically, she always brings something fresh and new to each character, pushing for what she believes is best for them. Lorraine continues to display her tenacity and dedication to the craft by giving her all, even when the scenes are difficult and draining or when she's been ill-supported by scripts or directors. She has always added vivacity to every single project of which she's been a part, no matter what obstacles were in her way.

"I just wanted to act really well. My father always told me, if you're going to do something, then make sure you are the best at it. If you're going to be a floor sweeper, be the best floor sweeper. So I just wanted to be the best actress. I didn't care about becoming a movie star."
— Dan's Papers, 2007

There is a profound intimacy and curiosity in everything Lorraine does on screen. She possesses a fragile honesty and innocence that sets her apart from actors who prefer to disappear into their roles through complete personal detachment. She doesn't lose what makes her uniquely herself. In fact, she pushes against that trope, laying herself bare, all while infusing her characters with pieces of her personality, her lived experiences, and her empathy for others. She has the ability to become chameleon-like, while still maintaining her personhood and individuality.

[one of my favourite quotes with my favourite picture of her, both of which exist in one of my favourite magazines, Details 1987]

The glimpses into her personal life that she's chosen to share have only deepened my appreciation for every era of her work, each for their own unique reasons. My hope is that this site will allow others to witness her evolution not just as a creative professional, but also as an individual whom I very much admire—from the young model boldly taking control of her destiny, to the naive actor and presenter taking on projects solely to support her daughter while living in France, to the established actor with the remarkable career that she has today, and absolutely everything in between.

Note: This is an unofficial fan-written career retrospective. It is thoroughly researched, independently maintained and is accurate to the best of my knowledge | Last updated: July 2026

Bracco Film Club

❀ The Wizard of Oz (1939) — mentioned by Lorraine on several occasions.
❀ Now, Voyager (1942) — Lorraine's answer to "What is your favourite Bette Davis movie?" during a Q&A. It was also put forth by her during her guest programmer spot on TCM in 2007.
❀ Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) — mentioned by Lorraine during her guest programmer spot on TCM in 2007.
❀ The Red Shoes (1948) — mentioned by Lorraine on social media.
❀ A Place in the Sun (1951) — put forward by Lorraine during her guest programmer spot on TCM in 2007.
❀ Pat and Mike (1952) — put forward by Lorraine during her guest programmer spot on TCM in 2007.
❀ I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955) — mentioned by Lorraine in George magazine in 2000.
❀ The Rose Tattoo (1955) — poster spotted in her Italian home in My Big Italian Adventure. It was also put forth by her during her guest programmer spot on TCM in 2026.
❀ Two Women (1960) — poster spotted in her Italian home in My Big Italian Adventure.
❀ 8½ (1963) — poster spotted in her Italian home in My Big Italian Adventure.
❀ The Graduate (1967) — mentioned by Lorraine a few times, especially since it's the film adaption of the book that was also adapted into the Broadway play in which she headlined.
❀ Chinatown (1974) — mentioned by Lorraine during her guest programmer spot on TCM in 2007.
❀ Raging Bull (1980) — mentioned by Lorraine in several interviews.
❀ Diner (1982) — mentioned by Lorraine in US magazine in 1991.
❀ Flashdance (1983) — allegedly, Lorraine was considered for the main role of Alex, but this is highly unlikely to be true given the timeline.
❀ Falling in Love (1984) — Lorraine mentioned being a gofer for this movie in Interview magazine in 1990.
❀ After Hours (1985) — the Scorsese movie that Lorraine didn't get cast in, though her audition helped her get cast as Karen in Goodfellas.
❀ 9½ Weeks (1986) — Lorraine mentioned loving this movie in Interview magazine in 1990.
❀ Working Girl (1988) — Lorraine auditioned for the role of Tess but didn't get it, and has mentioned this as a huge loss.
❀ Look Who's Talking (1989) — movie that Lorraine turned down.
❀ My Own Private Idaho (1991) — Lorraine referenced this movie in Interview magazine in 1993.
❀ My Cousin Vinny (1992) — Lorraine turned down the role of Mona because she was overworked.
❀ Batman Returns (1992) — she was rumoured to be considered for the role of Catwoman. I can find no definitive proof of this.
❀ Fearless (1993) — In On the Couch, Lorraine mentioned that she was rejected for this movie because she pushed for the role of Carla, simultaneously turning down the role of Laura.
❀ L.A. Confidential (1997) — she allegedly turned down the role of Lynn. I can find no definitive proof of this, my educated opinion is that this is unlikely given the timeline.
❀ She's So Lovely (1997) — mentioned by Lorraine in Interview magazine in 1999.
❀ Agnes Brown (1999) — she mentioned liking the books on The Rosie O'Donnell Show.
❀ The Insider (1999) — she mentioned liking the movie during a Martha Stewart special.
❀ La Vie En Rose (2007) — put forward by Lorraine during her guest programmer spot on TCM in 2026.
❀ Ice Cream in the Cupboard (2019) — she mentioned the book in Long Island Woman magazine in 2009.
❀ I'm Your Woman (2020) — she mentioned the movie during a podcast with Steve Schirripa.
❀ Being the Ricardos (2021) — she mentioned the movie on social media.
❀ Belfast (2021) — she mentioned the movie on social media.
❀ CODA (2021) — she mentioned the movie on social media.
❀ Red, White and Blue (2023) — she mentioned the short film on social media and hosted several screening events.

---

• screenshots

• promotional images

• screenshots

• promotional images

• screenshots

• awards and nominations

• promotional images

• behind the scenes

• screenshots

• promotional images

• promotional images

• screenshots

• promotional images

• promotional video

• promotional video

• q&a

• trailer

• screenshots

• promotional images

• behind the scenes

• screenshots

• deleted scenes

• screenshots

• promotional images

• behind the scenes

• screenshots

• behind the scenes

• screenshots

• promotional images

• deleted scene

• promotional images

• interview

• playbill

• screenshots

• promotional images

• behind the scenes

• screenshots

• production notes (coming soon)

• clip

• promotional images

• screenshots

• interview

• awards and nominations

• promotional images

• behind the scenes

• deleted scenes

• screenshots

• publications (coming soon)

• promotional images

• screenshots

• screenshots

• promotional images

• interview

• promotional images

• production notes

• screenshots

• promotional images

• screenshots

• promotional images

• behind the scenes

• interview

• promotional images

• screenshots

• interview

• promotional images

• promotional images

• promotional images

• promotional images

• behind the scenes

• production notes

• screenshots

• promotional images

• behind the scenes

• production notes

• screenshots

• interview

• promotional images

• promotional images

• production notes

• screenshots

• awards and nominations

• promotional images

• behind the scenes

• screenshots

• deleted scenes

• promotional images

• screenshots

• promotional images

• production notes

• screenshots

• promotional images

• screenshots

• interview (coming soon)

• production notes (coming soon)

• promotional images

• promotional images

• promotional images

• screenshots

---

Journalist: Bonnie Siegler | Photographer: Stephanie Diani
[May, 2025]

AARP

Journalist: Natasha Stoynoff | Photographer: Stephanie Diani
[April, 2025]

The Guardian

Journalist: Rich Pelley | Photographer: Mark Schafer
[December, 2024]

⋆ Fort Worth Star Telegram

Lorraine Bracco's bargain home turns into her 'Big Italian Adventure'We've all gotten the emails – buy an old home in Italy for next to nothing and renovate it – but few of us had the courage to act on them. Lorraine Bracco did, and her experiences are documented in a recently premiered series on HGTV."My Big Italian Adventure," airing Fridays, follows the "Sopranos" and "GoodFellas" actress to the Sicilian village of Sambuca, where she has purchased a nearly 200-year-old 1,800-square-foot home for the bargain price of one euro (equivalent to about $1.10 U.S.). But that's where the bargain ends as the house needs basically everything – plumbing, electric, structural repairs and even a bathroom.Bracco, who also purchased the adjacent house to combine with the fixer upper to make one big home, initially got a very reasonable all-in estimate of about $145,000 to do everything. But as anyone who has renovated an old home knows, surprises are around every corner and within every wall and resolving them can run up the budget fast."Basically we brought the house down to the rock walls that were outside," Bracco explains. "I think that every time that we needed to reinforce the floors, reinforce the walls – you know, it cost a huge amount of money and a huge amount of time. That was hard. You know, deciding whether to put on the second floor and how much that was going to cost. All of the kitchen was, you know, a huge job and we had to reinforce all of the floors so it didn't fall through. So things I never expected (were upsetting)."But Bracco wasn't afraid to roll up her sleeves, picking up a hammer to help demolish a wall or a trowel to apply plaster (because, she learned, Italy doesn't have drywall). She also helped recycle some of the original tile and, of course, chose all of the finishing touches. That, she admits, also helped add to the project's price tag.As the home neared completion, she invited in some of the townspeople for a walk-through and dinners. She says getting to know the people of Sambuca was one of the perks of the project.Now over a year removed from the renovation, Bracco says her expectations were exceeded. She'd recommend a project like this to others – but with a qualifier."You've got to have a lot of b...s." she says with a laugh. "You've got to have patience and you've got to know what you want to do. I didn't have a lot of changing-of-the-heart kind of thing. I was very specific in what I wanted it to look like and how I wanted it to feel, so that was good. But yes, are you kidding? The town is magnificent, the people are unbelievably beautiful and wonderful and welcoming. It was really an incredible experience."

Journalist: George Dickie
[November, 2021]

During a phone interview from her home in the Hamptons, she sounds very matter-of-fact about the whole thing, especially The Sopranos, which she hasn't ever seen in full because she doesn't like to watch herself. (She saw Goodfellas for the first time only five years ago.) But she does remember seeing the "Sopranos" pilot before the series ever aired and being so blown away that, at showrunner David Chase's insistence, she called up then-HBO chief Chris Albrecht to demand that he put the show on the air. He allegedly was deliberating, weighing the quality of the program against the steep cost of its on location production. When Bracco saw the then-unaired pilot, she says, "I royally flipped out. I said, ‘This is the best thing I've seen in I don't know how long. Better than any movie. Any series. Anything!’" She remembers "screaming at the TV: More, more, I want more!" Bracco had never called an executive before, although by this point she had already starred in Goodfellas and was probably the biggest name in the "Sopranos" cast. But Chase insisted that she go for it. It's hard to say no to that voice.To Albrecht's hedging about the expense of the series, Bracco assured him – based on nothing, really, but her own irrepressible gusto – that it would all be just fine. "I said, 'Listen, it'll work itself out,’" she says. Within three weeks, HBO picked up the show. And the rest, from the opening theme to the final frame, is history.The last time everybody was watching The Sopranos, which aired on Sunday nights from 1999 to 2007, Bracco could tell she was part of something huge because she would get yelled at in restaurants. Not in a good way, by fans telling her they loved her. In a bad way, by the people who worked in the restaurants who upbraided her for being the reason their dining rooms emptied out during what was supposed to be the dinner rush. "(At) every restaurant, on Sunday night, people would clear out before 9," she says."And they would be mad at me when I would come in," she says. "I'd be like, 'Yo, it's not my fault. So I would get yelled at, 'Oh, you. You with that show.’"Lately, Bracco says, she's been hearing from a younger crowd. "I can just tell you the other day I had somebody come in and fix a refrigerator and the guy is, I want to say, 30-ish. And he's like, 'Oh, my God, is this really you?'... He goes, 'I love The Sopranos. I just watched it. I watched all the seasons.’"He's not the only one. During the pandemic, with millions of people stuck at home with nothing but our screens to distract us from the end-of-days energy beyond our front doors, The Sopranos arguably had its biggest year since its original run. The series seems to be especially beloved by a new generation eager to revive even the objectively lamest parts of the late-'90s and early-2000s – unflattering jeans, paying attention to the British monarchy – as they discover a classic that, miraculously, doesn't feel dated so much as it feels like a period piece that somebody shot last week.On rewatch, so many shows that tried to be "edgy" in their day feel sour and off-key to a modern audience; they tend to only make headlines when their creators are apologizing for jokes that haven't aged well. Series that tried to be politically progressive now feel practically carbon-dated (yes, we are talking about The West Wing). But the style of The Sopranos – dramatic and violent but still comedic, with dream sequences and surreal riffs laced throughout the more grounded, realistic proceedings – still resonates. And the fixations of The Sopranos feel weirdly on-the-nose, particularly for millennials and Gen Zers finding the show for the first time. Tony Soprano surveys the world from the foot of his driveway and laments that "I'm getting the feeling that I came in at the end. The best is over," and young people the nation over murmur to themselves: Sounds about right.One of those young fans, a Gen Zer in New York City, runs a Twitter account called "Sopranos Out of Context." She started 2020 with 3,000 Twitter followers; now nearly 120,000 people are following her posts that consist of screenshots from episodes, photo collages (like one of some of the series' prominent female characters titled "happy international women's day"), and winking newsy commentary ("If you ever ate at satriale's, don't worry about what's in the coronavirus vaccine"). Since the pandemic hit, several of Bracco's castmates have started rewatch podcasts. Drea De Matteo, who played Adriana La Cerva until season (redacted) when (redacted) found out she (redacted), debuted "Made Women," later renamed "Gangster Goddess Broadcast" alongside her friend Chris Kushner in March. Steve Schirripa and Michael Imperioli (Bobby and Christopher) launched "Talking Sopranos" a year ago; Imperioli, whose most high-profile appearance at the moment is his maintenance of a blissfully unironic Instagram presence, was profiled by GQ last fall.Bracco has been a guest on both podcasts – as she points out, she has known Imperioli since Goodfellas – and says she's still in touch with "mostly everybody" from the cast, many of whom reunited in December in a streaming special to raise money for Friends of Firefighters, a non-profit group founded after 9/11 to support New York firefighters and their families. It's a long tail for an experience Bracco, in a Sliding Doors-type twist, almost passed on entirely. Initially, Bracco was approached to play Carmela Soprano, the role that ultimately went to Edie Falco. But after Goodfellas, Bracco was adamant that she not play another mob wife. She didn't really want to play another mob anything. "I was offered every mob script everywhere in the world, and that was a little frustrating," she says. "I even remember thinking when they handed me The Sopranos: 'Oh, God, another mob.’"Her agent had to grovel to get Bracco to read the script; when she caved, she loved it with the zeal of the converted, but only on the condition that she play a different part: Jennifer Melfi, Tony's therapist. As a result, one of Bracco's best-known characters is the one who seems, in many ways, the least like her. Melfi is the even keel to Tony's volatility – a thoughtful, occasionally horrified audience surrogate. She dresses in tasteful neutrals and speaks in measured tones. Every consonant is crisp. Her hands rarely leave her sides."My personality is not that of Dr. Melfi," says Bracco. "I'm a mover-shaker. I'm loud. I'm a ruckus. So I always had to really sit on everything. And that was hard." Most of the time, James Gandolfini (Tony) was her sole scene partner. "He was very serious," she remembers. "When he had all those long monologues, he would ask the camera crew to have enough film in it so he could do the entire scene without having to cut.... He liked to work that way. He wanted the linear experience of the monologue."Her memories of that time are so vivid, she says, that she doesn't feel the need to muddle or enhance them by joining the rest of us in a pandemic binge-watch. "You know what? Nothing will replace my experience in working with Jimmy Gandolfini," she says. "No film, no TV series.... No song. Nothing."Now about the house in Sicily: What happened was, she read a CNN article about the One Euro House Project, which is exactly what it sounds like, and she said (maybe to herself, but possibly aloud): "Oh, my God, this is incredible," and she spent the whole night looking at maps and sorting out logistics. What was she supposed to do? Not buy a house in Sicily? For a buck? The next morning, it struck her that this was not just a great idea for her personally but also would be a great idea for HGTV. HGTV was game but with a caveat, perhaps one Bracco should have seen coming, given her situation – i.e., she is a beloved actress, adored in Italy where "Rizzoli and Isles" did huge numbers on Netflix-but she says took her by surprise."Well, I envisioned it as a TV show, but not really with me," she says, never really considering the possibility of being on a reality show."I was just thinking, do I want to own a house in Sicily? And that was a very quick answer. I said, 'Yes, I do.’"The task was daunting. "It was from scratch. There was nothing, there was no water, no electricity, no roof. The walls were caving in. No kitchen." The lower level that she dreamed of turning into a ping-pong room to entice her grandkids to visit looked, upon arrival, decrepit and possibly haunted.But for audiences who spent much of the year cocooned inside apartments, the view of Bracco's townhouse-in-process was a welcome escape. Bracco makes for a heartening, high-spirited covid companion, gamely rolling with every home-owner mishap, even when that mishap threatens to flood her cellar.The home did eventually come together just in time for the world to shut down, with Bracco holed up 4,310 miles away. Though her younger daughter, Stella, is keeping an eye on the place, Bracco still hasn't slept there. But in a way this is very on-theme for her: She's proud of her work and doesn't mind a bit of a wait to see the finished product. She knows what she did."We built this little sand-rubble house into something really fabulous."

Journalist: Jessica M. Goldstein
[April, 2021]

⋆ The Morning Call

Searching for her Sicilian slice of lifeLorraine Bracco is unlikely star of her own HGTV showWhen people ask Lorraine Bracco how she's doing these days, the actress said she usually gives the same answer.
"I say I'm crazy," she said. "A little nutty, but good."
To be clear, she doesn't mean the kind of insanity that would get someone committed by Dr. Melfi, the psychiatrist she played on "The Sopranos," or that would compel someone to sit atop her mobster husband in their marital bed while aiming a gun at him, as she did in "Goodfellas.""More fun crazy," Bracco said. "I think one of the things they would say about me is that I'm fun."
It is that spirit – call it intrepidness or recklessness – that drove Bracco, inspired by little more than a news article she read on her phone, to purchase a ramshackle house in Sicily for 1 euro and restore it to its former glory.
And it is that same boldness that spurred her to contact HGTV and persuade the cable channel to have a camera crew document her efforts.And that is how Bracco became the star of her own home renovation series, "My Big Italian Adventure," which debuted Oct. 30.
Even as she recounted its origin story, Bracco could not help enumerating all the red flags that warned against this undertaking. For starters, she didn't speak Italian and had never been to Sicily before.
"There would have been a lot of reasons not to do it," she said. "But I was so intrigued."Bracco, 66, was speaking from her year-round home in Bridgehampton, New York. She sat in a living room she had decorated with black-and-white photos of favorite artists and performers such as James Brown, Elizabeth Taylor, Federico Fellini and John Huston.
"I'm inspired by them all," Bracco said.She was similarly energized by that news story she had read online about two years ago, reporting that Sambuca, a small hilltop town in Sicily, was selling abandoned and ruined homes there for 1 euro. (The local program, which required new owners to restore the dwellings within three years of purchase, was established to encourage tourism and boost the region's economy.)As Bracco recalled: "I said to myself, what do I have to lose? What is the downside?"
A fan of home-renovation shows and HGTV programming, Bracco was convinced her Sicilian renovation project would make a good series for the channel. So she contacted directly Loren Ruch, an executive there, and pitched the idea.Ruch, who is HGTV's group senior vice president for development and production, said that Bracco's approach "was completely not our typical way of finding a show, but it felt right."
"If it was a celebrity that just asked us to buy them a vacation home, we would probably politely decline," Ruch said. (HGTV said said it it covered its own production costs for "My Big Italian Adventure" and compensated Bracco for appearing in the series, but that she paid the costs for the home renovation herself.)But Ruch said that Bracco's proposal "felt rooted in passion and love to us – that's what we're always looking for."
"I run by emotion," he said. "I could just imagine this show working."Further challenges awaited Bracco when she first traveled to Sicily in early 2019 to see the 200-year-old, 1,075-square-foot property she now owned.
"Basically, what I bought was a town house," she said.
After a brief pause, she added: "I'm lying. What I bought was three freakin' rock walls. I mean, it was a disaster."She spent the next several months working with a contractor, artisans and laborers to rebuild the structure, provide it with electricity and running water and outfit it to her particular tastes. As with any artistic endeavor, there were creative differences to overcome."I wanted two dishwashers, and they were like, 'Aah, two dishwashers?'" Bracco recalled. "I said that's what I'm used to – I have a family, and I expect a lot of people to come.
"I put French doors in the bathroom, to open up onto a little terrace. And they would be like, 'Mamma mia.' They thought I was slightly off, but it's gorgeous."In total, Bracco estimated the home restoration cost her $250,000 to $300,000, considerably more than the $150,000 she had budgeted for the project.
Still, the enterprise was not without fringe benefits, like the fans Bracco encountered on shopping trips to Palermo, who recognized her not from the internationally acclaimed Italian American sagas "The Sopranos" and "Goodfellas" but from her role as Angie Harmon's mother on the TNT police drama "Rizzoli & Isles."Harmon, who visited Bracco in Sicily during the making of "My Big Italian Adventure," said the two of them have remained so close since "Rizzoli & Isles" ended in 2016 that she still refers to Bracco as "Ma."
She too was surprised by the initial condition of Bracco's property.
"I was told there's a couple walls missing, but you don't think it's, like, rubble," Harmon said. "But Ma has exquisite taste, so I knew she was going to make something really beautiful out of it."Harmon was also impressed to see how swiftly Bracco had settled into Sicilian culture.
"She takes me to a cheese stand, and it's all I hear about for two days," Harmon recalled. "We got to go to the cheese stand. It's all about the cheese.'
"I'm like, OK, I get it. How good could it be? And she was right – it was really, really good cheese."Bracco said her HGTV series was not intended as a substitute for the acting work that continues to keep her busy. She had finished films planned for release, and new projects she was scheduled to work on were postponed.It has been several months since Bracco finished work on the house, and while she will not be able to fully appreciate it until after the pandemic has subsided, she said it felt sufficiently empowering just to get it done.
"Oh, I'm empowered," she said with a laugh. "I often butt against things that people say, 'Oh, oh, oh, no, no. But I make things happen. I do."

Photographer: Caroline Tompkins | Journalist: Dave Itzkoff
[November, 2020]