| Jamie-Lynn Sigler | |
|---|---|
Sigler in New York City, November 2007 |
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| Born | Jamie-Lynn Sigler May 15, 1981 Jericho, New York, Long Island, New York, United States |
| Occupation | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1997– present |
| Spouse | A. J. DiScala (2003–2006; divorced) |
Jamie-Lynn Sigler (formerly DiScala; born May 15, 1981) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Meadow Soprano on the HBO television series The Sopranos.[1]
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Sigler was born in Queens, New York City to Steve and Connie Sigler. Her father is Jewish, the son of immigrants from Greece and Romania, and her mother is a Cuban-born convert to Judaism.[2][3] Sigler grew up on Long Island in Jericho, New York, and began acting and singing at age 7. She attended Jericho High School.[4] Sigler also attended the Cultural Arts Playhouse where she played many leads.
In 1997, she was cast as the smart but troubled Meadow Soprano, daughter of New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano. The show premiered in 1999 and became a huge success, with Sigler rising to some fame as a TV actress.[5]
In 2000, while filming Campfire Stories in Hamburg, New Jersey, Sigler was paralyzed from the waist down for several days having contracted Lyme disease.[6] Sigler then spent five months on Broadway from October 2002 through February 2003 playing Belle in Beauty and the Beast where she replaced long-running Belle Sarah Litzsinger. She has continued to appear in theatrical roles, such as Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.
In 2004, she starred as "Hollywood Madam" Heidi Fleiss in the USA television movie Call Me: The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss. In that same year, she had her first starring feature film role, Extreme Dating, an independent film.
In 2005, Sigler starred in Lovewrecked and the following year in Homie Spumoni, when she played the role of Alli, the girlfriend of Renato/Leroy (Donald Faison) directed by Mike Cerron.[7]
Also in October 2008, she appeared as herself in the fifth season of the HBO series Entourage, appearing in the episodes First Class Jerk, Playing With Fire and Return to Queens Blvd, as the love interest of the character Sal 'Turtle' Assante, portrayed by Jerry Ferrara. She returned as a recurring guest star for season six of the series, after becoming Ferrara's real-life girlfriend.[8] On November 17, 2008, Sigler guest-starred as Jillian on the TV series How I Met Your Mother in the episode "Woooo!"[9] On the December 6, 2008 airing of Saturday Night Live, she appeared as the checkout girl for the SNL Digital Short music video "Jizz in My Pants" by The Lonely Island.[10] In 2009 she starred in the psychological thriller film Wake.[11] The same year, she appeared on ABC's Ugly Betty in a five-episode arc.[12]
In 2001, she released a pop album called Here to Heaven, which featured the single "Cry Baby". The album was a commercial failure and had low sales. In 2007 Sigler said she was "embarrassed" by the album and regrets releasing it.[13]
In 2002, she co-authored an autobiography, Wise Girl: What I've Learned About Life, Love, and Loss. In October 2008, the actress paired up with MasterCard to promote the MasterCard Savings Program, a new rewards program for debit MasterCard and prepaid MasterCard cardholders.
On July 11, 2003, Sigler married her agent and longtime boyfriend, A. J. DiScala, She subsequently changed her name to Jamie-Lynn DiScala, stating she is a very "traditional girl", and never had any doubt that she would take her husband's name after marrying, even professionally. However, in September 2005, Sigler and DiScala announced that they were separating, and she subsequently changed her name back.[14] She is close friends with pop singer Lance Bass;[15] a review by Bass was featured on the back cover of Sigler's 2002 memoir, Wise Girl: What I've Learned About Life, Love, and Loss.[16]
During January 2008, Sigler visited Israel through the Birthright Israel program and subsequently was moved by the trip, calling Israel "one of the most beautiful, inspiring places I've ever been to." She further noted that the trip gave her a greater understanding to preserve her Jewish identity and, after talks with Israeli soldiers who were also participants on the trip, she expressed solidarity towards the efforts of the young soldiers.[17]
In October 2008, Sigler began a romantic relationship with Jerry Ferrara, whom she met while guest-starring on Entourage as a love interest of Ferrara's role, Turtle.[18] However, they split up in December 2009[19] and she dated Mark Sanchez.[20]
Sigler is friends with fellow actress Joanna García, and served as a bridesmaid in García's December 2010 wedding to professional baseball player Nick Swisher.[21]
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
| 1998 | A Brooklyn State of Mind | Young Angie | |
| 2001 | Campfire Stories | Natalie | |
| 2003 | Death of a Dynasty | Sexy Woman No. 3 | |
| 2005 | Extreme Dating | Amy Baker | |
| Love Wrecked | Alexis Manetti | ||
| 2006 | Homie Spumoni | Alli Butterman | |
| Blinders | Alexa | short film | |
| Dark Ride | Cathy | ||
| 2007 | New York City Serenade | Lynn | |
| 2010 | Trophy Wife | Christina | short film |
| Beneath the Dark | Adrienne | ||
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1999–2007 | The Sopranos | Meadow Soprano | 86 episodes |
| 2004 | Call Me: The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss | Heidi Fleiss | TV-Movie |
| Will & Grace | Ro | 2 episodes | |
| 2005, 2007 | Higglytown Heroes | Ms. Fern | 3 episodes voice role |
| 2007 | The Gathering | Maggy Rule | miniseries |
| 2008 | How I Met Your Mother | Jillian | 1 episode |
| Saturday Night Live | Check-Out Girl | Uncredited role Segment: Jizz in My Pants |
|
| 2008–2009 | Entourage | Jamie-Lynn Sigler | 13 episodes |
| 2009 | Ugly Betty | Natalie | 5 episodes |
| 2010 | Backwash | Prudence | 1 episode |
| 2011 | Criminal Behavior | Brooke Kross | TV-Movie |
| 2011 | Drop Dead Diva | - | 1 episode |
YoungStar Award