Suzanne Shepherd is an American actress and theater director. She is best known for her portrayal of Karen's overbearing mother in the film Goodfellas, and Carmela's overbearing mother in the television program The Sopranos. Shepherd studied acting with Sanford Meisner, and later went on to teach Meisner's program of acting study, the first woman to do so. She was a founding member of the Compass Players in the early 1960s, along with such other actors as Alan Alda and Alan Arkin.