Carmela Soprano

Carmela Soprano (née DeAngelis), played by Edie Falco, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the wife of Mafia boss Tony Soprano and the program's most prominent female character along with Tony's psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Melfi.

Edie Falco's performance as Carmela was universally lauded, winning her Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series three times in 1999, 2001 and 2003, and received six nominations overall. Falco has also won two Golden Globes and three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and the character Carmela itself has since become an iconic character.

Character biography

Carmela was Tony Soprano's high school sweetheart. The couple married at a young age. Carmela attended Montclair State University for an unspecified period of time before dropping out. Carmela plays a homemaker for the Soprano household, and works to create a semblance of legitimacy for her family even though she is well aware their wealth is built on blood money. Tony trusts Carmela enough to confide in her, to a degree, about some of his Mafia dealings (notably the failed attempt on his life and the death of Richie Aprile). Tony's work and constant infidelity have put a serious strain on the marriage and cause a period of separation. Carmela is an observant Roman Catholic and has difficulty rationalizing her husband's profession and the flaws in their marriage.