'Sopranos' actress to discuss eating disorders at March 31 lecture

‘Sopranos’ actress to discuss eating disorders at March 31 lecture

Jamie-Lynn Sigler, better known to HBO viewers as Meadow Soprano on the cable television series, “The Sopranos,” will discuss the difficulties of overcoming a serious eating disorder in a lecture at the University of St. Thomas.

Sigler will discuss “Wise Girl: What I Learned About Life, Love and Loss,” which also is the title of her first book, at 7 p.m. Friday, March 31, in O’Shaughnessy Educational Center auditorium on the university’s St. Paul campus.

Sigler originally was scheduled to give this talk on Thursday, March 2. It had to be rescheduled because of an unforeseen filming conflict.

Jamie-Lynn Sigler

The talk, free and open to the public, is the first in a series this semester sponsored by St. Thomas’ University Lectures Committee. No tickets or reservations are required. However, seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. The lecture will run from 7 to 8:10 p.m. and will include a question-and-answer session; it will be followed by a book-signing in the atrium outside the auditorium.

Members of the St. Thomas community who would like to join Sigler for a 6 p.m. dinner that day are invited to send their name to Jennifer Perusek, chair of the University Lectures Committee, at jmperusek@stthomas.edu. A raffle will be held to select the dinner group.

A Jewish-Cuban-American actress, Sigler portrays a smart but emotionally frustrated mob princess in “The Sopranos.” Shortly after being cast for the role, she began battling an eating disorder. Her recovery, she said, inspired her to go public in an effort “to reach young girls and let them know that there is a way out; there is help available.” She is now a spokesperson for the National Eating Disorders Association.

In her autobiography, Sigler discusses both the perks and pressures of sudden fame, the emotional and physical toll from a bout with Lyme disease, and an obsession with her weight that nearly destroyed her career.

Her philosophy is “What matters is that you make your life matter. Follow your dreams, challenge the odds, defy the critics, champion a cause, sing out until your voice is heard.”

A native of Long Island, N.Y., Sigler began acting in New York regional theater at the age of 7. She has starred in more than two dozen theatrical productions and recently played the lead in a touring production of Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella.”

For her work on “The Sopranos,” Sigler received the 1999 and 2000 Young Star Award for Best Young Actress in a Dramatic Television Series. She lives in New York City.

For more information about Sigler’s talk, call Jennifer Perusek, (651) 962-6136.