Jamie-Lynn Siglerknown for her role as Meadow Soprano in the acclaimed series The Sopranos, has shared a shocking revelation about her fight against multiple sclerosis. During an interview on Sophia Bush’s “Work in Progress” podcast, the actress said that she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) at age 20, shortly after dealing with Lyme disease. However, the doctor who was checking the health status of the cast of The Sopranos He suggested hiding the news.
Sigler recalled the moment when, during a physical checkup with the cast, he decided to inform the set doctor about his recent MS diagnosis. The doctor suggested that he keep the information secret and chose not to include that information in his medical records.
“He told me, ‘I don’t think you should tell anyone about this, and I’m not going to write it down here,’” the 42-year-old star said.
Complying with the professional’s request, Sigler chose to remain silent about his condition, keeping his diagnosis hidden from the cast and crew for most of the series’ production.
“I just followed his advice because I wasn’t very symptomatic at the time either, so [la enfermedad] It wasn’t something I thought about, or had to think about all the time…,” he explained in the podcast.
It was not until final season of “The Sopranos” that Jamie considered opening up about her health condition, motivated by a moment of personal vulnerability related to her divorce from AJ DiScala. At that time, she had also not shared with her colleagues that her relationship with her husband was broken.
She narrated that she had an emotional crisis in the makeup room and her colleagues began to console her about the separation; but she couldn’t find the words to tell them that she had a chronic illness. “I was so frightened. She had already told them a secret. She couldn’t tell you two.”
After a while, the stress of the breakup began to affect her health. It was then that her friend and “television father,” James Gandolfinicalled her to talk privately and asked her what was happening.
“I felt my eyes fill with tears,” Jamie said. There she told him about multiple sclerosis and that she was “freaking scared.”
Offering you your unconditional support, Gandolfini represented a crucial point of confidence for Sigler. “I remember him putting his big hand on my shoulder and saying, ‘Whatever you need—I’m not going to tell anyone—but if you need anything, let me know,’” she added.
The next co-star to find out was Edie Falcowho also revealed at the time that she had been secretly battling breast cancer.
Jamie-Lynn Sigler He decided to go public with his condition in 2016, advocating for greater awareness and understanding of multiple sclerosis. In an interview at the time with WebMD, the actress indicated that when she received the diagnosis, she didn’t know much about MS. She “was confused and thought it was a mistake.”
Multiple sclerosis is a disease that affects the central nervous system. Among its most common symptoms are fatigue, weakness and stiffness in the extremities, and problems with vision. MS is characterized by periods of flares or relapses in which symptoms worsen, followed by remission phases where symptoms may improve or disappear. Although there is no cure, there are treatments available to improve patients’ quality of life.
In 2016, Sigler told the publication that an industry doctor warned him not to reveal his illness. “Don’t tell anyone at work. They will fire you. Nobody is going to hire you. People will judge you. Let it stay between us,” the star recalled in said interview.
Edie Falco, his mother in fiction, said that her “heart broke” when she found out about Sigler’s diagnosis. “How difficult it must have been to go through that – so young, actually – and do it quietly. He was always so professional,” the actress said.
