This Is The Moment Edie Falco Decided To Quit Drinking

Edie Falco's most famous character, Carmela Soprano, was known for enjoying a glass (or several) of wine on HBO's iconic series "The Sopranos." As it turns out, that is one trait Falco previously shared with her character. However, by the time she starred on the show, Falco had already quit alcohol completely. But the theme around substance use continued to play an important role in her career. 

After leaving the HBO flagship show, Falco went on to star as the lead on Showtime's "Nurse Jackie," which followed a nurse addicted to prescription drugs. "The addiction piece, I have to say, is a huge part of my life. Not just my own, but that of many people I love. The helplessness around that, and learning to deal with that ... That keeps me very deeply involved in Jackie's journey," Falco told NPR in 2014. For her work, Falco has taken home two Golden Globes and four Emmys. 

For a former alcohol addict, playing Jackie, a character who relapses, could have been traumatic, but Falco saw it on the bright side. "If it's anything, it's therapeutic. Rather than making me want to [relapse] it makes me even more solidly planted ... And also just reminds me, thank god, I'm not there. I'm not going through this. I'm not waking up the morning after anymore," she told The Associated Press (via The Denver Post) in 2016. Falco has been sober for nearly 30 years. And she remembers the exact moment that made her quit.

Edie Falco was 29 when she realized it was now or never. It happened on a March morning. She woke up the day after heavy drinking and realized she had left the front door open, as Falco told The Guardian in a December interview. She knew her drinking was excessive before, but it didn't seem like a big deal. One example involved how she chose the people she dated. "I'd wait to hear how quickly they'd mention alcohol, and that's how I knew they were the next guy."

Falco's drinking began during her years at SUNY Purchase in New York. An introvert, Falco used alcohol to foster her acting ambitions, believing that without it she would be unable to perform. "I was a non-drinker for years, then I had my first drink at college and I found nirvana," she said. Falco said she would also use cocaine if it was around. "[B]ut I could never afford any, and marijuana just gave me anxiety," she added. Ironically, it was after she quit drinking that her career blossomed.

Falco couldn't be happier about the path she chose. "Never in a million years did I ever think my life would look the way it does now ... And I had never anticipated also to not be going through my days drinking. Of living a life without any kind of crutch," she told the New York Post in 2013.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).