Words of a 'Wise Girl' - -Lynn Sigler

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Words of a 'Wise Girl'

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Words of a 'Wise Girl'

'Sopranos' star writes about her highs and lows

By Aileen son

STAFF WRITER

August 5, 2002

When -Lynn Sigler buys a box of Raisinettes during the intermission of

" Beauty and the Beast, " it's an act of great personal significance for a

young woman who has overcome an eating disorder. No one standing in line,

however, notices or recognizes her.

When Sigler gets her picture taken a block away from the Broadway theater

where she is soon to star, she stops traffic - literally - as a van driver

hits the brakes to praise her smile and question her about the future of

" The Sopranos, " the wildly successful HBO show in which she plays mob

daughter Meadow Soprano.

Few 21-year-olds have led as eventful a life as Sigler, from self-starvation

to celebrity status, to say nothing of two serious bouts with paralysis from

Lyme disease. On a happier note, Sigler also had joyous high school days in

Jericho with a supportive family and a thriving theater career on Long

Island, where she belted " Tomorrow " in a curly red " Annie " wig from at least

three different stages.

It's enough to fill a book. And it does, in Sigler's new " Wise Girl: What

I've Learned About Life, Love, and Loss, " a Pocket Books paperback original

written with Sheryl Berk, a Biography Magazine editor who approached Sigler

with the idea after reading about her Lyme and eating problems.

Reviewing her life for the autobiography made her realize how much has

happened, Sigler says. " Some people go through life without having any of

that, and I'm so grateful. Even the horrible, hard times, they're what made

me what I am right now. And I couldn't be happier where I am now.... I

definitely have a greater quality of life than ever before. "

Life now includes a book tour next week; a new season of " The Sopranos "

launching Sept. 15; her Broadway debut Oct. 1 as Belle in " Beauty and the

Beast, " which she was directed to watch every evening last week; the debut

of a movie, " Extreme Dating, " now being edited, and another possible film

(for which she would go blond) if her schedule permits; keeping a photo

diary at the request of Entertainment Weekly; a recent show about her Las

Vegas vacation house on MTV; serving as spokeswoman for the National Eating

Disorders Association; and happy co-habitation with her boyfriend and

manager, A.J. Discala.

Discala, 31, became her manager when she recorded the album " Here to Heaven "

two years ago, and they've been dating about a year, Sigler says. Seated

next to her at the theater, Discala holds her hand and notes afterward in

mock jealousy that she will be kissing her co-star (the Beast) three times.

She hugs him and glows. Annie has grown up.

She even has a perspective on all the parts she didn't win as she auditioned

for Broadway and television while being active at Plaza Playhouse (now

Cultural Arts Playhouse) in Old Bethpage and other Long Island theaters

(though she did get one national tour before " The Sopranos " ). If she'd

gotten them, she might not have been available for " The Sopranos. "

The Lyme disease episodes happened after she already was in the series. She

had unknowingly been bitten by a tick while doing a bit part in an

independent film. At first, doctors couldn't diagnose the cause of her

paralysis. When they finally did, several weeks of antibiotics and physical

therapy brought her back to normal. The second time she started feeling the

paralysis, the medical response was quicker.

One regret she writes about is being unable to fit college into her

schedule: She ended her dorm days after a disastrous morning at New York

University when she overslept and missed an important exam and a " Sopranos "

photo call. " I didn't want to lose that experience. I wanted to be like

everyone else. But now I realize that everyone has to take their own path. "

She was fortunate, she says, to stay in Jericho High School and even attend

the prom. Her book includes photos showing Sigler with friends at the prom,

singing at a brother's bar mitzvah at age 8, with " Sopranos " colleagues

(Aida Turturro is her best friend there) and with her family.

" My mom has seen every performance I've ever been in, " says Sigler. That

would include last year's tour with " Cinderella, " which stopped off at

Madison Square Garden. " My father bought 47 tickets for my opening night " in

" Beauty and the Beast " and intends to see it every night for two weeks until

he has to travel to take care of the national baseball league for adult men

he founded and runs.

When her run is over, she plans to go back to shooting the fifth and final

" Sopranos " season, though whether there will be a fifth season is not yet

determined, she says. During the coming season, already taped, Meadow " is

definitely growing up a lot, " she says. She moves out of her dorm into an

apartment and gets " closer to her family, " which the season focuses on more

than the mob.

All this might not have come to pass if Sigler had succumbed to the eating

disorder, which almost cost her the " Sopranos " role, because she'd lost so

much weight between the pilot and the taping of the first episode. Her

problem was " exercise bulimia, " she says, triggered by being dumped by a

high school boyfriend and general stress. She would try to get rid of every

calorie she consumed through exercise. " If I had a lollipop before coming

home, I would do bicep curls in the car, and then pace around the house

until I burned every calorie, " she says. After about six months, she

admitted her problem to her parents, who immediately got her psychiatric and

medical help.

Now she goes easily for the chocolate-covered raisins. And she has tips in

her book for other young women. " I wanted to seem more like a big sister, "

says Sigler. " I wanted to let them know, 'You're not alone.' "

Sigler signs books at & Noble, Rockefeller Center, at 1 p.m. next

Monday, and signs and discusses the book at The Learning Annex that night at

7 (to register, call 212-371- 0280 or visit learningannex. com; $24-$64).

Copyright © 2002, Newsday, Inc.

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Excerpt: Wise Girl

By -Lynn Singler

August 5, 2002

Introduction

So there I was on top of the world: starring on The Sopranos, appearing on

magazine covers and talk shows, making my Broadway debut, releasing a

record, rubbing elbows with the rich and famous on the red carpet. " ,

you are so lucky, " people would tell me. And you know what? I felt pretty

lucky. I remember thinking, " This can't be real. This can't be happening to

me, -Lynn Sigler from Long Island. It must be a dream. "

Well, I guess I spoke too soon, because the dream became a nightmare. Just

as my career was soaring, my personal life came crashing down around me and

I had to pick up the pieces. At twenty-one years old, I've probably seen and

experienced more than most people twice my age. Why me? I've asked myself

that a lot. Why did I almost starve and exercise myself to death? Why did I

let other people's opinions shatter my self-esteem? Why was I suddenly left

paralyzed by a disease that no doctors could diagnose?

But I also asked that question during the good times: Why was I chosen --

out of dozens of girls -- to play Meadow on The Sopranos? Why have I been so

fortunate in my acting and singing career? Why am I blessed with friends and

family who stick by me, no matter what?

Now I'm asking " Why me? " when it comes to writing this book (and maybe

you're asking, " So why her?). That's a little easier to answer (all of the

above I'll tackle in the upcoming chapters, I promise). Everybody knows me

as Meadow Soprano, but there's a real girl behind that character. And trust

me, at times, my real life has been just as dramatic (if not more so) than

any TV show. I have stories and advice you might want or even need to hear.

Which doesn't mean I'm going to lecture you like a teacher or a parent,

because that's just not me. But I do enjoy sharing my life and I always have

a lot to say. My best friends will vouch for me on this -- I never shut up.

I'm going to tell you the way I see things now, having survived high school,

heartache (and you thought Meadow had problems with Jackie, Jr.?), even

life-threatening illness. I've made mistakes, and that's okay. Mistakes are

only a bad thing if you fail to learn something about yourself and the world

in the process.

As I write this book and relive my experiences, I can see that I'm not the

same person I was three years ago. When I watch the first-season episodes of

The Sopranos, I think, " Who is that girl? " I was so wide-eyed and naive back

then. Now, I'm a stronger person, and I'd like to think I'm smarter, too.

I'm not talking 1600s-on-the-SATs smart, I'm talking life-smart. I was

thrust into an adult world at a very young age -- I've been performing since

I was eight. Maybe all I've been through has taught me to appreciate things

more -- simple things, like sharing quesadillas on the set with my " mom "

Edie Falco, or hanging out on Christmas break with my best buddies and

laughing at each other's dumb jokes. There isn't a day that goes by that I'm

not grateful for all that I have and all that I'm doing. But beyond the

success, I've also been given this great gift: As an entertainer, I get to

reach people and maybe, just maybe, make a difference in their lives.

So why me? Well, why not me? I'm not all that different from you, except

that I now know some pretty important things that they don't teach you in

school. I hope you'll laugh, learn, and maybe even cry a little when you

read my book. Or at the very least, say, " Wow! I never knew that about

Meadow! " I'll do my best to tell it like it is and it was.

Copyright © 2002 by -Lynn Singler

Copyright © 2002, Newsday, Inc.