She sits seemingly uninvolved, behind-the-scenes, like a good don would-but rest assured, her four furry feet are the ones pulling the strings on Edie Falco, who plays New Jersey mob-wife Carmela, on HBO’s ‘hit’ series, The Sopranos. Marley, Edie’s two-year old Labrador retriever, enjoys the good life of the Italian mafia without having to dirty her paws with the unseemly. As set-chefs whip up Italian delicacies for the Soprano table-a setting for them to engage in their notoriously dysfunctional family antics, Marley waits patiently in Falco’s trailer, knowing that her bowl will later be brimming with ‘capagool’, ‘sfugliadelle’, ‘ragut’ pie and her favorite-penne marinara.
“Sometimes she thinks she’s human,” Falco laughs, and affirms that Marley is a better protector than Tony (James Gandolfini), adding “she’s better trained than he is.” All but born on The Sopranos set, Edie brings Marley to work every day, leaving the pup privy to the top-secret twists and turns on the show which the rest of us eagerly await—who will get ‘whacked’, whether Carmela and Tony’s marriage will make it, and if Uncle Junior will truly beat the ‘big casino’. But will she let the cat out of the bag? Fuhrghettaboutit!
Falco recalls her recent road-trip with Marley to Florida to shoot the upcoming John Sayles movie, Sunshine State where Falco plays a character bearing her pup’s name. “It was one of the main reasons I took the part,” Edie confides, “I thought it was sort of a sign of some kind.” The real Marley, though, was a bit confused with the coincidence, and came bounding out to center stage every time Sayles directed Falco’s character in a scene. Despite her faux-paws, though, Marley remains well-trusted as Edie’s canine consigliere.
Marley too has recently received neighborhood notoriety from her debut in Animal Planet’s Hollywood Unleashed, a program that featured the dog and her celebrity caretaker enjoying their daily routine. Since the show, neighbors to her New York home recognize Marley “more than they recognize me,” says Edie.
Edie’s love for animals doesn’t stop at Marley. Falco grew up with many dogs and cats, and is active in and supportive of animal rights groups including FIDO, an organization that places homeless animals.
After a long day of filming the gun shots and emotional outbursts that since the show’s beginning have captivated the country, Edie sighs that she looks forward to coming home to relax with her canine companion, who “gives her peace” and “reminds her what’s important in life.” With Carmela’s hard edge gone and family dramas behind, Edie’s relationship with Marley is blissfully uncomplicated.
To get more information on Edie and Marley, go to www.animalplanet.com and click on Hollywood Unleashed.
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