The Sopranos received over 50 Primetime Emmy Award nominations throughout its six seasons. A fair share of those nominations were in acting categories, which is no surprise. The celebrated crime drama is known for high-quality performances, showcasing the talent of actors like Tony Sirico (Goodfellas), Dominic Chianese (The Godfather Part II), Aida Turturro (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), and Steve Schirripa (Blue Bloods), among others. Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire) even appeared on the show for a while. In fact, the casting for The Sopranos is so good that casting executives Georgianne Walken and Sheila Jaffe were nominated twice at the Emmy Awards for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series. They won in 1999.
Considered by critics and audiences to be one of the best television shows of all time, The Sopranos sets a high bar. With all those Emmy nominations, however, there were only a few acting wins for the series during its run. That said, two actors managed to win multiple times for their top-tier performances, with nominations for every season. Before beginning, it’s worth giving Lorraine Bracco an honorable mention for her performance as mob boss Tony Soprano’s (James Gandolfini) psychiatrist, Dr. Jennifer Melfi. Bracco never won an Emmy for this role, but she was nominated four times — more than any other non-winning actor.
Here’s every Sopranos actor who was nominated for an Emmy for their work.
5
Michael Imperioli
Wins: 1, Nominations: 5
Michael Imperioli appears in 83 episodes of The Sopranos, giving him more screen time than most of his co-stars. Imperioli plays Dickie and Joanne (Marianne Leone) Moltisanti’s son, Christopher Moltisanti. Christopher is Tony’s protégé and cousin to Tony’s wife, Carmela (Edie Falco). Tony serves as a father figure for Christopher, who starts as Tony’s driver and rises through the ranks. The character is hot-headed and impulsive, traits that often get him into trouble in all areas of his life. He is also known for abusive behavior, especially towards his girlfriend, Adriana La Cerva (Drea de Matteo).
Imperioli was nominated at the Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category for this role five times, finally winning in 2004. Since then, he has appeared on a lot of popular shows, with significant roles in Law & Order, Californication, Hawaii Five-0, Lucifer, Blue Bloods, and The White Lotus. In 2023, he was nominated for another Emmy in the Outstanding Supporting Actor category for his performance in The White Lotus, where he plays Hollywood producer Dominic Di Grasso.
4
Joe Pantoliano
Wins: 1, Nominations: 1
Joe Pantoliano made his The Sopranos debut during Season 3 as Ralph Cifaretto, eventually appearing in 21 episodes. Ralph Cifaretto is a violent but effective “soldier” in the Aprile Crew. Tony doesn’t trust him but is eventually forced to promote him anyway. Conflict persists, however. Ralph meets his end when Tony accuses him of burning down a horse stable for the insurance money, killing a horse Tony had become attached to in the process.
Pantoliano won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2003 for his performance in Season 4. The actor has starred in some unforgettable movies over the years, including Memento, Bad Boys, The Fugitive, and The Matrix. Since The Sopranos, he has guest-starred on shows like The Simpsons, Sense8, MacGyver, Dexter: Original Sin, and The Last of Us. He’s also done voice work for the video games Majestic, Grand Theft Auto III, and Call of Duty: Black Ops II.
Related
6 Best and Most Convincing Theories About the Ending of ‘The Sopranos’
Questions still remain about what happened, and David Chase keeps adding to the confusion by both confirming and denying that Tony Soprano died.
3
Drea de Matteo
Wins: 1, Nominations: 1
Drea de Matteo plays Christopher Moltisanti’s girlfriend and eventual fiancée, Adriana La Cerva. She started as a recurring character in Season 1 and was bumped up to series regular for Season 2. Adriana appears in in 48 episodes total. Her relationship with Christopher is tumultuous, and Christopher is physically abusive towards her. Over time, Adriana is pressured into becoming an informant for the FBI. She doesn’t want to turn on Christopher, but when she tries to get him to go into witness protection with her, he betrays her by telling Tony that she is the FBI’s mole. This leads to Adriana’s murder.
De Matteo was only nominated for one Emmy during her time on The Sopranos. One was all it took, however, and she won that award in 2004 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series after her work in Season 5. Since The Sopranos, de Matteo has appeared on shows like Sons of Anarchy, Desperate Housewives, A Million Little Things, and Paradise City. Her most recent film was Nonnas in 2025 alongside Vince Vaughn (Freaky) and fellow The Sopranos alum Lorraine Bracco.
2
Edie Falco
Wins: 3, Nominations: 6
Edie Falco plays Tony’s wife, Carmela Soprano, across all six seasons of the show. She appears in 85 episodes, more than anyone else on the show (except for James Gandolfini, who appears in 86 episodes). Married for almost two decades, Tony and Carmela have two children together, Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) and A.J. (Robert Iler). Carmela’s devout faith as a Roman Catholic causes her to struggle with her husband’s work and the problems in their marriage. As Tony cheats on her, their marriage deteriorates. They separate in Season 4, but get back together again in Season 5.
Falco is celebrated in the role of Carmela, having received six Emmy nominations total and winning in 1999, 2001, and 2003 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. After The Sopranos, Falco was nominated for eight more Emmy Awards for her work on 30 Rock, Nurse Jackie, and Law & Order True Crime. In 2010, she won her fourth Emmy in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category for playing the title role in Nurse Jackie. She continues to play General Frances Ardmore in the Avatar movies.
Related
10 Mysteries From ‘The Sopranos’ That Will Never Be Answered
‘The Sopranos’ was notorious for its many loose ends, failing to provide resolutions for certain characters and storylines.
1
James Gandolfini
Wins: 3, Nominations: 6
James Gandolfini leads all six seasons of The Sopranos as Mafia boss Tony Soprano. He starts as a capo in Season 1 but rises to power over the course of the series. He was cast in the role after the casting director saw his work in the 1993 film True Romance and has been praised time and time again for bringing Tony Soprano to life. Tony killed eight people directly during the show’s six seasons, though he was responsible for other deaths as well. His complications with his family, crew, and therapist all drive the compelling nature of his character.
Like Falco, Gandolfini received an Emmy nomination for every season of The Sopranos. He won in 2000, 2001, and 2003 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He also won a Golden Globe and five Screen Actors Guild Awards for playing Tony Soprano. Gandolfini grew up in New Jersey and spent a lot of time in Italy later in life. After The Sopranos, he starred in movies such as The Taking of Pelham 123, Where the Wild Things Are, Killing Them Softly, Zero Dark Thirty, and The Drop. The actor passed away in 2013 after a heart attack. He was 51 years old. In 2021, James’s son, Michael Gandolfini, took on the role of young Tony Soprano in the film The Many Saints of Newark, which served as a prequel to the original series.
Source link
Add Comment