6 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘Sopranos’ Star Jamie-Lynn Sigler

The world got to know her as Meadow Soprano, but Jamie-Lynn Sigler has come a long way since her days on the HBO drama. The 38-year-old is married, is a mother to two young boys and has built a very successful career.

PureWow had the opportunity to chat with The Sopranos alum about her new partnership with the Punta Cana Promise, a campaign that draws attention to the hospitality, amenities and service in the Punta Cana region.

During the interview, the mother of two opened up about everything from vacationing with her kids and her favorite snacks, details on her two podcasts and other upcoming projects. Read on for six things you didn’t know about Jamie-Lynn Sigler.

Since we began by discussing her recent trip to Punta Cana with her oldest son Beau, we had to ask: What’s it like traveling with young kids? Her response was definitely honest (and so true).

“Well you know, I kind of learned the hard way that when they’re tiny (until they’re about four), they don’t really need to come,” she laughed. “Because they can’t remember, they require a lot more gear like diapers, bottles, cribs and things. So, sometimes it’s ok to go without them. It’s a wonderful way to let the grandparents have their turn and their time. You can actually enjoy your vacation a lot more.” You hear that, parents? Totally OK to leave the kiddies home next time.

The 38-year-old revealed that while filming her new movie The Neighbor in the Window, she got to meet and work closely with the woman that she was portraying.

“It’s a true story about this woman who moves to a new town with her husband and her children and meets this very friendly neighbor,” Sigler explains. “Everything seems to be fine and then the neighbor started to exhibit some suspicious behavior. So, the woman I portray started to back away and (without giving too much away) ends up going to trial for being accused of attempted murder. It all really happened and it’s everything you love about a lifetime movie—the deep crazy drama—but actually was very real.” We’re getting Girl on the Train meets Disturbia vibes.

When it came to having her first child, Sigler revealed it wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies. “When I had my first son I had gone through all of these different feelings of being a new parent and a lot of them weren’t great. I was struggling and no one was really talking about stuff like that at the time, so I assumed that I just wasn’t a good mom or that something was wrong with me.”

However, when the time came to have her second child, the actress and her good friend (who was also pregnant) decided to channel their experiences into something productive where they could share those difficulties with others.

“We were going back through our text message conversations and we were laughing at the hilarity at all the things we were talking about. And she had suggested ‘Lets do a coffee table book’ and I said ‘Maybe we should do a podcast.’ We wanted to create a judgement free zone to just talk about all of the different topics that come along with motherhood.”

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how Mama Said was born.

So close in fact that they even have (another) podcast together: Pajama Pants.

“I don’t think people realize how close we are. Robert and I have very different perspectives and very different lives, but we always seem to have so much to talk about. So, that’s how Pajama Pants came to be. We just felt like it’s a lot of Sopranos reminiscing and we’ve had a lot of cast members already as guests. But it’s also just about life. Rob is single, we’re trying to get him a girlfriend. It’s been really fun to do together.”

However, when it comes to finding a girlfriend for her tv-brother-turned-real-life-BFF, Sigler says she’s not there yet. “I will not set him up until he’s ready,” she laughed. “Right now, we’re just priming him to get ready to be in a relationship and date.” What are big sisters for?

Just because she starred on one of the most iconic television series of all time doesn’t mean other television shows don’t have an impact on her. One of her current favorites? The Handmaid’s Tale.

“I’ve also been seeing a lot of miniseries—like Unbelievable on Netflix was truly wonderful. Breaking Bad. Ozark. Schitt’s Creek. There’s just so much content out there it’s almost hard to keep up with. I get overwhelmed with feeling like I’m out of the loop, especially with two young kids. I only have an hour and a half before I crash every night so there’s only so much I can get in.”