Suzanne Shepherd Dies: Tributes Pour in For ‘Sopranos’ and ‘Goodfellas’ Actress

Martin Holmes
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Suzanne Shepherd on red carpet
Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage

Tributes have been pouring in for Suzanne Shepherd, the Goodfellas and Sopranos actress who passed away on Friday, November 17, at the age of 89.

Shepherd’s death was announced on Facebook by actor Tom Titone, who revealed that Shepherd “passed away peacefully” early Friday Morning. According to The U.S. Sun, the death was later confirmed by her granddaughter Isabelle. A cause of death was not specified.

“I studied with Suzanne as a young actor. She saw in me what I could not yet see in myself,” Titone wrote. “She introduced me to my husband. She was the officiant to our marriage under a beautiful gazebo in Central Park with a gathering of family and friends. For this, I will always be grateful. She was a huge presence. A BIG personality. She roared with life and at it. May she rest now.”

Best known for her “mob mom” roles, Shepherd played the mother of Karen Hill (Lorraine Bracco) in Martin Scorsese‘s Goodfellas and the mother of Carmela Soprano (Edie Falco) in HBO’s hit drama series The Sopranos.

She also appeared in the movies Requiem for a Dream, A Dirty Shame, Uncle Buck, and Mystic Pizza. Her other TV credits include Ed, Law & Order, Gravity, and Blue Bloods.

Suzanne Shepherd in Sopranos

Suzanne Shepherd in The Sopranos; HBO / Courtesy: Everett Collection

“Sad to hear of the passing of Suzanne Shepherd. A force of nature. Actress, teacher. Played Carmella’s mother on Sopranos and Karen’s mother in Goodfellas #sopranos #goodfellas,” wrote fellow Sopranos actor Ray Abruzzo on Instagram.

 

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“This is really a big loss to everyone that knew her,” Sopranos alum Kathrine Narducci told Page Six. “She was so loving and supportive to me, she would share all her acting tips with me and she loved helping actors.”

“Suzanne was the consummate professional on set, but somehow never forgot how much fun our job can be,” Falco shared with Page Six. “She was fun and deeply funny. She taught actors for many years and was revered by her students. She will be missed.”

“We lost the great Suzanne Shepherd today. Some will remember her from The Sopranos or Goodfellas, but to me, she will always be Queen of the Nueters Big Ethel from A Dirty Shame. No one ever kicked me in the crotch like you did! A wonderful actress, teacher, director and human, she will be missed,” said actor Wes Johnson.

Shepherd, whose final acting role came in the 2023 movie The Performance, can be seen in the upcoming documentary called A Gift of Fire, which chronicles her career as an acting teacher.

She is survived by her daughter, the artist Kate Shepherd; her son-in-law, Miles; daughter-in-law Joyce; and granddaughter, Isabelle.

Check out more tributes to the beloved actress below.

 

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A Dirty Shame -

A Dirty Shame where to stream

Goodfellas -

Goodfellas where to stream

The Sopranos - HBO

The Sopranos where to stream

A Dirty Shame

Goodfellas

The Sopranos

Suzanne Shepherd




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