- TESTED

"I am so proud to be Jamie's 'dad.' She is not only a talented actress but also a bright, generous, and inspiring young lady." -- James Gandolfini
"Jamie-Lynn Sigler definitely knows how to inspire people....I'm grateful to call her my friend." -- Lance Bass, *N'SYNC
Everyone kn! ows Jamie-Lynn Sigler as Meadow Soprano on the HBO hit television series The Sopranos. But there's so much more to her, as her candid, outspoken autobiography proves. In Wise Girl, Jamie-Lynn reveals both the perks and the pressures that have come with fame, and how uncertain, fearful times have made her stronger, more confident, and able to face life's challenges. Writing openly and from the heart, she describes the emotional and physical toll taken when Lyme disease left the healthy 19-year-old paralyzed at the height of The Soprano's popularity; an obsession with her weight that nearly destroyed her career; and the dark side of overnight success. Her story will both surprise and inspire you. For this wise girl, the key to success isn't just what's on the outside -- it's using your brains, going with your gut, and learning from your experiences, including the mistakes, every day.
While some viewers may find it galling to listen to a gorgeous young actress who's been on magazine covers moan about how she can't be as perfect as a model, the series tackles everything from anorexia to peer manipulation to teen sex with directness and an eye for moral and emotional complexity. An episode about a Sadie Hawkins d! ance becomes a satirical farce about body image (female an! d ma le); a slumber party turns into brutal humiliation; a teacher decides to get a sex-change operation, prompting anxiety throughout the school. Almost every character gets a moment of heartfelt grandstanding, yet the actors pull them off with commitment and guts (Rue routinely turns speeches that could have been cheesy schlock into genuine pathos). Sure, some fantasy sequences are silly, but the show skillfully creates characters and situations that defy easy definition. Repeatedly, Brooke and Sam each set out with good intentions, only to end up hurting their friends and fueling their antagonistic relationship. Popular cunningly subverts expectations; it's a smart show for both teenagers and adults. --Bret Fetzer