Lorraine Bracco, Star of HBO's 'The Sopranos,' to Write Her First Book, ON THE COUCH, to Be Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons in Spring 2006

Lorraine Bracco, Star of HBO's 'The Sopranos,' to Write Her First Book, ON THE COUCH, to Be Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons in Spring 2006

Acclaimed Film and Television Actress Shares Candid Reflections About Her Life, Her Career and Overcoming Personal Struggles in Stirring Memoir

NEW YORK, May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Lorraine Bracco, the acclaimed Emmy, Golden Globe and Academy Award-nominated actress known to millions worldwide as psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Melfi on the hit HBO series, "The Sopranos," is writing her first book, ON THE COUCH, which will be published in hardcover by G.P. Putnam's Sons in Spring 2006. A paperback edition will be published by Berkley in 2007. Ivan Held, President, G.P. Putnam's Sons, acquired North American, audio, serial and translation rights to the title from literary agent Jeanne Forte Dube of Forte Associates. Christine Pepe, Vice President, Executive Editor, G.P. Putnam's Sons, will edit the book, which will candidly explore all aspects of Ms. Bracco's career and life.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050511/NYW102 )

Ms. Bracco says, "ON THE COUCH is about telling the truth -- about being straight with ourselves. Reflecting on my life as I turned fifty, I thought, 'If Dr. Melfi had Lorraine Bracco on the couch, what would that look like?' This was the origin of the book idea. Now I'm ready to open up. I'm not afraid to go deep, to be introspective, revealing and honest. More than that, I have insights to share about my life and my work as an artist. I'm fortunate enough to be a fifty-year-old actress who has a voice. Playing Dr. Melfi has given me a platform, and I'm very pleased that Putnam will help me use it for the creation of this book."

This very personal memoir will trace Ms. Bracco's rise from her childhood in Brooklyn, where she was named "ugliest girl in the sixth grade," to her ten-year stay in Paris as a fashion model and fledgling actress. She will talk about what she did and didn't learn in her marriages and divorces, her Academy Award-nominated performance as a mobster's wife in Martin Scorsese's film, GoodFellas, her determination to be a good mother, and her triumphant climb to stardom in "The Sopranos." She will also be very candid about how she first recognized and then overcame depression and the hard truths and insights she gained from that struggle.

ON THE COUCH will also reveal the Lorraine Bracco that few people know: the woman who speaks fluent French, testifies before Congress, speaks at the American Psychoanalytic Association, lectures on child custody laws at an Ivy League law school, serves on the Board of Directors of Riverkeeper, an environmental group founded by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and is an avid Yankees fan.

Mr. Held comments, "Having been a fan and admirer of Lorraine Bracco for many years, it is a genuine honor and privilege to be publishing her book. The very personal stories she tells are by turns entertaining, transformative and inspiring. They will strike chords with readers on every page."

ABOUT LORRAINE BRACCO:

Actress Lorraine Bracco currently stars as Dr. Jennifer Melfi on HBO's hit series, "The Sopranos." This role has earned her multiple Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Best Actress in a Television Drama. In addition, Ms. Bracco was nominated for Golden Globe and Academy Awards for her performance as a mobster's wife in the film, GoodFellas, directed by Martin Scorsese. She made her American feature film debut in Ridley Scott's 1987 thriller, Someone to Watch Over Me. Ms. Bracco also starred as Drew Barrymore's mother in Riding in Cars With Boys, a 2001 film directed by Penny Marshall. Most recently, she starred as Mrs. Robinson in Terry Johnson's stage adaptation of The Graduate on Broadway and on tour in the US. Additionally, Ms. Bracco has a deal to produce and star in movies for Lifetime Television.

Ms. Bracco was born in Brooklyn to an Italian-American father and an English mother. She began modeling in high school and became a Paris fashion model represented by the Wilhelmina Agency. She spent ten years in Paris, where she became fluent in French and worked as a disc jockey for Radio Luxembourg and as a producer for Les Enfants Du Rock for French TV. She also began to act in films, appearing in several French comedies and working with Italian film director Lina Wertmuller. Returning to the US, she studied at Stella Adler and the Actors Studio in New York City.

Penguin Group (USA) Inc. is the U.S. member of the internationally renowned Penguin Group. Penguin Group (USA) is one of the leading U.S. adult and children's trade book publishers, owning a wide range of imprints and trademarks, including Berkley Books, Dutton, Frederick Warne, G.P. Putnam's Sons, Grosset & Dunlap, New American Library, Penguin Books, The Penguin Press, Philomel, Plume, Puffin, Riverhead Books and Viking, among others. The Penguin Group (http://www.penguin.com/) is part of Pearson plc, the international media company.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050511/NYW102
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Source: Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

CONTACT: Marilyn Ducksworth, +1-212-366-2564,
marilyn.ducksworth@us.penguingroup.com; Dave Zimmer, +1-212-366-2687,
david.zimmer@us.penguingroup.com

Web site: http://www.penguin.com/

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