“I’ve always just looked for material that I think I could do well. I think that’s my criteria for finding work,” said legendary actress Lorraine Bracco on her process for taking new acting roles.

Academy-nominated actress and Rizzoli & Isles star, Lorraine Bracco, isn’t afraid to take on challenging work. Known widely for her breakout performance in the hit film Good Fellas and later The Sopranos, Bracco has primarily been associated with her work in Mafia films and shows for a long point in her career.

It wasn’t until she was cast as Jane Rizzoli’s hilarious and sometimes over-bearing mother, Angela Rizzoli, that she finally dipped her toes into comedy. While Rizzoli & Isles is a crime drama first, much of the comedy in the series often revolved around Bracco's character. To get herself prepared for this role, she drew inspiration from TV's original comedy queen.

“I’ve never done anything remotely humorous in my entire career. I’m funny at home, I keep getting the direction, ‘Faster, faster.’ And I’m like, 'I don’t know how to do that.' I’ve been watching a lot of Lucy.”

Along with wanting to explore a new avenue in her acting career, Bracco was highly motivated to sign on cause she had been a big fan of the book series the show was based on.

“I knew about Tess Gerritsen’s books, I’d read them, I’d been a big fan for a long time, so when it came up, I said, ‘Ah, somebody finally got it together.’ And I knew Angie was cast and I thought she was a great Jane Rizzoli, and I thought I could be a good mama”

Bracco brought Angela Rizzoli to life, bringing much-needed comedic levity to some darker moments and episodes throughout the show.