Livia Soprano

Livia Soprano (née Pollio), portrayed by Nancy Marchand, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the mother of Tony Soprano. A young Livia, played by Laila Robins and later by Laurie J. Williams, is sometimes seen in flashbacks. Series creator David Chase has stated that the main inspiration for the character was his own mother. Vera Farmiga portrays a young Livia Soprano in the 2021 prequel film, The Many Saints of Newark. In 2016, Rolling Stone ranked her #3 of their "40 Greatest TV Villains of All Time". Character biography Livia Pollio was born in Providence, Rhode Island to Teresa and Faustino "Augie" Pollio, Italian immigrants from Avellino. Livia's childhood was poverty-stricken and miserable and her marriage to the tough and charismatic Johnny Soprano was Livia's ticket out of her parents' house. Together they had three children: Janice, Tony, and Barbara. She also suffered a miscarriage years after her youngest child was born and almost died from heavy bleeding. Life as a housewife was unfulfilling for Livia and she felt overwhelmed by her three children and unappreciated by her unfaithful husband. She liked listening to Connie Francis and The Pajama Game when she was younger.