Why The Kesimpta Commercial Actress Looks So Familiar
Multiple sclerosis — a chronic disease that affects a person's central nervous system — is a serious affliction, but, luckily, medical advances have been created to help treat its symptoms. Actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler has multiple sclerosis (colloquially known as MS), and that's precisely why she's starring in the new commercial for MS medication Kesimpta.
In 2016, Sigler revealed that she's been living with MS since she was 20 years old. She's even experienced paralysis as a result of her disease. Certainly, it makes sense that Sigler would represent Kesimpta, a B-cell treatment that can aid in alleviating some of the serious symptoms of MS. But where have you seen her before?
Well, Sigler has been acting since 1997 and has appeared in some enormous projects, including two (very different) popular HBO shows, network fare, and even a silly "Saturday Night Live" skit that went viral. Here's where you've seen Jamie-Lynn Sigler besides this Kesimpta commercial.
The Sopranos (1999-2007)
There's no question that Jamie-Lynn Sigler's most high-profile role, even after all these years, is Meadow Soprano on the HBO mob drama "The Sopranos." As the daughter of powerful mob boss Tony Soprano (the late James Gandolfini), Meadow is an overachieving teen who attends Columbia University to pursue a legal career (much to her father's dismay). Meadow is sharp, complex, and a layered teen. Of course, she's aware of Tony's line of work — though she tells friends that her dad works in "waste management" — but she keeps her thoughts on that to herself.
In later seasons, the two butt heads as she gets older and more cognizant of her dad's shady dealings. (This is especially true during a storyline where her boyfriend runs afoul of her powerful father.) overall, Meadow is a phenomenal character who gets a rich inner life along with the rest of her family. Sigler's thoughtful performance is particularly stunning when you consider how young she was during filming. Sigler played the character for the show's entire run ... so if you haven't made it through "The Sopranos" yet, queue it up and focus on Meadow's tragic journey.
Entourage (2008-2009)
In Sigler's next big job with HBO, she took on a vastly different role than Meadow Soprano ... in that she played herself. Sigler appeared in thirteen episodes of "Entourage" from 2008 to 2009 as Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who ends up meeting Salvatore "Turtle" Assante (Jerry Ferrera), a friend of the show's main character, Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier). Within the show's universe, Jamie-Lynn gives Turtle her phone number — and they end up hooking up on the plane — but then, relationship hijinks ensue. Without spoiling the twists here, it's a major romantic throughline for Turtle.
Celebrities played themselves often on "Entourage" — since the show was set in a fairly fictional version of Hollywood — but there's an interesting real-life story about Sigler's turn on the series. Sigler and Ferrera dated from 2008 to 2009, making it clear that both the real and fictional versions of Sigler took a liking to Ferrera's charm on-screen and off.
J*zz In My Pants - The Lonely Island (2008)
This is by far the briefest Sigler performance on this list, but it's still pretty important. In 2008, "Saturday Night Live" was in its Digital Shorts era, thanks to The Lonely Island — the comedy group comprised of friends Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer. Sigler unexpectedly popped up in one of the gang's more risqué shorts, titled "J*zz in My Pants."
The title's a bit self-explanatory. But to get more specific, the two unnamed men singing — played by Samberg and Taccone — get way too excited whenever anything happens, from a breeze rolling in or eating grapes to realizing what the end of "The Sixth Sense" meant. In the short, Sigler plays a checkout girl at a supermarket who captures Taccone's attention. When she asks Taccone if he'd like to pay by "cash or credit," he ... does the thing from the title. Sigler's checkout girl isn't impressed, particularly not when he reveals he needs to pay by check.
Blue Sky (2021-2023)
Adapted from C.J. Box's series of books titled "The Highway," "Big Sky" came to the small screen thanks to television veteran David E. Kelley ("Ally McBeal," "Boston Legal," "Big Little Lies"). The series focuses on two private detectives solving mysteries in Montana. Those two detectives — Jenny Hoyt and Cassie Dewell — are played by Katheryn Winnick and Kylie Bunbury. Sigler joined the show during its second season, alongside actors like Logan-Marshall Green, Janina Gavankar, and Jensen Ackles.
In "Big Sky," Sigler plays Tonya Walsh — so what's her deal? As a recurring character in Season 2, Tonya's boyfriend goes missing. She reports this event to Jenny and Cassie, but they're suspicious that Tonya could know more than she's telling. After that, Tonya gets involved with a cartel run by Ren Bhaller (Gavankar). Sadly, Tonya's story never officially concluded, as "Big Sky" was canceled after its third season in 2023.