HBO faithfuls will that Cristin Milioti played a character in forgotten every actor who has appeared on The Sopranos when guest roles are taken into consideration. The large, expansive families of the Soprano mob, their friends, hangers-ons, and rivals were all fully fleshed out, requiring talented actors to play even bit parts.

Believe it or not, Cristin Milioti appeared on The Sopranos way back when. Cristin Milioti has had a unique career. Her most recognizable role is probably as Tracy McConnell in How I Met Your Mother, the eponymous mother, and a pretty thankless role, all things considered. Yet, it feels like she's been around forever, appearing in notable parts in 30 Rock, Fargo, The Mindy Project, Black Mirror, The Wolf of Wall Street, and more. The Penguin seems to have broken her into the next level of fame, which is funny considering its connection to The Sopranos​​​​​​.

Cristin Milioti Played Catherine Sacrimoni In The Sopranos

Catherine Is Johnny Sac's Youngest Daughter

Cristin Milioti appeared in three episodes of The Sopranos as Catherine Sacrimoni, the youngest daughter of John "Johnny Sac" Sacrimoni (Vincent Curatola), the ambitious underboss of the Lupertazzi crime family in New York City. Catherine is not as major a character as Allegra Sacrimoni (Caitlin Van Zandt), Johnny's eldest daughter, whose wedding is a minor storyline in season 6. However, she's still present at important moments in Johnny's life, sitting at his bedside as he is dying from stage 5 cancer.

Unlike her older sister and mother, Ginny (Denise Borino), Catherine is quite skinny. Ginny's weight has long been an issue in Johnny's life, and he's threatened to kill people for even bringing it up. That one of his daughters is noticeably skinnier and bristles when the topic of food is brought up suggests that eating and weight are problems for everyone in the family. It's a small role for Milioti, but she has just enough time to show she's Johnny and Ginny's daughter. She has the sweetness of her mother and the caustic sarcasm of her father.

What Cristin Milioti Said About Being Directed By Steve Buscemi On The Sopranos

Buscemi Cast Milioti In The Sopranos After Seeing Her In A Coffee Shop

Steve Buscemi appeared in The Sopranos as a ing character in season 5 as Tony Blundetto, Tony's (James Gandolfini) beloved cousin. He also directed four episodes of the series, including season 6, episode 5, "Mr. and Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request...", which was also Cristin Milioti's first appearance on the show. Milioti said that Buscemi cast her in the role after frequenting her coffee shop (via YouTube). She was scared in her first major professional job, but said Buscemi was great,

"I was so scared. But Steve Buscemi was so nice. I talked to him a lot about jazz."

Milioti was young when she first appeared on The Sopranos, only having appeared in an episode of 3 lbs. previously, so it was nice that Buscemi did his best to make her feel at home.

How Milioti's Work In The Sopranos Informs Her Role In The Penguin

Sofia Falcone And Catherine Sacrimoni Have Some Surprising Similarities

Almost two decades after The Sopranos, Cristin Milioti has become an icon thanks to her Golden Globe and SAG-nominated performance in The Penguin as Sofia "The Hangman" Falcone. Another HBO gangster show, there are even more similarities between Sofia and Catherine. Both are the younger siblings of a powerful Italian crime boss, and both are black sheep in their families. They both even react to disrespect and anxiety in a similar way.

How Catherine yells at her family for constantly talking about food is eerily similar to how Sofxia dresses down those who cross her in The Penguin. Cristin Milioti appeared in The Sopranos and The Penguin years apart, but she's clearly retained some tendencies over that time.