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Jamie-Lynn Sigler, star of the groundbreaking HBO drama "The Sopranos" tells People that she is battling multiple sclerosis (MS).

(John Munson)

Jamie-Lynn Sigler, star of the groundbreaking HBO drama "The Sopranos," tells People that she is battling multiple sclerosis (MS).



The actress, 34, who recently married baseball player Cutter Dykstra, says she has had the disease since she was 20 years old while on the show and has kept it under wraps.

"I wasn't ready until now," Sigler tells People. "You'd think that after all these years, somebody would be settled with something like this, but it's still hard to accept."



The National Multiple Sclerosis Society explains that MS "is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body."

Sigler, who starred as Meadow Soprano, tells the magazine that former co-star James Gandolfini was aware of her condition and protective. "He was really awesome about it," she said of Gandolfini, who died of a heart attack in 2013.

"I can't walk for a long period of time without resting. I cannot run. No superhero roles for me," Sigler said.

Anthony Venutolo may be reached at avenutolo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @AnthonyVenutolo and Google+. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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