The Character Everyone Forgets Sarah Shahi Played On The Sopranos

Only a few episodes shy of the series finale of "The Sopranos'" is an episode titled "Kennedy and Heidi." Shahi appears in the episode as Sonya Aragon, a Vegas stripper who once had a fling with Christopher (Michael Imperioli). Tony (James Gandolfini) meets Sonya after taking a trip to Las Vegas. The episode is a crucial one in the show's run because Christopher is critically hurt after he and Tony survive a car wreck. Tony's nephew suffers serious injuries and admits to his uncle he won't pass a drug test, leading Tony to suffocate, and subsequently kill, him.

Tony informs Sonya about Christopher's death and the two have a long night of becoming intimate, taking peyote, gambling, and watching the sunrise.

"Kennedy and Heidi" received critical acclaim for its stellar performances and even landed director Alan Taylor an Emmy for his work on the episode.

This episode helped boost Shahi's own career, too. In an episode of the podcast "10,000 NOs" Shahi says she has done so many TV shows over the years, but "that one episode did more for me than all of my TV shows combined." We can think of worse ways to launch your career than a standout episode of "The Sopranos."