Sopranos star Drea de Matteo joined OnlyFans because her Covid-19 vaccine refusal left her without work

Sopranos star Drea de Matteo has opened up about why she decided to join OnlyFans.

The 51-year-old actor stunned fans around the world when she signed up to the X-rated subscription platform and produce content.

It can be an incredibly lucrative side hustle for some people, however the performer says it was because work dried up in Hollywood for her.

She has explained in an interview with Fox Digital that she was dropped by her manager when she refused to comply with the entertainment industry's Covid-19 vaccine requirements.

The actor says she nearly lost her house over the stance.

"People find that hard to believe that I was never really paid very much money for any of the jobs I've done," de Matteo said.

HBO

"People think I'm f**king made of gold, and I'm not. I’ve worked job to job. And I've turned down tons of jobs in the past just to be with my children because their dad's on the road, and he's not around as much."

When the pandemic was in full swing, cast and crew on pretty much every set were required to be vaccinated, wear face masks and ensure social distancing was maintained.

However, de Matteo says her professional life was turned upside down when she didn't follow the masses.

“I guess you could say I was a bad girl because I did not follow the rules a couple of years ago," she told Fox.

"So, I don’t want to be at the mercy of mandates or strike or anything like that ever again.”

She added: "I didn’t know this was going to have to be a change of life, you know, all of a sudden that during a time I’m supposed to be relaxing a little bit, that I would have to switch careers and figure new things out because my own industry thinks I’m, you know, a savage."

When the 51-year-old announced she was joining OnlyFans, she explained that she wished she thought of it sooner.

And now she isn't looking back.

Instagram/Drea de Matteo

"I figured, 'OK, so everybody's in their underwear and being sexy on Instagram and I don't do that, but I can do that and get paid for it'," she revealed.

"Things have changed in the last three years. My kids have always been my No. 1 focus.

"Had I known that I could work out of my closet my whole life, I never would have [believed].

"I know that might sound crazy and might sound somewhat lazy, but I am a very big supporter of stay-at-home moms and women who really love to raise their children. I balanced it all, and I've done it all."

She says she has the full support of her family and they view her as a 'warrior' who is 'not accepting defeat'.

de Matteo charges $15 a month for her content and she reckons it allows her family to do 'certain things that we haven't been able to do'.