A feisty brunette who has enjoyed a roller-coaster career, Tomei started out on soaps before jumping to prime time as a regular on the sitcom
A Different World. Her breakthrough role as a marriage-minded tough cookie in 1992's
My Cousin Vinny showcased her comedic talents and Brooklyn accent, and snagged her an Academy Award as best supporting actress. However, there was a downside to her victory. Not only did she fail to live up to her promise in her subsequent projects (
Untamed Heart,
The Perez Family), rumors circulated that she hadn't actually won the Oscar and that presenter Jack Palance had read the wrong name — either by mistake or as a joke. (PricewaterhouseCoopers, the firm that handles the balloting process, said that she legitimately won.) In an effort to be taken more seriously, Tomei smartly switched her focus to indie films, earning a second Oscar nod (and Hollywood credibility) for her work in the harrowing 2001 drama
In the Bedroom. Supporting roles in mainstream pictures followed (
Anger Management,
Alfie), as did a handful of plum stage roles, notably her 2003 pairing opposite acting great Al Pacino in
Salome on Broadway.
Marisa Tomei Fast Facts:
- Worked with Naked Angels, a New York theater company that has also included Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker and Rob Morrow as members.
- Played herself in the Seinfeld episode "The Cadillac," in which George became obsessed with her after hearing from a mutual friend that she liked quirky, bald-headed men.
- Costarred with her brother, Adam Tomei, in the 1998 Showtime drama My Own Country.
- Marisa Tomei Relationships:
- Adam Tomei - Brother
- Gary A. Tomei - Father
- Logan Marshall-Green - Significant Other
- Patricia Tomei - Mother
- Rita Tomei - Grandmother
- Romeo Tomei - Grandfather
- Marisa Tomei Awards:
- 2002 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 1992 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Winner
- 2001 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Nominee
- 2009 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Nominee
- 2008 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role - Nominee
- College:
- Attended Boston University, Boston, MA
