Marisa Tomei

Biography:

Marisa Tomei was born on December 4, 1964, in Brooklyn, New York, to Gary A. Tomei, a trial attorney, and Adelaide (née Bianchi), an English teacher. She has a younger brother, Adam Tomei, who is also an actor, and spent part of her childhood under the care of her paternal grandparents. Both of her parents are of Italian heritage—her father’s roots trace to Tuscany, Calabria, and Campania, while her mother’s family comes from Tuscany and Sicily. Tomei graduated from Edward R. Murrow High School in 1982.

She grew up in Brooklyn’s Midwood neighborhood, where her parents’ love of theater exposed her to Broadway at a young age, sparking her interest in acting. At Andries Hudde Junior High School, she played Hedy LaRue in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and she also trained at the Albee School of Dance. After high school, Tomei attended Boston University for one year.

Tomei followed her work on As the World Turns with a starring role on the sitcom A Different World during its first season in 1987. She appeared briefly in The Toxic Avenger and made her film debut in The Flamingo Kid (1984) with a small role. In 1986, she had a minor part in Playing for Keeps, which did poorly at the box office.

She made her stage debut at age 22 in the off-Broadway play Daughters (1987), earning strong reviews and the Theatre World Award for outstanding Broadway or off-Broadway debut. Additional off-Broadway credits included Beirut (1987), Sharon and Billy (1988), What the Butler Saw (1989), and The Rose Tattoo at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. She later took on higher-profile film roles, including Oscar (1991) with Sylvester Stallone and Zandalee (1991) opposite Nicolas Cage.

Tomei gained global recognition for her performance in My Cousin Vinny (1992) alongside Joe Pesci, earning critical praise and winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her win was the subject of an unfounded rumor started by critic Rex Reed, who claimed the wrong name was announced—an allegation repeatedly proven false, including by the Academy itself. Tomei described the rumor as deeply upsetting. A 2015 Hollywood Reporter poll showed Academy voters would still award her the Oscar if the vote were held again.

After her Oscar win, she played Mabel Normand in Chaplin opposite Robert Downey Jr., then co-starred in Untamed Heart (1993) with Christian Slater, winning the MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss. She followed with roles in The Paper (1994), Only You (1994), and Unhook the Stars (1996), earning her first SAG nomination for the latter.

In 1998, she earned an American Comedy Award nomination for her role in the cult classic Slums of Beverly Hills, with critics praising her comedic work. Although she stepped back from major film roles later in the 1990s, she returned to prominence in the 2000s.

During the 1990s, Tomei made several notable TV appearances, including playing herself on Seinfeld and voicing actress Sara Sloane on The Simpsons. She also hosted Saturday Night Live in 1994. In 1998, she made her Broadway debut in Wait Until Dark, though reviews were mixed.

Her film credits in the early 2000s include What Women Want (2000), Someone Like You (2001), and the critically acclaimed In the Bedroom (2001). Her performance in the latter earned her a second Academy Award nomination, her first Golden Globe nomination, and a SAG nomination.

Tomei continued to appear in a mix of studio and independent films: The Guru (2002), The Wild Thornberrys Movie (2002, voice), Anger Management (2003), Alfie (2004), and recurring roles on Rescue Me (2006). She also starred in Grace Is Gone and Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007).

In 2008, Tomei delivered one of her most acclaimed performances as Cassidy in Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler, which required extensive nude scenes. Critics widely praised her emotionally raw portrayal, earning her a BAFTA nomination, a Golden Globe nomination, and her third Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She also voiced Mary Magdalene in the audio Bible The Word of Promise.

Her later work includes Cyrus (2010), hosting the 2011 Scientific and Technical Awards, and appearing in films such as The Lincoln Lawyer, Crazy, Stupid, Love, The Ides of March, and Salvation Boulevard (all 2011). Lady Gaga publicly stated she wanted Tomei to portray her in a biopic, a sentiment Tomei said she was moved by.

In 2012, Tomei appeared on Who Do You Think You Are?, tracing her family history to Tuscany and Elba. She continued to take diverse roles, including in The Rewrite (2014), Love Is Strange (2014), and the Broadway production The Realistic Joneses.

She joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Aunt May, appearing in Captain America: Civil War (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). Additional roles included The Big Short (2015), The First Purge (2018), and The King of Staten Island (2020). She also returned to Broadway in The Rose Tattoo, again earning critical praise.

Tomei had guest roles in The Handmaid’s Tale (2018) and portrayed Edith Bunker in ABC’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience specials. In 2023, she starred in Rebecca Miller’s She Came to Me alongside Peter Dinklage and Anne Hathaway, and later appeared in Amazon’s romantic comedy Upgraded.

In her personal life, Tomei dated Robert Downey Jr. in the early 1990s and was in a relationship with Logan Marshall-Green from 2008 to 2012, though rumors of an engagement were denied. She has never married, saying she does not believe marriage or motherhood is necessary for a woman to feel complete.

Tomei advocates for voting access and has supported VoteRiders. She also appeared on Who Do You Think You Are? and Finding Your Roots, where she and actress Julianne Moore learned they are cousins through genealogical research.