Marisa Tomei Biography

Los Angeles, CA (CNS) - Marisa Tomei

Birthdate: December 4, 1964

Birthplace: Brooklyn, NY

Sign: Sagittarius

Marisa Tomei was born December 4, 1964 to trial lawyer Gary A. Tomei and English teacher Patricia. She has one younger brother, Adam, who is also an actor, and appeared in "Independence Day" and "The Truman Show."

Marisa appeared to be ambitious from the get-go. She attended the Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn. At school, Marisa studied both acting and dance, and spent her summers in plays at the Golden Bridge Colony in upstate New York. Even at a young age, it was apparent she thought the theater was her calling.

She enrolled at Boston University, but only for a short time. After her first year, she took a summer job as a waitress at Tony Roma's and strangely enough, that's where first big break came. She was offered a part in a movie, "The Flamingo Kid" starring Matt Dillon, and after that, the chance of a soap opera contract. Her father wanted her to continue studying at Boston University, and even though she only had one line in the film - "You're so drunk" - Marisa took a chance and left college for a chance at her dream career.

She ended up getting the soap opera contract, too, for "As The World Turns." Marisa played a young troublemaking temptress Marcy Thompson Cushing for two years. But she wanted more than just face time on TV. She wanted to be a respected actress. In 1986, she started doing theatre productions. Her off-Broadway debut was as Cetta in John Morgan Evans' "Daughters," which won her a Theatre World award in the process. She also performed in the plays "Beirut" and "Supermom's Daughter," and won a Dramalogue award for "Beirut" in the process.

She was offered small roles in small films, like "The Toxic Avenger" and "Playing For Keeps." But since those weren't satisfying, she took on soap opera work again. She played Maggie Lauten, roommate of "A Different World's" starlet Lisa Bonet on the show, which was about black students and friends struggling through college. It was this role that got bigwig Hollywood casting directors; attention.

But Marisa wasn't interested in doing movies quiet yet. She went back to theater again, and took a part in "What The Butler Saw." Throughout her career, she performed in several plays, including "The Comedy Of Errors," "Demonology," "Waiting For Lefty," "The Rose Tattoo," "Rockets To The Moon," "Aven'u Boys" and "Wait Until Dark," in which she took on Audrey Hepburn's role: a blind woman fending for herself against burglars.

Her first big break finally came with the part of Joe Pesci's loudmouth girlfriend with a strong Brooklyn accent in "My Cousin Vinny."Marisa was praised by critics for her performace, and she even received an Oscar nomination. She won, beating Vanessa Redgrave, among other well-known actresses.

Then the roles started pouring in. Her first lead role was in "Untamed Heart." She played a waitress Caroline who is rescued from rapists by shy Christian Slater, and she ends up falling for him. She went on to play Michael Keaton's pregnant wife in "The Paper," a hot-headed romantic who pursues who she believes is her soul-mate via a Ouija board in "Only You," and a Cuban refugee in "The Perez Family."

Most would agree that Marisa has succeeded in Hollywood, as the list of films she's starred in goes on and on. She also enjoys a relationship with "Twin Peaks" actor Dana Ashbrook. They've been dating since 1999. With Marisa's skill and talent, she's got Hollywood staying power at this point.