Early life

Tomei was born in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Patricia Adelaide "Addie" Tomei (maiden name, Bianchi), an English teacher, and Gary A. Tomei, a trial lawyer. She has a younger brother, actor Adam Tomei, and was partly raised by her paternal grandparents. Tomei's parents are both of Italian descent: her father is the son of Romeo Robert Tomei, of Tuscan origin from Lucca, and Rita Calvosa, of south Italian origin; while her mother is the daughter of Armando Bianchi, of Tuscan origin, and Maria D'Ignoti, of Sicilian origin.

Tomei grew up in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn. While there, she became captivated by the Broadway shows to which her theater-loving parents took her and was drawn to acting as a career. At Andries Hudde Junior High School, she played Hedy LaRue in a school production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. After graduating from Edward R. Murrow High School in 1982, she attended Boston University for a year.

Career

Early career

Tomei followed up As the World Turns in 1986 with a role on the sitcom A Different World as Maggie Lauten during the first season. Her film debut was a minor role in the 1984 comedy film The Flamingo Kid, in which she played Mandy, a waitress. She only had one line in the entire film. During this phase, she made her stage debut in 1987 at the age of 22 with the off-Broadway play Daughters, in which she played Cetta. The role earned her rave reviews and the Theatre World Award for outstanding debut on stage.

Breakthrough

Following several small films, Tomei came to international prominence with her comedic performance in the 1992 film My Cousin Vinny, for which she received critical praise. Critic Vincent Canby wrote, "Ms. Tomei gives every indication of being a fine comedian, whether towering over Mr. Pesci and trying to look small, or arguing about a leaky faucet in terms that demonstrate her knowledge of plumbing. Mona Lisa is also a first-rate auto mechanic, which comes in handy in the untying of the knotted story." For her performance, Tomei was named Best Supporting Actress at the 1993 Academy Awards, prevailing over Miranda Richardson, Joan Plowright, Vanessa Redgrave and Judy Davis. American film critic Rex Reed created controversy (and a minor Hollywood myth) when he suggested that Jack Palance had announced the wrong name after opening the envelope. While this allegation was repeatedly disproved - even the Academy officially denied it - Tomei called the story "extremely hurtful." A Price Waterhouse accountant explained that if such an event had occurred, "we have an agreement with the Academy that one of us would step on stage, introduce ourselves, and say the presenter misspoke."

After her Oscar win, Tomei appeared as silent film star Mabel Normand in the film Chaplin, with her then-boyfriend Robert Downey Jr. playing the title character. The following year she starred in the romantic drama Untamed Heart with Christian Slater, for which they won the MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss. Tomei had won the previous year for Best Breakthrough Performance for My Cousin Vinny. The following year Tomei appeared alongside Downey again in the romantic comedy Only You. She then appeared in Nick Cassavetes's Unhook the Stars. Of Tomei's performance, The New York Times wrote, "Ms. Tomei is equally fine as Mildred's younger, hot-tempered neighbor, whose raw working-class feistiness and bluntly profane vocabulary initially repel the genteel older woman." She received her first Screen Actor's Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Female Supporting Actor for her performance. In 1998, she received an American Comedy Award nomination for Funniest Supporting Actress for Tamara Jenkins's cult film Slums of Beverly Hills. The independent film was well received by critics and the public. The New York Times writes, "Jenkins makes the most of an especially ingratiating cast, with Ms. Tomei very charming and funny as Rita" while another critic states Tomei is "spunky and sexy... more subdued than she usually is." Tomei spent several years away from high-profile roles and major motion pictures in the late 1990s, before rising again to prominence in the early 2000s.

During the 1990s, Tomei made several television appearances. In 1996, she made a guest appearance on the sitcom Seinfeld, playing herself in the two-part episode "The Cadillac". In the episode, George Constanza attempts to get a date with her through a friend of Elaine Benes. She also made an appearance on The Simpsons as movie star Sara Sloane, who falls in love with Ned Flanders. Former Saturday Night Live cast member Jay Mohr wrote in his book Gasping for Airtime that, as guest host in October 1994, Tomei insisted that a proposed sketch, "Good Morning Brooklyn," not be used because she did not like the idea of being stereotyped; that stand displeased the writers and performers, given the show's penchant for satirizing celebrities. Tomei did however, parody her role from My Cousin Vinny, which had considerable Brooklyn influence, in a skit (out of several recurring) spoofing the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder trial.

Tomei appeared in the 2000 film What Women Want, which was a commercial success, and had a supporting role in the romantic comedy Someone Like You. In 2001, Tomei appeared in Todd Field's Best Picture nominee In the Bedroom, earning several awards including a ShoWest Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2002. Variety wrote, "Tomei is winning in what is surely her most naturalistic and unaffected performance," while The New York Times writer Stephen Holden exclaimed, "Ms. Tomei's ruined, sorrowful Natalie is easily her finest screen role." In the Bedroom earned Tomei a second Academy Award nomination and her first Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Tomei also shared a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast. In 2002 she appeared in the Bollywood-inspired film The Guru and voiced the role of Bree Blackburn, the main antagonist in the animated feature film The Wild Thornberrys Movie.

In 2003, Tomei appeared in one of her biggest commercial hits, Anger Management. The following year, she appeared in the film Alfie based on the 1966 British film of the same name. In 2005, she was featured in an ad campaign for Hanes with the slogan "Look who we've got our Hanes on now", featuring various other celebrities including Michael Jordan, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Matthew Perry. In 2006, Tomei had a recurring role on Rescue Me, playing Johnny Gavin's ex-wife Angie. She won a Gracie Allen Award for Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her work in the four episodes she appeared in. The following year, she appeared in the comedy Wild Hogs. The film was the 13th highest-grossing movie of 2007 ($168,273,550 domestic box office). She also starred in the Sidney Lumet-directed Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. The film was released to critical acclaim.

In 2008, Tomei played Cassidy/Pam, a struggling stripper, in the Darren Aronofsky film The Wrestler. She appeared in several nude dance numbers in the film. On working with Tomei, Aronofsky said, "This role shows how courageous and brave Marisa is. And ultimately she's really sexy. We knew nudity was a big part of the picture, and she wanted to be that exposed and vulnerable." Numerous critics heralded this performance as a standout in her career. The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Tomei delivers one of her most arresting performances, again without any trace of vanity." Ty Burr of The Boston Globe wrote, "Tomei gives a brave and scrupulously honest performance, one that's most naked when Pam has her clothes on." Variety exclaimed, "Tomei is in top, emotionally forthright form as she charts a life passage similar to Ram's." For her performance she was nominated for her first BAFTA, second Golden Globe and third Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

In 2009, Tomei recorded the role of Mary Magdalene in Thomas Nelson's audio Bible production The Word of Promise. Tomei was No. 18 on the 2009 FHM list of "100 Sexiest Females in the world".

In 2010, Tomei appeared in two films: a comedy-drama, Cyrus and a comedy, Grown Ups. Tomei hosted the 2011 Scientific and Technical Awards, which was followed by an appearance at the 83rd Academy Awards. She starred in the mystery suspense film The Lincoln Lawyer. She also appeared in Salvation Boulevard, which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Tomei's other 2011 films included Crazy, Stupid, Love. and the George Clooney film The Ides of March. She is in talks to star in the indie comedy Married and Cheating. In an interview, Lady Gaga stated that she would want Tomei to portray her in a film about the singer. Tomei responded, "I was thrilled when I heard. I love her. I love her music. And she's an awesome businesswoman. So I was so touched, really. I think it's incredible that she likes my work and that she'd think of me."

Tomei was featured in the second episode of the third season of NBC's Who Do You Think You Are?, on February 10, 2012. In the episode, she traveled to Tuscany and to the island of Elba to uncover the truth about the 100-year-old murder of her great-grandfather, Francesco Leopoldo Bianchi.

Tomei portrays Aunt May in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, first appearing in Captain America: Civil War (2016), before reprising her role in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). In Civil War, May appears at her and Peter's apartment and is visited by Tony Stark, who is attracted to her (possibly referencing other works done by Tomei and Robert Downey Jr.).

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role
1984	Flamingo Kid, TheThe Flamingo Kid	Mandy
1984	Toxic Avenger, TheThe Toxic Avenger	Health Club girl (uncredited)
1986	Playing for Keeps	Tracy
1991	Oscar	Lisa Provolone
1991	Zandalee	Remy
1992	My Cousin Vinny	Mona Lisa Vito
1992	Equinox	Rosie Rivers
1992	Chaplin	Mabel Normand
1993	Untamed Heart	Caroline
1994	Only You	Faith Corvatch
1994	Paper, TheThe Paper	Martha Hacket
1995	Perez Family, TheThe Perez Family	Dorita Evita Perez
1995	Four Rooms	Margaret
1996	Unhook the Stars	Monica Warren
1997	Brother's Kiss, AA Brother's Kiss	Missy
1997	Welcome to Sarajevo	Nina
1998	Slums of Beverly Hills	Rita Abromowitz
2000	Happy Accidents	Ruby Weaver
2000	Watcher, TheThe Watcher	Dr. Polly Beilman
2000	What Women Want	Lola
2000	King of the Jungle	Det. Costello
2000	Dirk and Betty	Paris
2001	In the Bedroom	Natalie Strout
2001	Someone Like You	Liz
2002	Wild Thornberrys Movie, TheThe Wild Thornberrys Movie	Bree Blackburn (voice role)
2002	Just a Kiss	Paula
2002	Guru, TheThe Guru	Lexi
2003	Anger Management	Linda
2004	Alfie	Julie
2005	Loverboy	Sybil
2005	Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School	Meredith Morrison
2005	Factotum	Laura
2006	Danika	Danika
2007	Grace Is Gone	Woman at Pool
2007	Wild Hogs	Maggie
2007	Before the Devil Knows You're Dead	Gina Hanson
2008	War, Inc.	Natalie Hegalhuzen
2008	Wrestler, TheThe Wrestler	Cassidy / Pam
2010	Cyrus	Molly
2010	Grown Ups	Spectator (cameo)
2011	Lincoln Lawyer, TheThe Lincoln Lawyer	Margaret McPherson
2011	Salvation Boulevard	Honey Foster
2011	Crazy, Stupid, Love	Kate
2011	Ides of March, TheThe Ides of March	Ida Horowicz
2012	Inescapable	Fatima
2012	Parental Guidance	Alice
2014	Love Is Strange	Kate
2014	The Rewrite	Holly Carpenter
2014	Loitering with Intent	Gigi
2015	Spare Parts	Gwen
2015	Trainwreck	The Dog Owner
2015	Love the Coopers	Emma
2015	The Big Short	Cynthia Baum
2016	Captain America: Civil War	May Parker

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1983-85	As the World Turns	Marcy Thompson
1987	ABC Afterschool Special	Noelle Crandall	Episode: "Supermom's Daughter"
1987	Leg Work	Donna Ricci	Episode: "Pilot"
1987	Different World, AA Different World	Maggie Lauten	21 episodes
1994	Saturday Night Live	Host	Episode: "Marisa Tomei/Bonnie Raitt"
1996	Seinfeld	Herself	Episode: "The Cadillac"
1998	Since You've Been Gone	Tori	Uncredited
1998	My Own Country	Mattie Vines	Movie
1998	Only Love	Elvie
2003	Simpsons, TheThe Simpsons	Sara Sloane (voice)	Episode: "A Star Is Born Again"
2006	Rescue Me	Angie Gavin	4 episodes
2007	Rich Inner Life of Penelope Cloud, TheThe Rich Inner Life of Penelope Cloud	Penelope Cloud	Movie
2010	Core and Curves	Herself	Exercise video
2012	Comedy Bang! Bang!	Herself	Episode: "Ed Helms Wears A Grey Shirt & Brown Boots"
2015	Empire	Mimi Whiteman	5 episodes

Stage

• 1986: Daughters as Cetta
• 1987: Beirut as Blue
• 1988: What The Butler Saw as Geraldine Barclay
• 1992: The Comedy of Errors as Adriana
• 1994: Slavs! as Katherine Serafima Gleb
• 1996: Dark Rapture as Julie
• 1996: Demonology as Gina
• 1998: Wait Until Dark as Susy Hendrix
• 2003: Salomé as Salome
• 2008: Top Girls as Isabella Bird/Joyce/Mrs. Kidd
• 2011: Marie and Bruce as Marie
• 2014: The Realistic Joneses as Pony Jones

Awards and nominations

Year	Association	Category	Work	Result
1992	Academy Awards	Best Supporting Actress	My Cousin Vinny	Won
	MTV Movie Awards	Best Breakthrough Performance		Won
	Chicago Film Critics Association	Best Supporting Actress		Nominated
1993	MTV Movie Awards	MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss	Untamed Heart	Won
1996	Screen Actors Guild	Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role	Unhook the Stars	Nominated
1998	Teen Choice Awards	Funniest Scene	Slums of Beverly Hills	Nominated
2000	Satellite Awards	Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy	What Women Want	Nominated
2001	Academy Awards	Best Supporting Actress	In The Bedroom	Nominated
	Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association	Best Supporting Actress		Won
	Southeastern Film Critics Association	Best Supporting Actress		Won
	Critics' Choice Movie Awards	Best Supporting Actress		Nominated
	Chicago Film Critics Association	Best Supporting Actress		Nominated
	Golden Globe Awards	Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture		Nominated
	Online Film Critics Society	Best Supporting Actress		Nominated
	Satellite Awards	Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture Drama		Nominated
	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture		Nominated
2006	Gracie Allen Awards	Outstanding Supporting Actress	Rescue Me	Won
2007	Gotham Award	Gotham Award for Best Cast	Before the Devil Knows You're Dead	Won
	Independent Spirit Award	Best Supporting Female		Nominated
2008	Academy Awards	Best Supporting Actress	The Wrestler	Nominated
	Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association	Best Supporting Actress		Won
	Detroit Film Critics Society	Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress		Won
	Florida Film Critics Circle	Best Supporting Actress		Won
	Hollywood Film Festival	Supporting Actress of the Year		Won
	Las Vegas Film Critics Society	Best Supporting Actress		Won
	Oklahoma Film Critics Circle	Best Supporting Actress		Won
	Online Film Critics Society	Best Supporting Actress		Won
	Phoenix Film Critics Society	Best Supporting Actress		Won
	San Diego Film Critics Society	Best Supporting Actress		Won
	San Francisco Film Critics Circle	Best Supporting Actress		Won
	BAFTA Awards	Best Actress in a Supporting Role		Nominated
	Broadcast Film Critics Association	Best Supporting Actress		Nominated
	Golden Globe Awards	Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture		Nominated
	Houston Film Critics Society	Best Supporting Actress		Nominated
	Vancouver Film Critics Circle	Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress		Nominated
2009	Drama Desk Awards	Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play	Top Girls	Nominated
2010	Satellite Awards	Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy	Cyrus	Nominated
2016	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture	The Big Short	Nominated

[ Source: Wikipedia ]