Mira Katherine Sorvino (; born September 28, 1967) is an American actress. She won the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

's ''

Mighty Aphrodite ''Mighty Aphrodite'' is a 1995 American comedy film written, directed by, and co-starring Woody Allen, alongside Mira Sorvino, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Rapaport, and F. Murray Abraham. The screenplay was vaguely inspired by the story of '' ...

'' (1995). She also starred in the films ''

Romy and Michele's High School Reunion ''Romy and Michele's High School Reunion'' is a 1997 American comedy film directed by David Mirkin and starring Mira Sorvino, Lisa Kudrow, and Janeane Garofalo. The plot revolves around two 28-year-old girls who appear to have not achieved much s ...

'' (1997), ''

Mimic MIMIC, known in capitalized form only, is a former simulation computer language developed 1964 by H. E. Petersen, F. J. Sansom and L. M. Warshawsky of Systems Engineering Group within the Air Force Materiel Command at the Wright-Patterson AFB in ...

'' (1997), ''

Lulu on the Bridge ''Lulu on the Bridge'' is a 1998 American romantic- mystery drama film written and directed by author Paul Auster and starring Harvey Keitel, Mira Sorvino, and Willem Dafoe. The film is about a jazz saxophone player whose life is transformed after ...

'' (1998), ''

The Replacement Killers ''The Replacement Killers'' is a 1998 American action film directed by Antoine Fuqua in his feature film directorial debut, and starring Chow Yun-fat (his international film debut), Mira Sorvino, Michael Rooker and Kenneth Tsang. The film was re ...

'' (1998), ''

Summer of Sam ''Summer of Sam'' is a 1999 American crime thriller film about the 1977 David Berkowitz (Son of Sam) serial murders and their effect on a group of fictional residents of an Italian-American neighborhood in The Bronx in the late 1970s. The kille ...

'' (1999), and ''

Like Dandelion Dust ''Like Dandelion Dust'' is a 2009 drama film directed by Jon Gunn and based on the novel by the same name by Karen Kingsbury. The film won 26 awards at 23 film festivals. Plot Two police officers knock on the door of a home and a drunk man answ ...

'' (2009). For her work in television, she was nominated for a

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie is an award presented annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstandin ...

for her portrayal of

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

in ''

Norma Jean & Marilyn ''Norma Jean & Marilyn'' is a 1996 made-for-TV biographical film produced by HBO and premiered on May 18, 1996. The film featured Ashley Judd as Norma Jean Dougherty and Mira Sorvino as Marilyn Monroe. It was partially based on the 1989 book '' ...

'' (1996), and twice nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film, again for her performance as Marilyn Monroe and her leading role in '' Human Trafficking'' (2005).

Early life

Sorvino was born on September 28, 1967 in Manhattan, New York City, to Lorraine Ruth Davis, a drama therapist for

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...

patients and former actress; and

Paul Sorvino Paul Anthony Sorvino (, ; April 13, 1939 – July 25, 2022) was an American actor. He often portrayed authority figures on both the criminal and the law enforcement sides of the law. Sorvino was particularly known for his roles as Lucchese cri ...

, an actor and film director. She has two siblings, Michael Sorvino and Amanda. She is of Italian descent on her father's side. She was raised in

Tenafly, New Jersey Tenafly () is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the borough had a population of 15,409,Seal, Mark
"Mira Sorvino's Barcelona"
''

American Way The American way of life or the American way refers to the American nationalist ethos that adheres to the principle of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. At the center of the American way is the belief in an American Dream that is clai ...

'', January 1, 2001. Accessed December 18, 2013. "When Mira Sorvino arrived in Barcelona in 1994 to film a movie called ''Barcelona'', she had a past in academia and a future in acting. Raised in Tenafly, New Jersey, she was the daughter of tough-guy character actor Paul Sorvino, who raised his kids to strive for an education instead of childhood acting careers." where she wrote and acted in backyard plays with her childhood friend

Hope Davis Hope Davis is an American actress. She is known for her performances on stage and screen earning various awards and nominations including a Tony Award nomination, as well two Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Award nominations. She ...

, and in theater productions at

Dwight-Englewood School The Dwight-Englewood School (D-E) is an independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, located in Englewood, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The school teaches students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade in three ...

. As a child, she was strongly influenced to pursue social causes by her mother, who participated in the

March on Washington The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, also known as simply the March on Washington or The Great March on Washington, was held in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963. The purpose of the march was to advocate for the civil and economic righ ...

. Sorvino excelled in high school and was accepted into

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. She studied for one year as an exchange student with

CIEE The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) is a non-profit organization promoting international education and exchange. It was founded in 1947 and is based in the United States. The organization is headquartered in Portland, Maine. ...

in Beijing, China, where she became fluent in

Mandarin Chinese Mandarin (; ) is a group of Chinese (Sinitic) dialects that are natively spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. The group includes the Beijing dialect, the basis of the phonology of Standard Chinese, the official language of ...

. In 1989, she graduated from Harvard ''

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

'' with a degree in

East Asian studies East Asian studies is a distinct multidisciplinary field of scholarly enquiry and education that promotes a broad humanistic understanding of East Asia past and present. The field includes the study of the region's culture, written language, histo ...

. She also helped found the Harvard-Radcliffe Veritones, one of Harvard's co-ed ''

a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

'' groups, in 1985.

Career

Sorvino's first major screen appearance was in the teen television series '' Swans Crossing'', where she appeared in six episodes. When the 1993 film ''

Amongst Friends ''Amongst Friends'' is a 1993 film written and directed by Rob Weiss and starring Patrick McGaw, JosephLindsey, Steve Parlavecchio, and Mira Sorvino. Plot Andy, Trevor, and Billy are childhood friends. As young adults, Billy sells drugs and A ...

'' entered preproduction, she was hired as third assistant director, then promoted to casting director, then to assistant producer, and finally offered a lead role. The positive reviews she received led to more acting opportunities. After small roles in

Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the List of awards and nominations received by Robert Redford, recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Awards, Academy Award from four nomi ...

's '' Quiz Show'' and

Whit Stillman John Whitney Stillman (born January 25, 1952) is an American writer-director and actor known for his 1990 film ''Metropolitan'', which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He is also known for his other fil ...

's ''

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

,'' she was cast in Woody Allen's ''Mighty Aphrodite'' (1995). Her portrayal of a happy-go-lucky prostitute made her a star, winning her an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. Although the film brought her international recognition, she described its shooting as extremely stressful: "I was absolutely neurotic doing ''Mighty Aphrodite''," she recalled. "Every night brought a new nervous breakdown. I'd cry and talk to God, I was so nervous. Then the next day, I'd show up and do my scenes." Her other credits include ''

'' with

Lisa Kudrow Lisa Valerie Kudrow ( ; born July 30, 1963) is an American actress, producer, and screenwriter. She rose to fame for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the sitcom ''Friends'' (1994–2004), which has since been named one of the greatest television cha ...

, '' At First Sight'' with

Val Kilmer Val Edward Kilmer (born December 31, 1959) is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer found fame after appearances in comedy films, starting with ''Top Secret!'' (1984) and ''Real Genius'' (1985), as well as the military action film ...

, and Spike Lee's ''

''. She portrayed

for the 1996 HBO film ''

'', for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe; and had the lead role in Guillermo del Toro's horror film ''Mimic.'' In 1995, she portrayed Conchita Closson in the BBC miniseries ''The Buccaneers'', based on Edith Wharton's last novel. She starred as

Daisy Buchanan Daisy Fay Buchanan is a fictional character in F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel ''The Great Gatsby''. The character is a wealthy socialite from Louisville, Kentucky who resides in the fashionable town of East Egg on Long Island during the Jazz A ...

in the 2000 television film ''

The Great Gatsby ''The Great Gatsby'' is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts First-person narrative, first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious mil ...

''. In 2002, Sorvino appeared as the lead in '' The Triumph of Love'', an adaptation of the 1732

Marivaux Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux (4 February 1688 – 12 February 1763), commonly referred to as Marivaux, was a French playwright and novelist. He is considered one of the most important French playwrights of the 18th century, writing num ...

play. That year she also starred in ''

WiseGirls ''WiseGirls'' is a 2002 crime drama film directed by David Anspaugh and starring Mira Sorvino, Mariah Carey and Melora Walters. The film was produced by Lions Gate Films, Leading Pictures and Intermedia Films. The story centers around Meg Kennedy ...

'' alongside

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...

and

Melora Walters Melora Walters (born October 21, 1959) is an American actress. She is best known for her starring roles as Wanda Henrickson in the television series ''Big Love'' and Kathy Kone in '' PEN15'', and has appeared in several Paul Thomas Anderson films. ...

. In 2006, she received a Golden Globe nomination for her role as an

Immigration and Customs Enforcement The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. ICE's stated mission is to protect the United States from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration th ...

agent in the Lifetime film ''Human Trafficking''. She had a supporting role in the drama ''

Reservation Road ''Reservation Road'' is a 2007 American crime drama film directed by Terry George and based on the book of the same title by John Burnham Schwartz, who, along with George, adapted the novel for the screenplay. The film, starring Joaquin Phoenix an ...

'' (2007) with

Mark Ruffalo Mark Alan Ruffalo (; born November 22, 1967) is an American actor and producer best known for playing Bruce Banner / Hulk since 2012 in the superhero franchise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and in the television series '' She-Hulk: Attorne ...

. In February 2008, she guest-starred as psychiatrist Cate Milton in the "Frozen" episode of the medical television drama ''

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

''. Plans to make hers a recurring character were interrupted by the writers' strike. She starred in ''

Attack on Leningrad ''Attack on Leningrad'', or just ''Leningrad'', is a 2009 war film written and directed by Aleksandr Buravsky, set during the Siege of Leningrad. Plot In 1941 Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union and their troops besieged the city of Lening ...

'' (2009), ''Multiple Sarcasms'' (2010) with

Timothy Hutton Timothy Tarquin Hutton (born August 16, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He is the youngest recipient of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which he won at age 20 for his performance as Conrad Jarrett in ''Ordinary People ...

and Stockard Channing, and

Nancy Savoca Nancy Laura Savoca (born July 23, 1959) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life and education Nancy Laura Savoca was born in 1959 in the Bronx, New York, to Argentine and Sicilian immigrants Maria Elvira and Carlos S ...

's ''Union Square'' (2012), with

Patti Lupone Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer best known for her work in musical theater. She has won three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, two Grammy Awards, and was a 2006 inductee to the American Theater Hall of Fa ...

and

Tammy Blanchard Tammy Blanchard (born December 14, 1976) is an American actress. She rose to prominence for her role as teenage Judy Garland in the critically acclaimed television film '' Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows'' (2001), for which she received ...

.Union Square
at Tiff.net The film premiered at the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...

to good reviews. In the same year, Sorvino played the mother of the lead in the film adaptation of Wendy Mass's popular children's book '' Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life''. In 2014, she reappeared as Head Detective Betsy Brannigan on the final season of '' Psych'', and on the fourth season of '' Falling Skies'' as John Pope's love interest, Sara. Sorvino also joined the cast of the television series '' Intruders'', playing the role of Amy Whelan. In 2016, she appeared in the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

series ''

Lady Dynamite ''Lady Dynamite'' is an American comedy series starring Maria Bamford, and is loosely based on her life. It was created by Pam Brady and Mitch Hurwitz, on Netflix. The twelve-episode first season was released in its entirety on May 20, 2016. The ...

'' as an actor working on a sitcom pilot named ''White Trash''. In 2018, Sorvino played the role of Amy in the psychological thriller ''

Look Away "Look Away" is a 1988 power ballad by American rock band Chicago. Written by Diane Warren, produced by Ron Nevison, and with Bill Champlin on lead vocals, it is the second single from the band's album '' Chicago 19''. "Look Away" topped the ' ...

'', alongside

Jason Isaacs Jason Isaacs (born 6 June 1963) is an English actor. Isaac's film roles include Col. Tavington in '' The Patriot'' (2000), Michael D. Steele in '' Black Hawk Down'' (2001), Lucius Malfoy in the ''Harry Potter'' film series (2002–2011), C ...

and

India Eisley India Joy Eisley (born October 29, 1993) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Ashley Juergens in the ABC Family television series ''The Secret Life of the American Teenager'', Eve in the 2012 film '' Underworld: Awakening'', Saw ...

. In 2019, Sorvino was cast in the Netflix miniseries '' Hollywood'' as an actor whose career stalled out after a relationship with a studio head.

Personal life

Between 1996 and 1998, Mira Sorvino was romantically involved with director

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensembl ...

, who was her escort to the Academy Awards ceremony where she won Best Supporting Actress for ''Mighty Aphrodite''. Sorvino met actor

Christopher Backus Christopher Paul Backus (born October 30, 1981) is an American actor, director and screenwriter. Backus made his television debut in NBC's ''Will & Grace'', followed by landing roles in ''The O.C.'', ''Life on Mars'', ''It's Always Sunny in Phila ...

at a friend's charades party in August 2003. On June 11, 2004, they married in a private civil ceremony at the

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coas ...

courthouse, then later had a hilltop ceremony in Capri, Italy. They have four children: two daughters and two sons. In honor of Sorvino's role as Susan Tyler, an

entomologist Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...

who investigated deadly insect mutations in the film

, the discovery of a compound excreted as a defense mechanism by the

sunburst diving beetle ''Thermonectus marmoratus'' is a relatively colorful North American species of diving beetle known by the common names sunburst diving beetle and spotted diving beetle. The behavior of this diving beetle has been compared to a scuba diver, sinc ...

was named ''mirasorvone'' by entomologist

Thomas Eisner Thomas Eisner (June 25, 1929 – March 25, 2011) was a German-American entomologist and ecologist, known as the "father of chemical ecology." He was a Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Chemical Ecology at Cornell University, and Director of the ...

In September 2014, Sorvino gave a wide-ranging interview on ''

The Nerdist Podcast ''ID10T with Chris Hardwick'' (formerly ''The Nerdist Podcast'') is a weekly interview show "about what it really means to be a nerd" hosted by Chris Hardwick, once usually accompanied by Jonah Ray and Matt Mira. The audio podcasts are typi ...

'', where she discussed her education, living in China, and her varied interests. She is a Christian and resides with her family in Los Angeles, California. In 2017, Sorvino came out publicly about the sexual harassment she endured from producer

Harvey Weinstein Harvey Weinstein (; born March 19, 1952) is an American former film producer and convicted sex offender. He and his brother, Bob Weinstein, co-founded the entertainment company Miramax, which produced several successful independent films includ ...

and believes her career was damaged after she rebuffed Weinstein's advances. According to

Peter Jackson Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy ( ...

, Weinstein blocked Sorvino and

Ashley Judd Ashley Judd (born Ashley Tyler Ciminella; April 19, 1968) is an American actress. She grew up in a family of performing artists: she is the daughter of the late country music singer Naomi Judd and the half-sister of country music singer Wynonna ...

, another of his alleged victims, from being considered for parts in ''

The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...

'' films. In 2019 she also made public that she was a

date rape Date rape is a form of acquaintance rape and dating violence. The two phrases are often used interchangeably, but date rape specifically refers to a rape in which there has been some sort of romantic or potentially sexual relationship between ...

victim.

Political activism

Sorvino has been affiliated with

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

since 2004. In 2006 she was honored with their Artist of Conscience Award, given to those who have made longstanding philanthropic and humanist efforts. From 2009 to 2012 she was a

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

Goodwill ambassador Goodwill ambassador is a post-nominal honorific title, a professional occupation and/or authoritative designation that is assigned to a person who advocates for a specific cause or global issue on the basis of their notability such as a publ ...

for combatting human trafficking, and has lobbied Congress to abolish the practice in Darfur.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Works and publications

* * *

References

External links

*
Mira Sorvino
at the

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sorvino, Mira 1967 births Living people 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from New Jersey Actresses from Los Angeles Actresses from New York City American Christians American film actresses American people of Italian descent American television actresses Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winners Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Dwight-Englewood School alumni Harvard University alumni People from Manhattan People from Tenafly, New Jersey