Marisa Tomei

Marisa Tomei is an American actress known for her work in film, television, and theater. Born on December 4, 1964, she gained international prominence for her comedic performance in My Cousin Vinny (1992), which earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She later received two additional Academy Award nominations in the same category for her dramatic roles in In the Bedroom (2001) and The Wrestler (2008). She is also widely known for portraying May Parker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Tomei was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Gary A. Tomei, a trial lawyer, and Adelaide Bianchi, an English teacher. Raised in the Midwood neighborhood alongside her younger brother, actor Adam Tomei, she was also partly raised by her paternal grandparents. Inspired by Broadway shows she attended with her parents, she pursued acting in school productions at Andries Hudde Junior High School and trained at the Albee School of Dance. She graduated from Edward R. Murrow High School in 1982 and attended Boston University for one year.

She began her professional acting career on television, appearing in the soap opera As the World Turns from 1983 to 1985 and playing Maggie Lauten in the sitcom A Different World in 1987. After minor film appearances in The Flamingo Kid (1984) and Playing for Keeps (1986), Tomei expanded into major feature films, co-starring in Oscar and Zandalee in 1991. Her breakthrough role as Mona Lisa Vito in My Cousin Vinny (1992) earned critical acclaim and won her both an Academy Award and an MTV Movie Award.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Tomei built a versatile film career. Her 1990s credits include Chaplin (1992), Untamed Heart (1993), The Paper (1994), Only You (1994), Unhook the Stars (1996), and Slums of Beverly Hills (1998). In the 2000s, she starred in hit comedies and acclaimed dramas such as What Women Want (2000), Anger Management (2003), Wild Hogs (2007), and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007). Her portrayal of Natalie in In the Bedroom earned her a second Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe nomination, while her performance in The Wrestler brought her a third Oscar nomination along with nominations for a BAFTA and a Golden Globe.

In addition to film, Tomei has maintained an active stage and television career. A founding member of the Naked Angels Theater Company, she won a Theatre World Award for her off-Broadway stage debut in Daughters (1986). She made her Broadway debut in Wait Until Dark in 1998 and later appeared in Top Girls (2008), The Realistic Joneses (2014)—earning a special Drama Desk Award—and the 2019 Broadway revival of The Rose Tattoo. Her television work includes a recurring role on Rescue Me, which earned her a Gracie Allen Award, as well as guest appearances on Seinfeld and The Simpsons.

In recent years, Tomei has appeared in notable films such as Cyrus (2010), The Lincoln Lawyer (2011), Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011), The Ides of March (2011), The Big Short (2015), and The King of Staten Island (2020). She portrayed Aunt May across multiple Marvel Cinematic Universe releases, spanning from Captain America: Civil War (2016) to Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026).