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Biography Marisa Tomei was born on December 4, 1964 in Brooklyn, New York.
As a child, Marisa's mother frequently corrected her speech as to eliminate her heavy Brooklyn accent. As a teenager, Marisa attended Edward R. Murrow High School and graduated in the class of 1982. She was one year into her college education at Boston University when she dropped out for a co-starring role on the daytime drama "As the World Turns".
Marisa made her film debut in 1984, with a bit part in "The Flamingo Kid". In 1987, Marisa became known for her role as Maggie Lawton on the sitcom "A Different World".
Joe Pesci may have received top billing in the comedy "My Cousin Vinny" (1992), but it was Marisa who stole the film as his wisecracking girlfriend Mona Lisa Vito, and received a Supporting Actress Oscar in the process.
Marisa earned a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as a troubled single mother in "Unhook the Stars" (1996).
In 2000, Marisa co-starred with Mel Gibson in the hugely successful comedy "What Women Want", and she proved her first Best Supporting Actress Oscar win was no fluke when she received her second nomination in the same category for the critically acclaimed drama, "In the Bedroom" (2001).
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