Mira Sorvino
Mira Katherine Sorvino (/ˈmiːrə sɔːrˈviːnoʊ/; born September 28, 1967) is an American actress. She won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite (1995).
Mira Sorvino | |
|---|---|
Sorvino at the 2013 Vienna Opera Ball | |
| Born | Mira Katherine Sorvino September 28, 1967 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Harvard University (AB) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent |
|
| Relatives | Michael Sorvino (brother), Amanda (sister) |
She also starred in the films Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), Mimic (1997), Lulu on the Bridge (1998), The Replacement Killers (1998), Summer of Sam (1999), and Like Dandelion Dust (2009). For her work in television, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in Norma Jean & Marilyn (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,[1] to Lorraine Ruth Davis, a drama therapist for Alzheimer's disease patients and former actress; and Paul Sorvino, an actor and film director.[2] She has two siblings, Michael Sorvino and Amanda. She is of Italian descent on her father's side.[3]
She was raised in Tenafly, New Jersey,[4] where she wrote and acted in backyard plays with her childhood friend Hope Davis, and in theater productions at Dwight-Englewood School.[5] As a child, she was strongly influenced to pursue social causes by her mother, who participated in the March on Washington.[6] Sorvino excelled in high school and was accepted into Harvard University. She studied for one year as an exchange student with CIEE in Beijing, China, where she studied Mandarin Chinese.[7] In 1989, she graduated from Harvard magna cum laude with a degree in East Asian studies.[8] She also helped found the Harvard-Radcliffe Veritones, one of Harvard's co-ed a cappella groups, in 1985.[9]
Career
Sorvino's first major screen appearance was in the teen television series Swans Crossing, where she appeared in six episodes.[6] When the 1993 film Amongst Friends 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[10][11] led to more acting opportunities.
After small roles in Robert Redford's Quiz Show and Whit Stillman's Barcelona, 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[12] and Golden Globe[13] 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."[6]
Her other credits include Romy and Michele's High School Reunion with Lisa Kudrow, At First Sight with Val Kilmer, and Spike Lee's Summer of Sam. She portrayed Marilyn Monroe for the 1996 HBO film Norma Jean & Marilyn, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe;[13] 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 in the 2000 television film The Great Gatsby.
In 2002, Sorvino appeared as the lead in The Triumph of Love, an adaptation of the 1732 Marivaux play.[14] That year she also starred in WiseGirls alongside Mariah Carey and Melora Walters.[15] In 2006, she received a Golden Globe nomination for her role as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in the Lifetime film Human Trafficking.[13] She had a supporting role in the drama Reservation Road (2007) with Mark Ruffalo.
In February 2008, she guest-starred as psychiatrist Cate Milton in the "Frozen" episode of the medical television drama House. Plans to make hers a recurring character were interrupted by the writers' strike.[16]
She starred in Attack on Leningrad (2009), Multiple Sarcasms (2010) with Timothy Hutton and Stockard Channing, and Nancy Savoca's Union Square (2012), with Patti Lupone and Tammy Blanchard.[17] The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival[17] to good reviews.[18][19] 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.[20]
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.[21] Sorvino also joined the cast of the television series Intruders, playing the role of Amy Whelan. In 2016, she appeared in the Netflix series Lady Dynamite as an actor working on a sitcom pilot named White Trash.[22] In 2018, Sorvino played the role of Amy in the psychological thriller Look Away, alongside Jason Isaacs and India Eisley.[23]
In 2019, Sorvino was cast in the Netflix miniseries Hollywood as an actor whose career stalled out after a relationship with a studio head.[24]
Personal life
Between 1996 and 1998, Mira Sorvino was romantically involved with director Quentin Tarantino, who was her escort to the Academy Awards ceremony where she won Best Supporting Actress for Mighty Aphrodite.[25]
Sorvino met actor Christopher Backus 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 courthouse, then later had a hilltop ceremony in Capri, Italy. They have four children: two daughters and two sons.[26][27] [28][29]
In honor of Sorvino's role as Susan Tyler, an entomologist who investigated deadly insect mutations in the film Mimic, the discovery of a compound excreted as a defense mechanism by the sunburst diving beetle was named mirasorvone by entomologist Thomas Eisner.[30][31]
In September 2014, Sorvino gave a wide-ranging interview on The Nerdist Podcast, where she discussed her education, living in China, and her varied interests.[32] She is a Christian[33][34] and resides with her family in Los Angeles, California.[35]
In 2017, Sorvino came out publicly about the sexual harassment she endured from producer Harvey Weinstein[36] and believes her career was damaged after she rebuffed Weinstein's advances.[37][38] According to Peter Jackson, Weinstein blocked Sorvino and Ashley Judd, another of his alleged victims, from being considered for parts in The Lord of the Rings films.[39] In 2019 she also made public that she was a date rape victim.[40][41][42]
Political activism
Sorvino has been affiliated with Amnesty International since 2004.[43] 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 Goodwill ambassador for combatting human trafficking, and has lobbied Congress to abolish the practice in Darfur.[44]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The Stuff | Factory Worker | Uncredited[45] |
| 1993 | The Obit Writer | Short film | |
| 1993 | Amongst Friends | Laura | |
| 1993 | New York Cop (Nyū Yōku no koppu) | Maria | |
| 1994 | Quiz Show | Sandra Goodwin | |
| 1994 | Barcelona | Marta Ferrer | |
| 1995 | Sweet Nothing | Monika | |
| 1995 | Mighty Aphrodite | Linda Ash | Oscar for Best Supporting Actress |
| 1995 | Blue in the Face | Young Lady | |
| 1996 | Beautiful Girls | Sharon Cassidy | |
| 1996 | Tales of Erotica | Teresa | Short film The Dutch Master |
| 1996 | Tarantella | Diane | |
| 1997 | Romy and Michele's High School Reunion | Romy White | |
| 1997 | Mimic | Dr. Susan Tyler | |
| 1998 | The Replacement Killers | Meg Coburn | |
| 1998 | Lulu on the Bridge | Celia Burns | |
| 1998 | Too Tired to Die | Death/Jean | |
| 1998 | Free Money | Karen Polarski | |
| 1999 | At First Sight | Amy Benic | |
| 1999 | Summer of Sam | Dionna | |
| 2001 | The Grey Zone | Dina | |
| 2001 | The Triumph of Love | The Princess | |
| 2002 | WiseGirls | Meg Kennedy | |
| 2002 | Semana santa | Maria Delgado | |
| 2002 | Between Strangers | Natalia Bauer | |
| 2003 | Gods and Generals | Fanny Chamberlain | |
| 2004 | The Final Cut | Delila | |
| 2007 | Reservation Road | Ruth | |
| 2009 | Like Dandelion Dust | Wendy Porter | |
| 2009 | Sweet Flame | Sheila | |
| 2009 | Attack on Leningrad | Kate Davis | |
| 2010 | Multiple Sarcasms | Cari | |
| 2010 | The Presence | The Woman | |
| 2011 | Angels Crest | Angie | |
| 2012 | Union Square | Lucy | |
| 2012 | The Trouble with Cali | The Balletmaster | |
| 2012 | Smitty | Amanda | |
| 2012 | Trade of Innocents | Claire Becker | |
| 2013 | Space Warriors | Sally Hawkins | |
| 2014 | Perfect Sisters | Linda | |
| 2014 | Frozen in Time | Carol Purtle | Direct-to-video film |
| 2015 | Quitters | May Rayman | |
| 2015 | Do You Believe? | Samantha | |
| 2015 | Chloe and Theo | Monica | |
| 2016 | Exposed | Janine Cullen | |
| 2016 | Mothers and Daughters | Georgina | |
| 2016 | The Red Maple Leaf | Marianna Palermo | |
| 2017 | 6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain | Susan LeMarque | |
| 2018 | Waterlily Jaguar | Helen | |
| 2018 | Look Away | Amy | originally titled Behind the Glass[46] |
| 2019 | Beneath the Leaves | Detective Erica Shotwell | |
| 2019 | Stuber | Captain Angie McHenry | |
| 2019 | Badland | Sarah Cooke | |
| 2019 | Drowning | Mary | |
| 2020 | Butter | Marian[47] | |
| 2020 | Most Guys Are Losers | Amy | |
| 2021 | The Girl Who Believes in Miracles | Bonnie Hopkins | |
| 2021 | East of the Mountains | Renee Givens | |
| 2021 | Hero Mode | Kate Mayfield | |
| 2021 | Crime Story | Nick Wallace | |
| 2021 | After We Fell | Carol Young | |
| 2022 | After Ever Happy | ||
| 2022 | Lamborghini | Annita | |
| TBA | Sound of Freedom | Katherine Ballard | Completed |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Swans Crossing | Sophia Eva McCormick De Castro | 6 episodes |
| 1994 | Parallel Lives | Matty Derosa | Movie |
| 1995 | The Buccaneers | Conchita Closson | 5 episodes |
| 1996 | Norma Jean & Marilyn | Marilyn Monroe | Movie |
| 2000 | The Great Gatsby | Daisy Buchanan | Movie |
| 2003 | Will & Grace | Diane | Episode "Last Ex to Brooklyn" |
| 2005 | Human Trafficking | Kate Morozov | Miniseries |
| 2006 | Covert One: The Hades Factor | Randi Russell | Movie |
| 2008 | House | Dr. Cate Milton | Episode "Frozen" |
| 2009 | The Last Templar | Tess Chaykin | Movie |
| 2012 | Finding Mrs. Claus | Mrs. Claus | Movie |
| 2014 | Psych | Head Detective Betsy Brannigan | 3 episodes |
| 2014–15 | Falling Skies | Sara | Recurring role (seasons 4–5) |
| 2014 | Intruders | Amy Whelan | Main role, 8 episodes |
| 2015 | Stalker | Vicki Gregg | Recurring role |
| 2016 | Indiscretion | Veronica Lewis | Movie |
| 2016 | A Christmas to Remember | Jennifer Wade / Maggie | Movie |
| 2016–17 | Lady Dynamite | Herself/Millicent Pratt/Jennipher Nickels/ Ranlith the Hive Queen | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Condor | Marty Ross | Recurring role[48] |
| 2018 | No One Would Tell | Judge Elizabeth Hanover | Movie |
| 2018 | StartUp | Rebecca Stroud | Recurring role (season 3) |
| 2018 | Modern Family | Nicole Rosemary Page | Recurring role (season 9) |
| 2018 | Spy Kids: Mission Critical | Ingrid Cortez (voice) | 7 episodes |
| 2020 | Hollywood | Jeanne Crandall | Recurring role |
| 2021 | Impeachment: American Crime Story | Marcia Lewis | 6 episodes |
| 2022 | Shining Vale | Rosemary Wellingham | Main role, 8 episodes |
Awards and nominations
Works and publications
- Sorvino, Mira (1989). Anti-Africanism in China: An Investigation into Chinese Attitudes Towards Black Students in the PRC (Thesis/dissertation). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University. OCLC 36014182.
- Sorvino, Mira (October 9, 2012). "In the Pursuit of Justice". HuffPost.
- Sorvino, Mira (October 11, 2017). "Mira Sorvino: Why I Spoke Out Against Harvey Weinstein". Time.
References
- ^ "Mira Sorvino". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ Laurino, Maria (August 28, 1994). "The Many Screen Ethnicities of Mira Sorvino". The New York Times. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
- ^ O'Neal, Sean (November 23, 2011). "Mira Sorvino Random Roles". A.V. Club. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
- ^ Seal, Mark. "Mira Sorvino's Barcelona", American Way, 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."
- ^ Ervolino, Bill. "Tenafly's Mira Sorvino says she was a Weinstein victim", The Record (Bergen County), October 10, 2017. Accessed June 14, 2018. "Sorvino, who was raised in Tenafly and took part in theater productions at the Dwight-Englewood School when she was a youngster, told a local news outlet in Los Angeles that Weinstein lured her into his hotel room in 1995 when they were in Canada promoting the Woody Allen film Mighty Aphrodite, the film which earned Sorvino her best-supporting actress award."
- ^ a b c "Mira Sorvino". Biography.com. The Biography Channel. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
- ^ Brennan, Sandra. "Mira Sorvino". Allmovie. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
- ^ . Harvard University. Archived from the original on May 12, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
- ^ . Harvard University. Archived from the original on April 14, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
- ^ Berardinelli, James (1993). "Review: Amongst Friends".
- ^ Hinson, Hal (August 13, 1993). "Amongst Friends". The Washington Post.
- ^ "The 68th Academy Awards". 1996.
- ^ a b c "Mira Sorvino". www.goldenglobes.com. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
- ^ Musto, Michael (May 2002). "Mira Sorvino". Out: 40 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Wisegirls". Variety. January 15, 2002. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ Vosmikova, Isabella (January 24, 2008). "TV Addict Interview: Mira Sorvino Guest Stars on HOUSE".
- ^ a b Union Square 2011-09-11 at the Wayback Machine at Tiff.net
- ^ Scott, A. O. (July 12, 2012). "'Union Square,' by Nancy Savoca, With Mira Sorvino". The New York Times.
- ^ Goldstein, Gary (July 13, 2012). "Review: 'Union Square' is a compelling family drama". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Reviews – Page 47040 – Film Threat". www.filmthreat.com.
- ^ Cornet, Roth (October 21, 2013). "Mira Sorvino Joins the Cast of TNT's Falling Skies". IGN. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
- ^ Petski, Denise (September 2, 2015). "Sarah Silverman, Jenny Slate, Mira Sorvino & More Join Netflix's 'Lady Dynamite'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
- ^ "Look Away (2018) – Movie". www.moviefone.com. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ^ Miller, Julie (November 9, 2021). "Mira Sorvino Is Ready for Her Next Act". VanityFair.com. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
In 2019, Ryan Murphy cast the actor in her highest-profile project in two decades. Netflix Hollywood featured the Oscar winner as an actor whose career stalled out after a relationship with a studio head. In one poignant scene, she's rescued from B-movie hell when she's suddenly offered her the chance to work—really work again—in a dramatic role she can sink her teeth into.
- ^ Ryan, Joal (March 5, 1998). "Quentin, and Mira Call It Quits". eonline.com.
- ^ . People. November 4, 2012. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
- ^ Archuleta, Paul (May 4, 2012). . People. Archived from the original on June 13, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
- ^ Gee, Allison (May 30, 2006). . People. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
- ^ Symons, Matt (July 13, 2009). . Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
- ^ Meinwald, Jerrold; et al. (March 17, 1998). "Mirasorvone: A masked 20-ketopregnane from the defensive secretion of a diving beetle (Thermonectus marmoratus)". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences. 95 (6): 2733–2737. Bibcode:1998PNAS...95.2733M. doi:10.1073/pnas.95.6.2733. OCLC 1607201. PMC 19637. PMID 9501158.
- ^ . Archived from the original on September 28, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
- ^ Levine, Katie (September 12, 2014). "Episode 570: Nerdist Podcast: Mira Sorvino" 2014-09-14 at the Wayback Machine. The Nerdist Podcast.
- ^ Moring, Mark (October 3, 2012). "Mira Sorvino: Saving Sex Slaves". Christianity Today. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
- ^ Goodwyn, Hannah. "Mira Sorvino on Faith and Like Dandelion Dust". Christian Broadcasting Network. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
- ^ Morgan, Laura (July 21, 2016). "Mira Sorvino on Selfies, Growing Up in New Jersey, and Vintage Furniture". Architectural Digest. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
- ^ Sorvino, Mira (October 11, 2017). "Mira Sorvino: Why I Spoke Out Against Harvey Weinstein". Time.
- ^ Desta, Yohana (January 5, 2018). "How Actresses Allegedly Blacklisted by Harvey Weinstein Are Making Big Comebacks". Vanity Fair.
- ^ Sorvino, Mira (December 8, 2017). "Mira Sorvino: The Vindication and Aftermath of My Weinstein Story (Guest Column)". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles, California. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (May 3, 2018). "Weinstein Threatened to Take 'Lord of the Rings' Away From Peter Jackson and Have Quentin Tarantino Direct". Retrieved July 27, 2019.
- ^ "Mira Sorvino says she was date raped and calls for 'justice' for survivors". The Guardian. June 13, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
- ^ Herreria, Carla (June 16, 2019). "Actress Mira Sorvino Says She Survived Date Rape". Huffpost. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
- ^ "Mira Sorvino says she is a 'survivor of date rape'". AP News. June 12, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
- ^ "Mira Sorvino aiding Amnesty International". USA Today. March 10, 2004. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
- ^ "Spotlight on Human Trafficking with Mira Sorvino". National Conference of State Legislatures. August 10, 2011. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
- ^ O'Neal, Sean (November 23, 2011). "Random Roles: Mira Sorvino". avclub.com. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
- ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (April 27, 2018). "Goldcrest Boards India Eisley Thriller 'Look Away' From Assaf Bernstein – Cannes". Deadline. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ^ DeFore, John (April 2, 2020). "'Butter': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- ^ Kate Stanhope (April 3, 2017). "Mira Sorvino to Star in Audience Network's 'Three Days of the Condor' Remake". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
Titled simply Condor, the drama follows Joe Turner (Max Irons), a young CIA analyst whose idealism is tested when he stumbles onto a terrible but brilliant plan that threatens the lives of millions. Sorvino will play Marty Frost, an investigator who has come out of retirement to take over after an attack at Turner's office.
External links
- Mira Sorvino at IMDb
- Mira Sorvino at the American Film Institute
- Mira Sorvino on Twitter
- Mira Sorvino on Instagram