ActressAss - Mira Sorvino

Mira Sorvino Biography

Mira was born in 1967 in Tenafly, New Jersey. Her father, actor Paul Sorvino, discouraged Mira and her two siblings from the acting profession to save them from the psychological pressures that accompany child stars. Being the dutiful daughter that she was, Mira spent much of her childhood concentrating on her studies. Her hard work paid off and was accepted into Harvard University. She graduated in 1990 with a degree in East Asian Studies and while in Beijing, she learned to speak fluent Mandarin Chinese.

Despite her father’s apprehension about following in his professional footsteps, Mira had always wanted to act and decided to move to New York to pursue her dream. She spent the following three years as a struggling actress/waitress and worked for Robert DeNiro's film company as a production assistant. In 1992 Mira jumped at the opportunity as third assistant director on director friend Rob Weiss's film, "Amongst Friends". She was promoted to casting director, then to associate producer, and ultimately to the film's female lead. Her performance received positive reviews from the film festival circuit.

She also gained the interest of director Robert Redford by her screen presence and was cast in 1994's "Quiz Show". She then landed the role in Woody Allen's "Mighty Aphrodite" as a bubble-brain prostitute. At first she wasn't allowed to even audition for the part because the film's casting agents seen her as too cultivated and polished to play a raunchy hooker. Nonetheless, Mira ended up shinning brighter than any star in the film.

She went on to play in HBO's "Norma Jean and Marilyn". She proved her versatility by delivering up comedy in "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion" then giving a dramatic performance in the horror flick "Mimic". Her next film was the thriller "The Replacement Killers" which she was reportedly paid $2 million dollars for. In 1999 she won the starring role in the romantic drama "At First Sight" opposite Val Kilmer. Later that year she landed another lead role in Spike Lee's Summer of Sam, a story revolving around the long, hot summer of 1977, when New York was terrorized by serial killer David "Son of Sam" Berkowitz.

Little seen performances in a made for television adaptation of "The Great Gatsby" and the period comedy "The Triumph of Love" found Sorvino's star dimming in stateside theaters in 2001, though her supporting performance in Tim Blake Nelson's acclaimed holocaust drama "The Grey Zone" served as a notable reminder of what the young starlet was truly capable of when given the opportunity. A pair of bombs both domestic and foreign dropped in the year that followed, and after appearing opposite Glitter star Mariah Carey in "Wisegirls", Sorvino's Semana Santa somehow managed to get even worse reviews that even Carey's afformentioned solo effort. Of course by this point Sorvino had almost mastered the art of balancing the bad with the good, and her portrayal of a conflicted war photographer in "Between Strangers" at least drew fair reviews. By this point stateside fans were likely left wondering whether Sorvino had forsaken her film career for a behind-the-scenes approach to filmmaking, and although she had indeed stepped into the producer's chair with Griffin Dunne's 2000 comedy drama "Famous", she returned to the silver screen in a big way with a role in the sweeping civil war drama "Gods and Generals". As she prepared for roles in the sci-fi thriller "The Final Cut" and the large scale adventure "Instant Karma", Sorvino appeared to be edging towards something of a comeback on stateside screens. Fans eager to catch a glimpse of the actress were pleasantly surprised when Sorvino turned in a winning guest appearance in the popular sitcom Will and Grace in 2003.

Mira Sorvino Filmography

Instant Karma (2005)
Final Cut, The (2004) .... Delila
Gods and Generals (2003) .... Fanny Chamberlain
Between Strangers (2002) .... Natalia Bauer
Semana Santa (2002) .... Maria Delgado
Wisegirls (2002) .... Meg Kennedy
Massive Attack: Eleven Promos (2001) (V) .... Black Haired Femme Fatale
Grey Zone, The (2001) .... Dina
Triumph of Love, The (2001) .... The Princess/Phocion/Aspasie
Great Gatsby, The (2001) (TV) .... Daisy Buchanan
Summer of Sam (1999) .... Dionna
At First Sight (1999) .... Amy Benic
Free Money (1998) .... Agent Karen Polarski
Lulu on the Bridge (1998) .... Celia Burns
Too Tired to Die (1998) .... Death/Jean
Replacement Killers, The (1998) .... Meg Coburn
Mimic (1997) .... Dr. Susan Tyler
Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997) .... Romy White
New York Cop (1996) .... Maria
Tales of Erotica (1996) .... Teresa (segment "The Dutch Master")
Norma Jean & Marilyn (1996) (TV) .... Marilyn Monroe
Sweet Nothing (1996) .... Monika
Tarantella (1996) .... Diane
Jake's Women (1996) (TV) .... Julie
Beautiful Girls (1996) .... Sharon Cassidy
Blue in the Face (1995) .... The young lady
Mighty Aphrodite (1995) .... Linda Ash
"Buccaneers, The" (1995) (mini) TV Series .... Conchita Closson
Dutch Master, The (1994) .... Teresa
Second Greatest Story Ever Told, The (1994) (TV) .... Mary Weinstein
Quiz Show (1994) .... Sandra Goodwin
Parallel Lives (1994) (TV) .... Matty Derosa
Barcelona (1994) .... Marta Ferrer
Obit Writer, The (1993)
Amongst Friends (1993) .... Laura
"Swans Crossing" (1992) TV Series .... Sophia Eva McCormick Decastro
"Guiding Light, The" (1952) TV Series .... Julie Camalletti (1991) (temporary replacement)

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