Marisa Tomei

Tomei, an Italian American, was born in Brooklyn, New York to Patricia, an English teacher, and Gary A. Tomei, a trial lawyer. She has a younger brother, Adam, and was partially raised by her paternal grandparents, Rita and Romeo Tomei. Tomei grew up in Midwood, a Jewish neighborhood. While there she became captivated by the Broadway shows that her theater-loving parents took her to, and became drawn to acting as a career.