Mira Sorvino

Mira Katherine Sorvino (born on September 28, 1967) is an American actress. Her father is veteran actor Paul Sorvino and her mother is former actress Lorraine Davis. Her role in popular culture is forever cemented by her role as charmingly silly California girl Romy White in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997).She attended Harvard, majoring in Chinese, graduating magna cum laude in 1989, largely on the strength of her thesis, a Hoopes Prize-winning thesis on racial conflict in China, written and researched during the year spent in Beijing, which helped her fluency in Mandarin Chinese.Her first major screen appearance was in the teen seriesSwans Crossing, where she appeared in six episodes. When the 1993 filmAmongst Friendsentered 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 receivedled to more acting opportunities.After small roles inRobert Redford'sQuiz ShowandWhit Stillman'sBarcelona,she was cast in Woody Allen'sMighty Aphrodite(1995). Her portrayal of a happy-go-lucky prostitute made her a star, winning her an Academy Awardand Golden Globefor Best Supporting Actress.Her next notable credits includeRomy and Michele's High School ReunionwithLisa Kudrow,At First SightwithVal Kilmer, and Spike Lee'sSummer of Sam.She portrayedMarilyn Monroefor the 1996 HBO filmNorma Jean & Marilyn, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe; and had the lead role inGuillermo del Toro's horror filmMimic.In 1995, she portrayed Conchita Closson in the BBC miniseriesThe Buccaneers, based onEdith Wharton's last novel. She starred asDaisy Buchananin the 2000 television filmThe Great Gatsby. In 2002, Sorvino appeared as the lead inThe Triumph of Love, an adaptation of the 1732Marivauxplay. That same year, she also starred inWise Girls.In 2006, she received a Golden Globe nomination for her role as anImmigration and Customs Enforcementagent in theLifetimefilmHuman Trafficking. She then had a supporting role in the dramaReservation Road(2007), starred inAttack on Leningrad(2009),Multiple Sarcasms(2010), andNancy Savoca'sUnion Square (2012). In the same year, she played the mother of the lead in the film adaptation ofWendy Mass's popular children's bookJeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life.In 2014, she reappeared as Head Detective Betsy Brannigan on the final season ofPsych, and on the fourth season ofFalling Skiesas John Pope's love interest, Sara. She also joined the cast of the television seriesIntruders, playing the role of Amy Whelan.In 2019, Sorvino wascast in the Netflix miniseriesHollywoodas an actor whose career stalled out after a relationship with a studio head.