Annabella Sciorra
Annabella Gloria Sciorra (/ˈʃɔːrə/ SHOR-ə, Italian: [ˈʃɔrra]; born March 29, 1960) is an American actress. She came to prominence with her film debut in True Love (1989) and worked steadily throughout the 1990s in films such as Jungle Fever (1991), The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), The Addiction (1995), Cop Land (1997), and What Dreams May Come (1998). She received an Emmy Award nomination for her portrayal of Gloria Trillo on The Sopranos (2001–2004), appeared as Det. Carolyn Barek on Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2005–2006), and had recurring roles on GLOW (2018), Truth Be Told (2019–2020), and Tulsa King (2022). Her stage credits include The Motherfucker with the Hat (Broadway, 2011).
Annabella Sciorra
Actress
1988–present
Sciorra was regarded as one of the key figures of the #MeToo movement after speaking out against Harvey Weinstein and subsequently testifying at his sexual assault trial.[4]
Early life[edit]
Sciorra was born in the Brooklyn borough of New York City to Italian immigrant parents.[3] Her mother was a fashion stylist from Formia, Lazio, and her father a veterinarian from Carunchio, Abruzzo.[5][6] Sciorra studied dance as a child, and later took drama lessons at the Herbert Berghof Studio and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.[7]
Career[edit]
1989–1990: Film debut and early roles[edit]
After making her professional debut in 1988 with a small part in the television miniseries The Fortunate Pilgrim, Sciorra landed her first major film role starring as Donna in True Love (1989), a romantic comedy-drama that won the Grand Jury Prize at that year's Sundance Festival.[8] Her performance was praised by critics, with Janet Maslin of The New York Times commenting, "Ms. Sciorra, with her gentle beauty and hard-as-nails negotiating style, perfectly captures the mood of the film, and makes Donna fully and touchingly drawn".[9] The part earned Sciorra a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead the following year.[10] Key roles in Internal Affairs, Cadillac Man and the acclaimed drama Reversal of Fortune (all 1990) came next, with the latter receiving three Oscar nominations.[11]
1991–2000: Critical acclaim and box office successes[edit]
In 1991, after co-starring in buddy cop comedy The Hard Way, Sciorra garnered widespread attention with her portrayal of Angie Tucci in the acclaimed Spike Lee drama Jungle Fever,[12] which was shortlisted for the Palme d'Or at that year's Cannes Film Festival.[13] In his review for the Los Angeles Times, Kenneth Turan wrote that Sciorra was "possessed of considerable presence, assurance and vulnerability".[14] Meanwhile, Vincent Canby of The New York Times commented:
Personal life[edit]
Sciorra was married to actor Joe Petruzzi from 1989 to 1993. In 2004, she began a relationship with Bobby Cannavale which lasted for three years; the relationship ended in 2007.[30]
In October 2017, Sciorra leveled allegations of rape against the film producer Harvey Weinstein.[31][32] In an article published by The New Yorker,[33] Sciorra alleged that Weinstein raped her after he forced his way into her apartment in 1993, then over a number of years repeatedly harassed her.[12][31][34][35] Sciorra was the key witness addressing the predatory sexual assault charges during Weinstein's trial in 2020, leading to his conviction.[36]