| Annabella Sciorra | |
| Birth Name: | Annabella Gloria Philomena Sciorra |
| Birth Date: | 29 March 1960[1] |
| Birth Place: | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Alma Mater: | HB Studio American Academy of Dramatic Arts |
| Occupation: | Actress |
| Years Active: | 1988–present |
Annabella Gloria Sciorra (pronounced as /it/; 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 Hard Way (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 Detective Carolyn Barek on (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).
Sciorra was regarded as one of the key figures of the
after speaking out against Harvey Weinstein and subsequently testifying at his sexual assault trial.[2]
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.[4] [5] Sciorra studied dance as a child, and later took drama lessons at the Herbert Berghof Studio and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.[6]
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.[7] 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".[8] The part earned Sciorra a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead the following year.[9] 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.[10]
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,[11] which was shortlisted for the Palme d'Or at that year's Cannes Film Festival.[12] In his review for the Los Angeles Times, Kenneth Turan wrote that Sciorra was "possessed of considerable presence, assurance and vulnerability".[13] Meanwhile, Vincent Canby of The New York Times commented:
The following year, Sciorra headlined Curtis Hanson's hit psychological thriller The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (1992), which held the top position at the U.S. box office for four weeks.[14] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly felt that, with her portrayal of Claire Bartel, Sciorrra "brings her eye-of-the-storm serenity to the role of a passionately ordinary middle-class woman", giving an "accomplished performance",[15] while Variety said in their review, "A totally deglamorized Sciorra becomes unglued subtly and slowly, eliciting sympathy without begging for it".[16] In subsequent years, the film has been highlighted as one of the quintessential examples of 1990s genre filmmaking.[17] [18]
Sciorra continued to work steadily throughout the decade. Film parts included romantic leads in The Night We Never Met, neo-noir crime thriller Romeo Is Bleeding, and romantic comedy Mr. Wonderful (all 1993); The Addiction (1995), her first of several projects with cult filmmaker Abel Ferrara; James Mangold's critically acclaimed, financially successful Cop Land (1997);[19] [20] and the fantasy drama What Dreams May Come (1998). Film critic Roger Ebert described her portrayal of Annie Nielsen in the latter as "heartbreakingly effective".[21]
In 2001, Sciorra was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress for her "electric" portrayal of Gloria Trillo on HBO's The Sopranos,[22] a part described as "career changing" by Entertainment Weekly,[23] which she played intermittently until 2004. Next, she co-starred in the Sidney Lumet-directed Find Me Guilty (2006). Based on the true story of the longest Mafia trial in American history, the film was described as "gripping" by Stephen Holden of The New York Times, who also called Sciorra's performance "excellent".[24]
Subsequent credits included main roles in the CBS courtroom drama series Queens Supreme (2003) and the Fox medical drama Mental (2009), guest parts on shows such as The L Word, ER (both 2007), The Good Wife (2012), Blue Bloods, and CSI (both 2013), and recurring roles on —as Detective Carolyn Barek (2005–2006)—and GLOW, where she played Rosalie Biagi (2018).
In 2018, Sciorra portrayed Rosalie Carbone on the second season of Netflix's Luke Cage. Executive producer Cheo Hodari Coker said of her casting, "I've been a huge fan of [Sciorra] since Jungle Fever, and [she's] no joke as Rosalie Carbone. You haven't seen her this gangster since ... The Sopranos. I'm thrilled her introduction to the Marvel Universe will be [this show]".[25] [26] Later that year, she reprised the part of Carbone for two episodes of Netflix's Daredevil.[27]
Between 2019 and 2020, Sciorra played Erin Buhrman in seven episodes of the Apple TV+ legal drama Truth Be Told. She has since appeared in recurring roles on NBC's New Amsterdam (2021), the MGM+ crime series Godfather of Harlem (2021), CBS drama Blue Bloods (2021–2022), and the Paramount+ series Tulsa King (2022).
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.[28]
In October 2017, Sciorra leveled allegations of rape against the film producer Harvey Weinstein.[29] [30] In an article published by The New Yorker,[31] 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.[29] [32] [33] Sciorra was the key witness addressing the predatory sexual assault charges during Weinstein's trial in 2020, leading to his conviction.[34]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | True Love | Donna | ||
| 1990 | Internal Affairs | Heather Peck | ||
| Cadillac Man | Donna | |||
| Reversal of Fortune | Sarah | |||
| 1991 | Susan | |||
| Jungle Fever | Angie Tucci | |||
| 1992 | Claire Bartel | |||
| Whispers in the Dark | Ann Hecker | |||
| 1993 | Ellen Holder | |||
| Romeo Is Bleeding | Natalie Grimaldi | |||
| Mr. Wonderful | Leonora | |||
| 1995 | Casanova | |||
| Linda | ||||
| 1996 | Billie Hayman | |||
| Underworld | Dr. Leah | |||
| Jean | ||||
| 1997 | Little City | Nina | ||
| Dorothy | ||||
| Cop Land | Liz Randone | |||
| Mr. Jealousy | Ramona Ray | |||
| Highball | Molly | |||
| 1998 | New Rose Hotel | Madame Rosa | ||
| What Dreams May Come | Annie Collins-Nielsen | |||
| 2000 | Above Suspicion | Lisa Stockton | ||
| King of the Jungle | Mermaid | |||
| Once in the Life | Maxine | |||
| 2001 | Sunday | Betibù | ||
| Sam the Man | Cass | |||
| 2004 | Chasing Liberty | Cynthia Morales | ||
| American Crime | Jane Berger | |||
| 2005 | 12 and Holding | Carla Chuang | ||
| 2006 | Find Me Guilty | Bella DiNorscio | ||
| Marvelous | Lara | |||
| 2012 | Chloe | |||
| 2013 | The Maid's Room | Mrs. Crawford | ||
| 2014 | Don Peyote | Giulietta | ||
| Friends and Romans | Angela DeMaio | |||
| Wishin' and Hopin' | Ma | |||
| 2015 | Stranger in the House | Mrs. Menabar | ||
| Alto | Sofia Del Vecchio | |||
| 2016 | Back in the Day | Mary | ||
| 2019 | The Kitchen | Maria Coretti | ||
| 2021 | God the Worm | Samantha | Original title: Before I Go[35] | |
| 2024 | Fresh Kills | Christine | [36] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The Fortunate Pilgrim | Octavia | Main cast (Episodes 1, 2, 3) | |
| 1991 | Nicole | TV movie | ||
| 1995 | Favorite Deadly Sins | Brenda | TV movie | |
| 1997 | Asteroid | Lily McKee | TV movie | |
| 2001 | Touched by an Angel | Dr. Sarah Conover | Season 7 Episode 22: "The Face of God" | |
| Jenifer | Meredith Estess | TV movie | ||
| 2001–2004 | Gloria Trillo | (1) Season 3 Episode 8: "He Is Risen" (2001) (2) Season 3 Episode 9: "The Telltale Moozadell" (2001) (3) Season 3 Episode 11: "Pine Barrens" (2001) (4) Season 3 Episode 12: "Amour Fou" (2001) (5) Season 4 Episode 6: "Everybody Hurts" (2002) (6) Season 4 Episode 11: "Calling All Cars" (2002) (7) Season 5 Episode 11: "The Test Dream" (2004) | ||
| 2003 | Queens Supreme | Judge Kim Vicidomini | Main cast (13 episodes) | |
| 2004 | The Handler | Season 1 Episode 16: "The Big Fall" | ||
| Jeanette Maier | TV movie | |||
| Identity Theft: The Michelle Brown Story | Connie Volkos | TV movie | ||
| 2005 | Maggie Dettweiler | Season 1 Episode 1: "The Abominable Showman" | ||
| 2005–2006 | Detective Carolyn Barek | Main cast (Season 5) (12 episodes) | ||
| 2007 | Kate Arden | (1) Season 4 Episode 10: "Little Boy Blue" (2) Season 4 Episode 11: "Literary License to Kill" (3) Season 4 Episode 12: "Long Time Coming" | ||
| ER | Diana Moore | (1) Season 13 Episode 18: "Photographs and Memories" (2) Season 13 Episode 20: "Lights Out" | ||
| 2009 | Mental | Nora Skoff | Main cast (12 episodes) | |
| 2010 | Madeline Landon | Season 1 Episode 5: "When Cougars Attack" | ||
| 2012 | Lesli Rand | Season 4 Episode 5: "Waiting for Knock" | ||
| 2013 | Nancy Brass | (1) Season 13 Episode 22: "Skin in the Game" (2) Season 14 Episode 1: "The Devil and D.B. Russell" | ||
| 2013-2024 | Blue Bloods | (1) Dr. Grace Meherin (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) Faith Marconi | (1) Season 3 Episode 11: "Front Page News" (2013) (2) Season 11 Episode 8: "More Than Meets the Eye" (2021) (3) Season 11 Episode 15: "The End" (2021) (4) Season 12 Episode 16: "Guilt" (2022) (5) Season 13 Episode 13: "Past History" (2023) (6) Season 14 Episode 6: "Shadowland" (2024) | |
| 2014 | Taxi Brooklyn | Jeanette Vandercroix | Season 1 Episode 7: "Black Widow" | |
| 2017 | Bull | Assistant District Attorney Shelly Giordano | Season 1 Episode 19: "Bring it On" | |
| 2018 | Luke Cage | Rosalie Carbone | (1) Season 2 Episode 12: "Can't Front on Me" (2) Season 2 Episode 13: "They Reminisce Over You" | |
| GLOW | Rosalie Biagi | (1) Season 2 Episode 8: "The Good Twin" (2) Season 2 Episode 9: "Rosalie" (3) Season 2 Episode 10: "Every Potato Has a Receipt" | ||
| Daredevil | Rosalie Carbone | (1) Season 3 Episode 9: "Revelations" (2) Season 3 Episode 13: "A New Napkin" | ||
| 2019–2020 | Truth Be Told | Erin Buhrman | (1) Season 1 Episode 1: "Monster" (2019) (2) Season 1 Episode 2: "Black People in the Neighborhood" (2019) (3) Season 1 Episode 3: "Even Salt Looks Like Sugar" (2019) (4) Season 1 Episode 4: "No Cross, No Crown" (2019) (5) Season 1 Episode 5: "Graveyard Love" (2019) (6) Season 1 Episode 6: "Not Buried, Planted" (2019) (7) Season 1 Episode 7: "Live Thru This" (2020) (8) Season 1 Episode 8: "All That Was Lost" (2020) | |
| 2021 | Lieutenant Carolyn Barek | Season 22 Episode 7: "Hunt, Trap, Rape, and Release"[37] | ||
| New Amsterdam | Dr. Romy Lucio | (1) Season 3 Episode 9: "Disconnected" (2) Season 3 Episode 10: "Radical" | ||
| Godfather of Harlem | Fay Bonanno | (1) Season 2 Episode 2: "Sting Like a Bee" (2) Season 2 Episode 8: "Ten Harlems" | ||
| The Blacklist | Michaela Belucci | Season 9 Episode 4: "The Avenging Angel (No. 49)" | ||
| 2022 | Tulsa King | Joanne Manfredi | (1) Season 1 Episode 4: "Visitation Place" (2) Season 1 Episode 5: "Token Joe" (3) Season 1 Episode 7: "Warr Acres" |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Those the River Keeps | Susie | Off-Broadway |
| 1999 | The Vagina Monologues | Performer | Off-Broadway |
| 2004 | Roar | Hala | Off-Broadway |
| 2007 | Spain | Barbara | Off-Broadway |
| 2011 | The Motherfucker with the Hat[38] | Victoria | Broadway |
| 2015 | A Month in the Country | Lizaveta | Off-Broadway |
| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Chicago Film Critics Association | Most Promising Actress[39] | True Love | ||
| Independent Spirit Awards | Best Female Lead | ||||
| 2001 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series[40] | The Sopranos | ||
| 2011 | Theatre World Award | Lunt-Fontanne Award for Ensemble Excellence[41] | The Motherfucker with the Hat | ||
| 2020 | WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival | Remi Award for Best Actress | God the Worm | ||
| 2021 | Denver Film Festival | Career Achievement Award[42] |