Andrea Donna de Matteo is an Emmy award-winning American actress. Born on January 19, 1973 in Queens, New York, she grew up in a Catholic and Italian-American family. She attended the Loyola School, and later on the New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, hoping to become a director rather than an actress.
In 1996, she was cast on ‘M’ Word and Swift Justice, but it was three years later that she shot to fame. Drea de Matteo landed the role of Adriana de la Cerva on the hit HBO television series The Sopranos. This launched her career, which was marked with a 2004 Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Drama) and a Golden Globe Award nomination for her portrayal on The Sopranos. Also in 1999, she landed the role of Hilary Harris on Meet Prince Charming, and took on several other film roles.
Since 2000, de Matteo has been credited for a number of movies. She was seen on Sleepwalk, ‘R Xmas, and the blockbuster Swordfish. She later got an uncredited role in Made, before getting cast on The Perfect You and Deuces Wild, both in 2002. The next year, she got the part of Cadet Ramsey on Beacon Hill, and played Tracy on Prey for Rock and Roll. In 2004, de Matteo was seen on Love Rome, before she was seen on the remake of John Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13. She later voiced the character Ester on Farce of the Penguins, and was cast in 2006’ Walker Payne. While she was filming The Sopranos, she was cast as the title character’s older sister on the sitcom Joey. Playing the sexy yet domineering and promiscuous Gina Tribbiani, de Matteo portrayed a very overprotective and caring mother. Like Joey, Gina also has the gift of intense sex appeal, sleeping around with numerous men despite her brash and bossy personality. She befriends Alex and works as a hairdresser, then later on as a secretary.
When Joey was canceled after two seasons, Drea de Matteo was seen on Broken English and The Good Life in 2007. The subsequent year, she landed the role of Hope in Lake City, and was seen on New York, I Love You as well. She later got the part of Wendy Case in the FX original series Sons of Anarchy.
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