Mira Sorvino
Mira Katherine Sorvino (born (1967-09-28)September 28, 1967) is an American actress. She rose to stardom with her performance as a prostitute in the comedy film Mighty Aphrodite (1995), which won her both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. Sorvino also starred in the films Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), Mimic (1997), Lulu on the Bridge (1998), The Replacement Killers (1998), Summer of Sam (1999), Gods and Generals (2003), Like Dandelion Dust (2009), and Sound of Freedom (2023).
Also recorded as Mira Katherine Sorvino
Mira Sorvino

Manfred Werner (Tsui) · Manfred Werner - CC by-sa 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Full name
- Mira Katherine Sorvino.
- Born
- 1967. · New York City.
- Nationality
- United States.
- Occupation
- actress, singer and musician.
- Education
- Harvard University, Dwight-Englewood School and Elisabeth Morrow School.
- Honours
- Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
- Languages
- Chinese, French and English.
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Mira Katherine Sorvino (born (1967-09-28)September 28, 1967) is an American actress. She rose to stardom with her performance as a prostitute in the comedy film Mighty Aphrodite (1995), which won her both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. Sorvino also starred in the films Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), Mimic (1997), Lulu on the Bridge (1998), The Replacement Killers (1998), Summer of Sam (1999), Gods and Generals (2003), Like Dandelion Dust (2009), and Sound of Freedom (2023).
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In this article
Early life
Early life
For her work in television, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in Norma Jean & Marilyn (1996) and nominated twice for a Golden Globe for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film for her performance as Detective Kate Morozov and for her leading role in Human Trafficking (2005).
Sorvino was born on September 28, 1967, in Manhattan, New York City, to Lorraine Ruth Davis, a drama therapist for Alzheimer's disease patients and former actress, and Paul Sorvino, an actor and film director. She has two siblings, Michael Sorvino and Amanda. She is of Italian descent on her father's side. She was raised in Tenafly, New Jersey, where she wrote and acted in backyard plays with her childhood friend Hope Davis, and in theater productions at Dwight-Englewood School. As a child, she was strongly influenced to pursue social causes by her mother, who participated in the 1963 March on Washington. Sorvino excelled in high school and was accepted into Harvard University. She studied for one year as an exchange student with CIEE in Nanjing, China, where she studied Mandarin Chinese. In 1989, she graduated from Harvard magna cum laude with a degree in East Asian studies. She also helped found the Harvard-Radcliffe Veritones, one of Harvard's co-ed a cappella groups, in 1985.
Career
Career
Sorvino's first major screen appearance was in the teen television series Swans Crossing, where she appeared in six episodes. When the 1993 film Amongst Friends entered 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 received led to more acting opportunities. After supporting roles in Robert Redford's Quiz Show and Whit Stillman's Barcelona, she was cast in Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite (1995). Her portrayal of a happy-go-lucky prostitute made her a star, winning her an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. Although the film brought her international recognition, she described its shooting as extremely stressful: "I was absolutely neurotic doing Mighty Aphrodite," she recalled. "Every night brought a new nervous breakdown. I'd cry and talk to God, I was so nervous. Then the next day, I'd show up and do my scenes." Her other credits include Romy and Michele's High School Reunion with Lisa Kudrow, At First Sight with Val Kilmer, and Spike Lee's Summer of Sam. She portrayed Marilyn Monroe for the 1996 HBO film Norma Jean & Marilyn, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe; and had the lead role in Guillermo del Toro's horror film Mimic. In 1995, she portrayed Conchita Closson in the BBC miniseries The Buccaneers, based on Edith Wharton's last novel. She starred as Daisy Buchanan in the 2000 television film The Great Gatsby. In 2002, Sorvino appeared as the lead in Triumph of Love, an adaptation of the 1732 Marivaux play. That year she also starred in WiseGirls alongside Mariah Carey and Melora Walters. In 2006, she received a Golden Globe nomination for her role as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in the Lifetime film Human Trafficking. She had a supporting role in the drama Reservation Road (2007) with Mark Ruffalo. In February 2008, she guest-starred as psychiatrist Cate Milton in the "Frozen" episode of the medical television drama House. Plans to make hers a recurring character were interrupted by the writers' strike. She starred in Attack on Leningrad (2009), Multiple Sarcasms (2010) with Timothy Hutton and Stockard Channing, and Nancy Savoca's Union Square (2012), with Patti Lupone and Tammy Blanchard. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to good reviews. In the same year, Sorvino played the mother of the lead in the film adaptation of Wendy Mass's popular children's book Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life. In 2014, she reappeared as Head Detective Betsy Brannigan on the final season of Psych, and on the fourth season of Falling Skies as John Pope's love interest, Sara. Sorvino also joined the cast of the television series Intruders, playing the role of Amy Whelan. In 2016, she appeared in the Netflix series Lady Dynamite as an actor working on a sitcom pilot named White Trash. In 2018, Sorvino played the role of Amy in the psychological thriller Look Away, alongside Jason Isaacs and India Eisley. In 2019, Sorvino was cast in the Netflix miniseries Hollywood as an actor whose career stalled out after a relationship with a studio head. In 2022, she played a supporting role in Sound of Freedom, a film about human trafficking in South America. In May 2025, Sorvino revealed that a sequel to Romy and Michele's High School Reunion was in the works at 20th Century Studios. Sorvino made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago in September 2025 at the Ambassador Theatre.
Personal life
Personal life
Between 1996 and 1998, Mira Sorvino was romantically involved with director Quentin Tarantino, who was her escort to the Academy Awards ceremony where she won Best Supporting Actress for Mighty Aphrodite. Sorvino met actor Christopher Backus at a friend's charades party in August 2003. On June 11, 2004, they married in a private civil ceremony at the Santa Barbara, California, courthouse, then later had a hilltop ceremony in Capri, Italy. They have four children: two daughters and two sons. They have also starred in films together, including Indiscretion and Mothers and Daughters. In honor of Sorvino's role as Susan Tyler, an entomologist who investigated deadly insect mutations in the film Mimic, a compound that is excreted as a defense mechanism by the sunburst diving beetle was named mirasorvone by the entomologist Thomas Eisner who discovered it. In September 2014, Sorvino gave a wide-ranging interview on The Nerdist Podcast, where she discussed her education, living in China, and her varied interests. Sorvino was raised in her mother's Episcopalian faith and has publicly identified as a Christian. In 2023, she converted to Catholicism. She resides with her family in Los Angeles, California. In 2017, Sorvino came out publicly about the sexual harassment she endured from producer Harvey Weinstein and believes her career was damaged after she rebuffed Weinstein's advances. According to Peter Jackson, Weinstein blocked Sorvino and Ashley Judd (her co-star from Norma Jean and Marilyn), another of his alleged victims, from being considered for parts in The Lord of the Rings films. In 2019, she also made public that she was a date rape victim.
Activism
Activism
Sorvino has been affiliated with Amnesty International since 2004. In 2006 she was honored with their Artist of Conscience Award, given to those who have made longstanding philanthropic and humanist efforts. From 2009 to 2012 she was a United Nations Goodwill ambassador for combatting human trafficking, and has lobbied Congress to help abolish the practice in Darfur.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Los Angeles.
Residences
New York City.
Birth place
Works and publications
Sorvino, Mira (1989). Anti-Africanism in China: An Investigation into Chinese Attitudes Towards Black Students in the PRC (Thesis/dissertation). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University. OCLC 36014182. Sorvino, Mira (October 9, 2012). "In the Pursuit of Justice". HuffPost. Sorvino, Mira (October 11, 2017). "Mira Sorvino: Why I Spoke Out Against Harvey Weinstein". Time.

Mira Sorvino et Olivier Martinez au festival de Cannes
Georges Biard

Mira Sorvino, guest of Richard Lugner for the Vienna Opera Ball 2013, at a signature session at Lugner-City in Vienna, Austria).
Manfred Werner (Tsui) · Manfred Werner - CC by-sa 4.0
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Mira Sorvino. Encyclopedia Britannica.
- 2.Laurino, Maria. The Many Screen Ethnicities of Mira Sorvino. The New York Times. August 28, 1994.
- 3.O'Neal, Sean. Mira Sorvino Random Roles. A.V. Club. November 23, 2011.
- 4.Seal, Mark. "Mira Sorvino's Barcelona" , American Way, January 1, 2001. Accessed December 18, 2013. "When Mira Sorvino arrived in Barcelona in 1994 to film a movie called Barcelona, she had a past in academia and a future in acting. Raised in Tenafly, New Jersey, she was the daughter of tough-guy character actor Paul Sorvino, who raised his kids to strive for an education instead of childhood acting careers."
- 5.Ervolino, Bill. "Tenafly's Mira Sorvino says she was a Weinstein victim" , The Record (Bergen County), October 10, 2017. Accessed June 14, 2018. "Sorvino, who was raised in Tenafly and took part in theater productions at the Dwight-Englewood School when she was a youngster, told a local news outlet in Los Angeles that Weinstein lured her into his hotel room in 1995 when they were in Canada promoting the Woody Allen film Mighty Aphrodite, the film which earned Sorvino her best-supporting actress award."
- 6.The Biography Channel. Mira Sorvino. Biography.com.
- 7.Brennan, Sandra. Mira Sorvino. Allmovie.
- 8.Notable Graduates. Harvard University.
- 9.The Harvard-Radcliffe Veritones. Harvard University.
- 10.Berardinelli, James. Review: Amongst Friends. 1993.
- 11.Hinson, Hal. Amongst Friends. The Washington Post. August 13, 1993.
- 12.The 68th Academy Awards. 1996.
- 13.Mira Sorvino. www.goldenglobes.com.
- 14.Musto, Michael. Mira Sorvino. Out. 40. May 2002.
- 15.Wisegirls. Variety. 15 January 2002.
- 16.Vosmikova, Isabella. TV Addict Interview: Mira Sorvino Guest Stars on HOUSE. January 24, 2008.
- 17.Union Square at Tiff.net
- 18.Scott, A. O. 'Union Square,' by Nancy Savoca, With Mira Sorvino. The New York Times. July 12, 2012.
- 19.Goldstein, Gary. Review: 'Union Square' is a compelling family drama. Los Angeles Times. July 13, 2012.
- 20.Reviews – Page 47040 – Film Threat. www.filmthreat.com.
- 21.Cornet, Roth. Mira Sorvino Joins the Cast of TNT's Falling Skies. IGN. 21 October 2013.
- 22.Petski, Denise. Sarah Silverman, Jenny Slate, Mira Sorvino & More Join Netflix's 'Lady Dynamite'. Deadline Hollywood. September 2, 2015.
- 23.Look Away (2018) – Movie. www.moviefone.com.
- 24.Miller, Julie. Mira Sorvino Is Ready for Her Next Act. VanityFair.com. November 9, 2021.
- 25.Mira Sorvino Talks About Rescuing Kids as 'Sound of Freedom' Box Office Success Builds. CBN. 2023-07-12.
- 26.Eclarinal, Aeron Mer. Sound of Freedom Cast: All 12 Main Actors Who Appear In Movie. The Direct. 2023-07-13.
- 27.'Romy and Michele' Sequel Is Officially in the Works with Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino: 'We're Pretty Excited'. People.com.
- 28.Oscar Winner Mira Sorvino Will Make Broadway Debut in Chicago. Playbill.
- 29.Ryan, Joal. Quentin and Mira Call It Quits. eonline.com. March 5, 1998.
- 30.Mira Sorvino Gives Birth to a Girl. People. November 4, 2012.
- 31.Archuleta, Paul. Mira Sorvino Welcomes Daughter Lucia. People. May 4, 2012.
- 32.Gee, Allison. Mira Sorvino Has a Boy. People. May 30, 2006.
- 33.Symons, Matt. Mira Sorvino Welcomes Son Holden Paul Terry. July 13, 2009.
- 34.Meinwald, Jerrold. Mirasorvone: A masked 20-ketopregnane from the defensive secretion of a diving beetle (Thermonectus marmoratus). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. National Academy of Sciences. 95. 6. 2733–2737. March 17, 1998. 10.1073/pnas.95.6.2733.
- 35.Naming a new molecule after a famous actress.
- 36.Levine, Katie (September 12, 2014). "Episode 570: Nerdist Podcast: Mira Sorvino" . The Nerdist Podcast.
- 37.Wolfe, Jeanne. Mira Sorvino: 'I'm at War With the Needs of My Career and My Family'. Scary Mommy. March 24, 2015.
- 38.Moring, Mark. Mira Sorvino: Saving Sex Slaves. Christianity Today. October 3, 2012.
- 39.Goodwyn, Hannah. Mira Sorvino on Faith and Like Dandelion Dust. Christian Broadcasting Network.
- 40.Hoffarth, Tom. Closure of sister-run La Reina Catholic school near LA sparks organized pushback. National Catholic Reporter. February 20, 2024.
- 41.Morgan, Laura. Mira Sorvino on Selfies, Growing Up in New Jersey, and Vintage Furniture. Architectural Digest. July 21, 2016.
- 42.Sorvino, Mira. Mira Sorvino: Why I Spoke Out Against Harvey Weinstein. Time. October 11, 2017.
- 43.Desta, Yohana. How Actresses Allegedly Blacklisted by Harvey Weinstein Are Making Big Comebacks. Vanity Fair. January 5, 2018.
- 44.Sorvino, Mira. Mira Sorvino: The Vindication and Aftermath of My Weinstein Story (Guest Column). The Hollywood Reporter. December 8, 2017.
- 45.Sharf, Zack. Weinstein Threatened to Take 'Lord of the Rings' Away From Peter Jackson and Have Quentin Tarantino Direct. May 3, 2018.
- 46.Mira Sorvino says she was date raped and calls for 'justice' for survivors. The Guardian. June 13, 2019.
- 47.Herreria, Carla. Actress Mira Sorvino Says She Survived Date Rape. Huffpost. 16 June 2019.
- 48.Mira Sorvino says she is a 'survivor of date rape'. AP News. June 12, 2019.
- 49.Mira Sorvino aiding Amnesty International. USA Today. Associated Press. March 10, 2004.
- 50.National Conference of State Legislatures. Spotlight on Human Trafficking with Mira Sorvino. August 10, 2011.
- 51.O'Neal, Sean. Random Roles: Mira Sorvino. The A.V. Club. November 23, 2011.
- 52.DeFore, John. 'Butter': Film Review. The Hollywood Reporter. April 2, 2020.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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