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Drea de Matteo
Drea De Matteo 02 (16462583178).jpg
De Matteo in 2015
Born
Andrea Donna de Matteo

(1972-01-19) January 19, 1972 (age 52)
New York City, U.S.
Alma mater New York University (BFA)
Occupation Actress
Years active 1996–present
Children 2
Awards Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (The Sopranos, 2004)

Andrea Donna de Matteo (born January 19, 1972) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Adriana La Cerva on the HBO television drama The Sopranos (1999–2006), for which she received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2004. Other notable roles include Gina Tribbiani on Joey (2004–2006), Wendy Case on Sons of Anarchy (2008–2014), Angie Bolen on Desperate Housewives (2009–2010), and Detective Tess Nazario on Shades of Blue (2016–2018).

Early life

De Matteo was born in Whitestone, Queens, New York City. Her mother, Donna, is a playwright and playwriting teacher who has been on faculty at HB Studio, and her father, Albert, was a furniture manufacturer who was owner and CEO of Avery Boardman and Carlyle. She is of Italian descent, and grew up in a Catholic family.

After graduating from the Loyola School, de Matteo earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in film production from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, intending to become a film director. She additionally studied acting at the HB Studio.

Career

De Matteo's role in The Sopranos was one of her earliest, helping to launch her career. She has appeared in several films including Swordfish, Deuces Wild, The Perfect You, Prey for Rock & Roll and the 2005 remake of John Carpenter's 1976 action film Assault on Precinct 13. She had the starring role in Abel Ferrara's R Xmas for which she received some very positive reviews.

In 2004, de Matteo won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress (Drama) for her role as Adriana on The Sopranos (season 5) and was nominated for a Golden Globe the same year, for the same role.

From 2004 to 2006, de Matteo portrayed Joey Tribbiani's sister Gina in the Friends spin-off Joey. The show was cancelled after two seasons.

De Matteo played the role of Wendy Case in the FX original series Sons of Anarchy. The pilot episode aired September 3, 2008, and De Matteo continued making regular appearances into the series' sixth season. She was promoted to a series regular for the seventh and final season.

Drea de Matteo 2
De Matteo in 2005

De Matteo played Angie Bolen, the mother of the Bolen family, on season 6 of the ABC show Desperate Housewives. She left Desperate Housewives at the season 6 finale in 2010, due to personal reasons.

In 2012, she guest starred in Showtime's Californication.

De Matteo played the stepmother of Steve Wilde, the main character of the FOX comedy Running Wilde, appearing in season 1, episode 9. De Matteo co-starred as Krissi Cates in the film adaptation of Dark Places (2015), with Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Nicholas Hoult. In 2015, she was cast as Det. Tess Nazario in the NBC drama series Shades of Blue, starring alongside Jennifer Lopez and Ray Liotta.

De Matteo and Chris Kushner began hosting a rewatch podcast of The Sopranos on March 13, 2020, called Made Women; in July, the podcast was retooled and renamed Gangster Goddess Broad-Cast.

Personal life

In 1997, de Matteo opened Filth Mart, an East Village clothing store with her then-boyfriend Michael Sportes. They closed the store in 2004.

De Matteo started dating musician Shooter Jennings in 2001. They became engaged on June 11, 2009, when Jennings proposed onstage at the Stanley Theater during a show in Utica, New York. They have two children together, daughter Alabama Gypsyrose Jennings and son Waylon Albert "Blackjack" Jennings. Jennings and de Matteo eventually ended their relationship without marrying. In July 2015, de Matteo became engaged to Whitesnake bass guitarist Michael Devin.

De Matteo lost her apartment home of 22 years, as did dozens of other residents, when a gas explosion and raging fire destroyed three East Village, Manhattan buildings on March 26, 2015.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1996 'M' Word N/A
1999 Meet Prince Charming Hilary Harris
2000 Sleepwalk Henrieta
2001 Made Club Girl Uncredited
Swordfish Melissa
'R Xmas The Wife New York International Independent Film and Video Festival Award for Best Actress
2002 Deuces Wild Betsy
The Perfect You Dee as Drea DeMatteo
2003 Prey for Rock & Roll Tracey
Beacon Hill Cadet Ramsey
2004 Love Rome Angela
2005 Callas e Onassis unknown as Andrea de Matteo
Assault on Precinct 13 Iris Ferry
2006 Walker Payne Lou Ann
Farce of the Penguins Ester Voice
2007 The Good Life Dana as Drea De Matteo
Broken English Audrey Andrews
2008 Lake City Hope
2009 New York, I Love You Lydia
Once More with Feeling Lana Gregorio
2013 Free Ride Sandy
Whisper Of Fear Diane Harkin
2015 Dark Places Krissi Cates
2017 Don't Sleep Jo Marino
2022 One Way Vic
TBA Nonnas TBA Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Swift Justice Laurie Tuco Episode: "Stones"
1999–2006 The Sopranos Adriana La Cerva Recurring role (seasons 1, 6)
Main cast (season 2–5)
56 episodes
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2004)
Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2004)
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (1999)
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (2004)
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (2004)
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2000-2004)
2002 VH1 Big in 2002 Awards Host TV special
2004–2006 Joey Gina Tribbiani Main role: 46 episodes
2005 HBO First Look Herself Episode: "Assault on Precinct 13: Caught in the Crosshairs"
2007 Aperture Episode: "Drea de Matteo/Laurie Simmons"
Al rojo vivo con María Celeste Episode: May 28, 2007
Making 'Cleaver' Adriana La Cerva Television film
2008;
2011–2014
Sons of Anarchy Wendy Case Recurring role (seasons 1, 4–6)
Main cast (season 7)
35 episodes
2009–2010 Desperate Housewives Angie Bolen Main cast (season 6)
20 episodes
2010 Fakers Tanner's mother Television film
Running Wilde Didi Episode: "One Step Forward"
2011 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Sandra Roberts Episode: "Pop"
CSI: Miami Evelyn Episode: "Sinner Takes All"
2012 Californication Holly Episode: "Here I Go Again"
2013 The Mindy Project Kelsey Episode: "Mindy's Minute"
2015 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Karla Faye Gideon Episode: "One of Us"
The Making of the Mob: New York Herself
2016–2018 Shades of Blue Det. Tess Nazario Main cast
2019 A Million Little Things Barbara Morgan 8 episodes
2021–present Paradise City Maya Main cast; TV spinoff of American Satan
2023 Mayans M.C. Wendy Case Guest (season 5)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Drea de Matteo para niños

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