Mira Sorvino

Mira Sorvino, born Mira Katherine Sorvino on September 28, 1967, in Manhattan, New York City, is an American actress whose career has spanned more than three decades. The daughter of acclaimed actor Paul Sorvino and drama‑therapist Lorraine Davis, she grew up in Tenafly, New Jersey, where early stage experiments with childhood friend Hope Davis foreshadowed her future in performance. After excelling academically, she earned a magna cum laude degree in East Asian Studies from Harvard University in 1989, even spending a year studying Mandarin in Nanjing, China, and co‑founding the Harvard‑Radcliffe Veritones a‑cappella group. Sorvino’s screen debut arrived in the mid‑1990s with supporting roles in Quiz Show and Barcelona, but her breakthrough came with Woody Allen’s Mighty Aphrodite (1995), where her spirited portrayal of a sex‑worker earned her both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. Following that triumph, she demonstrated versatility across genres, starring in the cult comedy Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997), the sci‑fi horror Mimic (1997), Spike Lee’s gritty drama Summer of Sam (1999), and the historical epic Gods and Generals (2003). Television work has also been a cornerstone of her career, highlighted by an Emmy‑nominated turn as Marilyn Monroe in HBO’s Norma Jean & Marilyn (1996) and a Golden Globe‑nominated performance in the Lifetime film Human Trafficking (2005). Beyond acting, Sorvino is a committed activist: she has served as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador against human trafficking, received Amnesty International’s Artist of Conscience Award, and publicly challenged industry misconduct, notably speaking out against Harvey Weinstein. Married to actor Christopher Backus since 2004, the couple raise four children and continue to collaborate on independent projects, while Sorvino also balances stage work, currently portraying Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway.