Get ready to dive into the world of Marisa Tomei, the actress who breathed new life into the iconic character of ‘Aunt May’ in the Marvel Cinematic Universe! Sure, you might know her from her Spider-Man adventures, but there’s a whole lot more to this talented lady.
In this article, we’re going to uncover 14 juicy facts about Marisa Tomei that you probably never knew. From her humble beginnings on stage to her rise to Hollywood fame, get ready for a journey through the fascinating life and career of this incredible actress. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just curious, come along and discover the hidden gems behind the smile of the actress who stole our hearts as ‘Aunt May.
#1 Mona Lisa Vito was almost entirely cut out of the My Cousin Vinny script
Source: IMDb
Marisa Tomei got her big break in 1992 by playing the role of Mona Lisa Vito, fiancée of Vinny Gambini (Joe Pesci), in the movie “My Cousin Vinny.
Her performance in the movie was so impressive that she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Interestingly, Tomei’s part was almost removed from the movie entirely.
According to screenwriter Dale Launer, in 2007, the studio wanted to cut the character of Vinny’s girlfriend from the script.
Launer added another scene to give the character more screen time. “He wanted Vinny’s girlfriend to complain that he’s not giving her enough attention,” Launer said.
“You often see movies where some guy is hell-bent on accomplishing something, and you’re on the ride with him – and his wife/girlfriend/mother is feeling neglected. And she complains. And I HATE this!”
However, the scene was funny enough to save Mona Lisa’s character and ended up becoming one of Launer’s favorites in the whole film.
#2 She was roommates with A Different World co-star Lisa Bonet in real life
Source: NBCU Photo Bank
In this sitcom, which centers around a historically black college, Tomei plays the character of Maggie and Lisa Bonet portrays her roommate, Denise.
During the production of the show, the two actresses became great friends and even shared a home while filming in Georgia. Despite their relatively brief time working together, their friendship has endured.
Tomei is the godmother of all three of Bonet’s children, including Zoë Kravitz, and was present at the birth of two of them. In a 2017 InStyle article, Tomei and Kravitz discussed various topics ranging from their friendship to beauty.
Both of them emphasized the importance of inner beauty and revealed that this was a lesson they had learned from Bonet.
#3 She turned down the role of Carrie in Four Weddings and a Funeral
Source: Getty
Tomei had the opportunity to appear in the 1994 comedy, Four Weddings and Funeral, but she decided to turn it down. Her grandfather was not well, and she wanted to stay close to him.
Tomei has expressed that missing out on the classic film is her only regret in her career. Several actresses were considered for the role of Carrie before Andie MacDowell was cast. Jeanne Tripplehorn was initially chosen for the role but had to leave due to a family member’s demise.
According to reports, Sarah Jessica Parker, the star of Sex and the City, was also the top choice of the director, Richard Curtis, for the female lead.
#4 Before she got her first film role, Tomei was working as a waitress to make ends meet
Source: Getty
Marisa Tomei, the renowned actress, was once a student at Boston University. However, she dropped out after a year of studying to pursue her acting career.
During her time at Boston, she worked as a waitress at Tony Roma’s, a popular US steakhouse chain, during the summer. Tomei began auditioning for theater roles that same summer and decided to continue pursuing her passion for acting.
Her first credited movie role was in The Flamingo Kid, where she played the character of a waitress named Mandy and had only one line to deliver.
#5 She’s godmother to X-Men star Zoë Kravitz
Source: IMDb
Marisa Tomei and Lisa Bonet became close friends while working together on the TV show “A Different World.” Bonet chose Tomei as the godmother to her daughter, Zoë Kravitz.
During a 2018 interview with InStyle, Tomei referred to Bonet as her “best friend” in an affectionate manner when speaking with Kravitz.
“My mother has always surrounded herself with fantastic women who have paid such wonderful attention to me from an early age,” she said, referring to Tomei.
Kravitz, daughter of singer Lenny Kravitz, continues her family’s acting legacy.
#6 Lady Gaga wants Tomei to play her in a biopic
Source: IMDb
In a 2011 Rolling Stone interview, Lady Gaga was asked who she would like to play her in a film.
“I would have Marisa Tomei play me,” Gaga answered. “I am such a Marisa Tomei fan.”
“All my friends call me Marisa when I get angry,” she said. “Because my New York accent just flies out of my body and I start smacking my gum.”
After hearing the news, Tomei expressed her admiration for Lady Gaga by saying, “I love her and her music. She’s also an awesome businesswoman.”
However, there are no confirmed plans for Tomei to star in a biopic about Lady Gaga. Nonetheless, it would be exciting to see such a project come to fruition in the future.
#7 She’s a keen belly dancer
Source: IMDb
Tomei has been practicing belly dancing, yoga, and tai chi for a long time to relax after a busy day at work.
In an interview with Shape magazine in 2010, Tomei mentioned that belly dancing not only helps you stay in great shape but also has positive effects on women’s reproductive organs and hormones.
Tomei also stated that she takes lessons once a week from Nita Rubio, who is a teacher of devotional dance and body movement.
#8 She feuded with SNL producers during her time on the show
Source: IMDb
Tomei had a clash with Saturday Night Live producers when they invited her to guest host in October 1994.
Tomei asked the SNL writers and producers to pull the segment she’d filmed for the show’s sketch Good Morning Brooklyn.
Tomei had concerns about a skit on SNL that portrayed her in a negative light. She was not pleased with the idea of being stereotyped.
This irked the SNL team since the show largely revolves around satirizing and poking fun at celebrities.
However, Tomei eventually went on to perform a parody of her role in “My Cousin Vinny” in a skit that spoofed the OJ Simpson murder trial in 1995.
#9 She has the eye of Ra tattooed on her right foot for good luck
Source: IMDb
Tomei’s tattoo is not very noticeable since she doesn’t have any big tattoos. However, she has an ancient Egyptian hieroglyph, the Eye of Ra, tattooed on her right foot.
Despite its small size, the tattoo holds great significance as the symbol is believed to bring good luck and protection to the bearer.
It represents the god’s eye, and given Tomei’s success and good fortune, it’s evident that the tattoo is working its magic.
#10 Her first role post-Oscar was as a silent film actress with then-boyfriend Robert Downey Jr
Source: IMDb
Tomei got her first Oscar at the age of 29 for her role in My Cousin Vinny. In the early 1990s, the world was truly her oyster.
Tomei was in high demand following her portrayal as Mona Lisa Vito and could afford to be picky about her next part.
Rather than star in a blockbuster success, Tomei chose something a little more unconventional for her next project.
Following her Oscar win, she starred as silent film actress Mabel Normand in the biopic film Chaplin.
Tomei’s then-boyfriend, Robert Downey Jr., performed as the famous British comedy actor to great acclaim.
He won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama.
#11 She’s outspoken about addressing the gender pay gap
Source: IMDb
Jennifer Lawrence, the star of Hunger Games, spoke out in 2014 about the Hollywood gender pay gap.
Lawrence felt inspired to issue a statement when the Sony email breach revealed that she had been paid far less than her male co-stars in American Hustle.
Tomei jumped to Lawrence’s defense. In a 2017 interview with the Guardian, Tomei expressed her frustration with the industry’s sexism.
“Why should we get paid 75 cents on the dollar and be told we’re lucky to have that?” she said.
“It’s wonderful that someone like Jennifer speaks out. Why should she be pilloried? I don’t understand why it’s even controversial.
“We should get paid on parity. And by the way, Jennifer was the strongest element in that whole package. She should have got paid more if anything.”
#12 She has a reputation for being a great on-screen kisser
Source: IMDb
Tomei has a reputation in the film industry for being a great kisser.
Tomei has kissed a significant number of men during her time as a Hollywood actor.
She kissed her then-boyfriend Robert Downey Jr in the 1994 film Only You.
She also won an MTV award for Best Kiss for her scene with Christian Slater in Untamed Heart.
“It’s nice that I’m considered a great kisser,” she said in an interview with the Guardian back in 2017.
“It’s all about the partner, isn’t it? And it’s only on screen. In real life, I’m sh*t,” she confessed.
#13 She played herself on Seinfeld
Source: IMDb
Marisa Tomei had a guest appearance in a 1996 two-part episode of the US sitcom Seinfeld, playing herself.
In the sitcom, self-proclaimed ‘Lord of the Idiots’ George Costanza (played by Jason Alexander) romances Tomei.
Costanza tries to win a date with the help of his friend Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus).
In the end, Costanza secures a date with the Oscar-winning actress, and the two meet in a park.
#14 She had never appeared in a sequel until Captain America: Civil War
Source: IMDb
Although offers to repeat several of her popular early roles arose, Tomei was not interested in doing so.
She dropped out of the planned My Cousin Vinny sequel, which was set in the United Kingdom.
Tomei agreed to star in a sequel only after being invited to reprise her role as Peter Parker‘s Aunt May in Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War.
Tomei’s casting as Aunt May sparked a stir on social media in 2015, with staunch Marvel fans claiming she was too attractive for the part.
Tomei agreed with the response, as she stated in a 2017 Guardian interview.
She said: “It’s lucky I didn’t know much about Aunt May because I might have been horrified if I’d seen the original image of a grey-haired pensioner. Don’t toy with my heart, Marvel. Is that really how you view me?”
