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'Andrea Donna de Matteo' (born January 19, 1972^[1]) is an Emmy-winning American actress, perhaps best known for her roles as Adriana La Cerva on the HBO TV series ''The Sopranos'' and as Joey Tribbiani's sister Gina on the NBC sitcom ''Joey''.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Career

Personal life

References

External links

Biography

Early life

De Matteo, an Italian American,^[2] was born in Queens, New York to Donna, a playwright and playwriting teacher, and Albert De Matteo, a furniture manufacturer.^[3] She grew up in a Catholic family.^[4] After graduating from the prestigious Loyola School, she studied at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, originally hoping to become a director, not an actress.

Career

De Matteo's role in ''The Sopranos'' was one of her earliest, helping to launch her career. She has also appeared in several films including ''Swordfish'', ''Deuces Wild'', ''The Perfect You'' and the 2005 remake of John Carpenter's 1976 action film ''Assault on Precinct 13''. She also portrayed Joey Tribbiani's sister Gina in the ''Friends'' spin-off ''Joey''.
In 2004, de Matteo won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress (Drama) for her role as the ill-fated Adriana on ''The Sopranos.'' She was also nominated for a Golden Globe that same year for the same role. She was ranked #42 and #56 on the Maxim Hot 100 Women of 2001 and 2002, respectively.^[5][6]

Personal life

De Matteo has made comments indicating she might be bisexual. In 2005, she told an interviewer from UK newspaper Britain Sport Daily "I love men and they're who I go out with but every now and then . . . well, I can't say I've never been with a woman". But despite this she told Howard Stern that she considers herself heterosexual.
She lives in New York City, where she also formerly owned the now-closed Filth Mart, an East Village clothing store, with best friend and ex-boyfriend Michael Sportes. She is currently dating Shooter Jennings, son of country music legend Waylon Jennings. They are expecting their first child together, a baby girl, in December 2007.^[7]
She speaks fluent Italian and Spanish, which she learned as a child from her nanny.

References

1. http://www.filmreference.com/film/95/Drea-De-Matteo.html
2. http://movies.about.com/od/assaultonprecinct13/a/assaultdd011205.htm
3. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_20040405/ai_n10960135
4. http://www.askmen.com/women/actress_200/209_drea_de_matteo.html
5. FreeJose.com
6. FreeJose.com
7. http://usmagazine.com/sopranos_star_drea_de_matteo_is_pregnant

External links

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