subject: The Most Underrated or Overrated Actress on Satellite TV? [print this page] The Most Underrated or Overrated Actress on Satellite TV?
Of all the actresses seen popping up in random roles across the board and all over Hollywood, none is slated to be as underrated, and overrated, depending on who you're talking too, than Marisa Tomei. She has appeared as a barista in What Women Want, the love interest in an Adam Sandler flick Anger Management, and a range of other bit parts in lesser known films like Grace Is Gone, Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School, and The Guru. However, not every actress that takes on such varied and seemingly scattered parts has a Best Actress in a Supporting Role Oscar tucked under her belt, or two more nominations. In fact, she's been nominated a total of three times, one win for her work in My Cousin Vinny, a Best Actress nomination for In the Bedroom, and another Actress in a Supporting Role nomination for The Wrestler. Spanning the years from 1992 to 2009, a lengthy career has taken her from the crazy girlfriend to the burnt-out stripper in her celebrated roles. Although she, like many seasoned actresses, has made the transition into today's high definition cinema world, it's no wonder that Hollywood and its fans wonder whether she's credible, or just incredibly lucky.
A Brooklyn, New York native, Marisa was plagued by a heavy accent in her early years, and also in her acting career. Getting her start in soaps, she appeared on the daytime drama "As the World Turns." After a string of lesser known movie and sitcom parts, she was given the part of Maggie Lawton. She took and ran with the seemingly unremarkable role of Joe Pesci's bigmouth girlfriend, and in 1992 took home that coveted golden statue for her work. A handful of films and a failed relationship with Robert Downey Jr. later, her career was in need of a rebound.' She went on to star in films like The Paper and Unhook the Stars in the mid-nineties, and make an appearance on Seinfeld as herself, an incredibly popular series at the time. In 2001 her In the Bedroom Oscar nod was referred to as proof the first nomination wasn't "a fluke," but unfortunately no actor or actress want to have to prove such a fact after many years and many highly publicized films.
Most recently she has been celebrated for her work in the film the Wrester, which due to its controversial nature and mix of reviews has become a satellite TV and rental favorite. Not unlike Marisa herself, the Wrestler has been celebrated as a fantastic picture and work of genius by some, and a complete disaster that's been lucky to receive rave reviews by others. It seems that no matter what Tomei touches, the jury is split on whether it's a complete ten, or a complete zero in the end. Perhaps, as with all cinema, this satellite TV celebrity's success and reviews will all be left up to each individual critic, whether professional or the variety that judges from the sofa at home.
