Drea de Matteo


Andrea Donna de Matteo is an American actress, known for her roles as Angie Bolen on ABC's Desperate Housewives, Joey Tribbiani's sister Gina on the NBC sitcom Joey, Wendy Case on FX series Sons of Anarchy, and Adriana La Cerva on the HBO drama series The Sopranos, a role for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. She also played Detective Tess Nazario in NBC's Shades of Blue.

Early life

De Matteo, of Italian descent, was born in Whitestone, Queens, New York. 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 grew up in a Roman 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, originally intending on becoming 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 for her role as Adriana on The Sopranos and was nominated for a Golden Globe the same year, for the same role. She was ranked #42 and #56 on the Maxim Hot 100 Women of 2001 and 2002, respectively.
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.
De Matteo played Angie Bolen, the mother of the Bolen family, on season 6 of the ABC show Desperate Housewives. She officially left Desperate Housewives at the season 6 finale in 2010, due to personal reasons.
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, 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. It premiered on January 7, 2016.
De Matteo and Chris Kushner began hosting a rewatch podcast of The Sopranos on March 13, 2020, called Made Women.

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 Center 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

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1996Swift JusticeLaurie TucoEpisode: "Stones"
1999–2006The SopranosAdriana La Cerva56 episodes
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2002VH1 Big in 2002 AwardsHostTV special
2004–2006JoeyGina TribbianiMain role: 46 episodes
2005HBO First LookHerselfEpisode: "Assault on Precinct 13: Caught in the Crosshairs"
2007ApertureHerselfEpisode: "Drea de Matteo/Laurie Simmons"
2007Al rojo vivo con María CelesteHerselfEpisode: May 28, 2007
2007Making 'Cleaver' Adriana La CervaTelevision film
2008;
2011–2014		Sons of AnarchyWendy CaseRecurring/lead role: 35 episodes
2009–2010Desperate HousewivesAngie BolenMain role: 20 episodes
2010FakersTanner's motherTelevision film
2010Running WildeDidiEpisode: "One Step Forward"
2011'Sandra RobertsEpisode: "Pop"
2011'EvelynEpisode: "Sinner Takes All"
2012CalifornicationHollyEpisode: "Here I Go Again"
2013The Mindy ProjectKelseyEpisode: "Mindy's Minute"
2015Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.Karla Faye GideonEpisode: "One of Us"
2015Herself
2016–2018Shades of BlueDet. Tess NazarioSeries regular
2019–presentA Million Little ThingsBarbara MorganRecurring role
2020Paradise CityMayaUpcoming television series; TV spinoff of American Satan