Celebrity Info
As a young girl, Drea—pronounced “Dray”—often accompanied her playwright mother to rehearsals at New York City’s prestigious HB Studio. Despite this early exposure to the theater world, Drea was actually convinced that acting wasn’t the path for her. She held onto this belief throughout her teenage years and even applied to NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with dreams of becoming a director. Her acceptance into the elite film program came thanks to a completed screenplay she had written.
While at NYU, Drea took acting classes simply to better understand the craft from a director’s perspective. However, she began receiving consistently strong feedback in those classes, which led to her signing with a manager by the time she graduated. Around that time, Drea had only landed a few guest spots on lesser-known TV shows when she got the opportunity to play the hostess in David Chase’s bold, modern-day mob pilot, The Sopranos (HBO 99-).
Initially, Drea had auditioned for the role of an “Italian bimbo,” but David Chase didn’t think she fit the stereotype. Instead, he cast her as the hostess at the Italian restaurant where the mobsters and their families often gathered. In that role, she delivered her two lines without the now-iconic gritty Jersey/New York accent. Surprisingly, she was called back to take on the role of Adriana La Cerva, the glamorous girlfriend of young mobster Christopher Moltisanti.
Originally intended to last only a few episodes, Adriana quickly became a standout character thanks to Drea’s performance. Her influence on the show grew as she continued to develop the role of Christopher’s increasingly conflicted fiancée. Drea also gained a loyal fan base, many of whom admired her as the quintessential no-nonsense, long-nailed tough girl.
While gaining critical acclaim and rising fame from The Sopranos, Drea also made her mark in the film world. She appeared in several independent films in 1999 and 2000, including The Gentleman from Boston. In 2001, she landed the role of a Puerto Rican drug lord in Abel Ferrara’s R Xmas, which premiered at Cannes. Her small but memorable part as a New York club girl in Jon Favreau’s Made was widely praised as one of the film’s highlights. She also impressed audiences in Swordfish (2001), playing the alcoholic ex-wife of a convicted hacker.
Drea continued to build her film presence with roles like the girlfriend of a gang leader in Deuces Wild (2002), a 1950s mob drama starring Debbie Harry, Norman Reedus, Balthazar Getty, Brad Renfro, Frankie Muniz, and Fairuza Balk. Her performance in Prey for Rock & Roll (2003) also earned strong reviews—she played Tracy, a self-destructive bassist battling addiction in Gina Gershon’s fictional all-female band, the Clam Dandys.
As her role on The Sopranos became more central to the show’s narrative in 2004, Drea won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series during her final season on the show. That same year, she took on the role of Gina, the tough, single-mom sister of Matt LeBlanc’s character in the Friends spin-off Joey (NBC, 2004–06).
Following the end of Joey, Drea joined the cast of the motorcycle drama Sons of Anarchy (FX 2008–14) in a recurring role and later became a series regular on Desperate Housewives (ABC 2004–2012) during its later seasons. During this time, she also starred in the romantic drama Once More With Feeling (2009) and in Ally Walker’s indie film Sex, Death and Bowling (2015).
Drea’s next major television role came in the form of Detective Tess Nazario in the Jennifer Lopez-led police drama Shades of Blue (NBC 2014–18), marking yet another compelling chapter in her evolving career.
Well, when it comes to Drea de Matteo’s film career, there are definitely some highs and lows worth noting. If we’re talking about her most acclaimed performance, Drea de Matteo really shined in Nonnas (2025), which turned out to be her highest-rated movie to date. The film received a lot of praise, and honestly, Drea de Matteo brought such depth to her role that it’s no surprise it resonated with both critics and audiences. On the flip side, not every project has been a hit—her lowest-rated film so far is Deuces Wild (2002). While it had its moments, it just didn’t quite land the way fans hoped. Still, even in less successful roles, Drea de Matteo shows commitment and talent. Overall, Drea de Matteo continues to make bold choices in her career, and that’s something to appreciate.
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