Cathy Moriarty

Cathy Moriarty
Born (1960-11-29) November 29, 1960
The Bronx, New York, US
Nationality American
Other names Cathy Moriarty-Gentile
Occupation Actress
Years active 1980–present
Notable work Analyze That, But I'm a Cheerleader, Casper, Raging Bull, Soapdish, White of the Eye
Height 5' 9" (1.75 m)
Religion Catholic
Spouse(s) Carmine D'Anna (m. 1981; div. 1992)
Joseph Gentile (1999–present) 3 children
Children Annabella Rose Gentile
Catherine Patricia Gentile
Joseph John Gentile
Parent(s) Catherine Moriarty
John Moriarty

Cathy Moriarty (born November 29, 1960) is an American actress whose career spans over thirty years. Her role as Jake LaMotta's wife Vikki in Raging Bull (1980), directed by Martin Scorsese, earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Moriarty's film credits include Neighbors, White of the Eye, Soapdish, Casper, Analyze That and The Bounty Hunter. Appearances on television include Tales from the Crypt (for which she won a CableACE Award for Best Actress in a Dramatic Series), Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

Early life

Moriarty was born in The Bronx, the daughter of Irish Catholic immigrants Catherine (a homemaker) and John Moriarty (a warehouse worker).[1] When she was 18 years old, her friends urged her to enter a bathing-beauty contest at a bar:

So, I go in there, and my knees are shaking, and I'm breaking out in goose bumps 'cause I'm embarrassed and cold. All these guys are whistling and stuff. Then all of a sudden the emcee announces I won first prize, and I say, "Hey, this is really funny". So this Italian guy comes up and asks if he can take my picture and I say, "Sure, go ahead", 'cause he's gonna take it anyway. And whad'd'ya know, this same guy calls me three weeks later, says his name is Joe Pesci and asks if I'd like to test for a part in this movie about a boxer named Jake La Motta.[2]

Moriarty landed her debut role as Vikki LaMotta, girlfriend of Jake La Motta (played by Robert De Niro), in Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull (1980). Her performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Career

1980s

Immediately after Raging Bull, Moriarty starred as John Belushi's destructive, sultry neighbor in Neighbors, a film adaptation of Thomas Berger's novel of the same name. In 1982, she was severely injured in an automobile accident and required back surgery.[3]

I can only say that nobody likes an overnight success in this town. I went for a lot of interviews, auditions and even cattle calls. I tried for parts and attended meetings, but it seemed I wasn't right for any of the roles I wanted. And the parts I was offered didn't appeal to me. So I paid my dues, studying acting and losing my Yonkers accent. And oh yes, I cried an awful lot.[4]

In 1985, Moriarty agreed to co-star with Jack Nicholson in The Two Jakes. However, after one day of shooting its production halted. Although the film was eventually released in 1990, Moriarty was no longer connected with the production.[5]

Moriarty returned to acting in 1987. Her first role since Neighbors was in the British thriller film White of the Eye, in which Moriarty played the wife of David Keith's character. Two years later, she appeared in the CBS series Wiseguy episode "Reunion".

1990s

Moriarty began the decade with roles in the thriller film Burndown, Arnold Schwarzenegger's Kindergarten Cop and the soap opera parody Soapdish. She also appeared in the musical drama The Mambo Kings and the horror anthology TV series Tales from the Crypt, where Moriarty's performance earned her a Best Actress in a Dramatic Series CableACE Award. Her last performance of the year was a hard-as-nails prostitute in the screwball comedy film, The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag.

In 1993, Moriarty starred as John Goodman's wisecracking girlfriend and a film goddess in Joe Dante's period comedy Matinee, and had supporting roles in the comedies Another Stakeout (the sequel of 1987's Stakeout) and Me and the Kid. The following year, she guest-starred as half of the husband-wife con team in Universal Television's made-for-TV film Another Midnight Run. The actress' next role was the flirty barfly in Peter Medak's adventure film, Pontiac Moon (1994).

Moriarty played Debra Winger's friend in the romantic comedy Forget Paris (1995), followed by the vindictive Carrigan Crittenden in the live action film Casper. Shortly afterwards she starred with Andrew Dice Clay in the CBS series Bless This House, which was cancelled after 16 episodes during the 1996 season. That year Moriarty also played Hedy Burress's mother in Foxfire, the film adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates' novel. The next year, she played the alcoholic mother of a successful boxer in Opposite Corners; the mother of two sons (one a police officer and the other a crack addict) in A Brother's Kiss; a former exotic dancer and Brad Hunt's aunt in Dream with the Fishes; Evan Rachel Wood's seriously-ill, alcoholic mother in Digging to China; Michael Rapaport's aunt in Cop Land, and Alyssa Milano's mother in Hugo Pool.

Moriarty voiced characters in the animated TV series Stories from My Childhood episodes "The Golden Rooster" and "The Wild Swans" and the animated series Recess episode "Kids in the Mist". Other appearances included Hilary Duff's witch aunt in the direct-to-video film, Casper Meets Wendy; Randy Quaid's wife in the direct-to-video film, P.U.N.K.S., and Sharon Stone's friend in Gloria (a 1998 remake of the 1980 film written and directed by John Cassavetes). Roles followed in Crazy in Alabama, a film adaptation of Mark Childress's 1993 novel of the same name; New Waterford Girl, a Canadian comedy-drama, and the satirical film But I'm a Cheerleader.

2000s

Moriarty played an FBI agent in Red Team, an abusive adoptive mother in the family film Prince of Central Park and a woman who fears death in the short film Next Stop, Eternity. Other roles included a widow suspected of killing her husband in an episode of Law & Order, crime boss Patti LoPresti in the Mafia comedy film (and sequel to 1999's Analyze This) Analyze That and a controlling mother in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

2010s

In 2010, Moriarty played a bookie who sends two thugs to kill the main characters (Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler) in the romantic-action-comedy film The Bounty Hunter. On July 18, 2010, the Long Island International Film Expo honored the actress with its Long Island Creative Achievement Award.[6] Shortly afterwards, she guest-starred as Annalisa Gentili on an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. The next year, Moriarty appeared as a nurse in the film 1320. In 2013 she played Armand Assante's wife in Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn and a sarcastic waitress in a black comedy, The Double. She returned to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Lieutenant Toni Howard for two episodes: season 14's "Poisoned Motive" and season 15's "Amaro's One-Eighty".

Moriarty made a cameo appearance as Michael Pitt's bitter, estranged mother in the crime drama Rob the Mob. Recent roles included the co-owner of a house who shares a dark secret in Deborah Twiss's psychological thriller A Cry from Within (Sebastien)[7] and the title character in Ante Novakovic's short film, Tammy, about a mother-son relationship which evolves over the course of a Sunday visit. Moriarty's performance earned a nomination for Best Actress in a Short (medium short) at the Jersey Shore Shorts Film Festival.[8]

Personal life

In 1981, Moriarty married theatrical manager Carmine D'Anna and moved into a home in Malibu, California. On April 2, 1992, it was reported that Moriarty and D'Anna were divorcing and D'Anna sought $1 million under California's community property laws.[9]

On August 28, 1999, Moriarty and financier Joseph Gentile[10] married on Long Island. She gave birth to twins Catherine Patricia and Joseph John on September 11, 2000,[11] and on November 15, 2001, the couple's third child, Annabella Rose, was born.[12]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1980 Raging Bull Vickie La Motta See awards section
1981 Neighbors Ramona
1987 White of the Eye Joan White
1990 Kindergarten Cop Jillian
Burndown Patti Smart
1991 Soapdish Montana Moorehead / Nurse Nan
1992 The Mambo Kings Lanna Lake
Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag, TheThe Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag Reba Bush
1993 Matinee Ruth Corday / Carole
Another Stakeout Lu Delano
Me and the Kid Rose
1994 Pontiac Moon Lorraine
1995 Forget Paris Lois
Casper Carrigan Crittenden
1996 Foxfire Martha Wirtz
1997 Women Without Implants Short film
Opposite Corners Kathy Donatello
Brother's Kiss, AA Brother's Kiss Doreen
Dream with the Fishes Aunt Elise
Digging to China Mrs. Frankovitz
Cop Land Rose Donlan
Hugo Pool Minerva
1998 Casper Meets Wendy Geri Video
1999 P.U.N.K.S. Mrs. Utley Video
Crazy in Alabama Earlene Bullis
But I'm a Cheerleader Mary Brown
2000 Red Team Stephanie Dobson See awards section
Prince of Central Park Mrs. Ardis
2002 Analyze That Patti LoPresti
2010 Bounty Hunter, TheThe Bounty Hunter Irene
2013 Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn Sarah Baldano
The Double Kiki
2014 A Cry from Within Alice
Tammy Tammy Short film

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1989 Wiseguy Denise Episode: "Reunion"
1992 Tales from the Crypt Alison Peters Episode: "Séance"
See awards section
1994 Another Midnight Run Helen Bishop TV film
1995 Bless This House Alice Clayton Main role (16 episodes)
1996 'Twas the Night Before Bumpy Destructette (uncredited) TV special
1997-99 Hey Arnold! Tish Wittenberg (voice) Episodes: "Coach Wittenberg," "Best Man," "Synchronized Swimming"
2000 Hunger, TheThe Hunger Maris Episode: "Bottle of Smoke"
2001 Law & Order Lorraine Corbin Episode: "For Love or Money"
2005 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Denise Eldridge Episode: "Intoxicated"
2010 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Annalisa Gentillo Episodes: "Love on Ice" and "The Mobster Will See You Now"
2013-14 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Lt. Toni Howard Episodes: "Poisoned Motive" and "Amaro's One-Eighty"

Awards and nominations

Year Work Award Category Result
1981 Raging Bull NSFC Award Best Supporting Actress Nominated
Raging Bull Golden Globe Award Best Supporting Actress Nominated
Raging Bull Golden Globe Award New Star of the Year - Actress Nominated
Raging Bull Academy Award Best Supporting Actress Nominated
1982 Raging Bull BAFTA film award Best Supporting Actress Nominated
1993 Tales from the Crypt CableACE Award Best Actress in a Dramatic Series Won
2001 Red Team DVD Exclusive Awards Best Actress Nominated
2010 Honoree Long Island Creative Achievement Award Long Island International Film Expo Won

References

  1. ↑ Hamill, Denis (1997-06-15). "A Slice Of Showbiz Acting Is Pizza Queen Cathy Moriarty'S Favorite Topping". Nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
  2. ↑ Mariani, John (March 29, 1981). "The Raging Success of Cathy Moriarty". Rome News Tribune. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  3. ↑ Italie, Hillel (June 19, 1991). "'Soapdish' Star Moriarty Dead Ringer for Dunaway". Kentucky New Era.
  4. ↑ "Cathy Moriarty's Lessons In Stardom". Ellensburg Daily Record. August 17, 1988.
  5. ↑ "Cathy Moriarty's Lessons In Stardom". Ellensburg Daily Record. August 17, 1988.
  6. ↑ Collora, Christopher (July 20, 2010). "Awards Ceremony Wraps Up LI International Film Expo". Bellemore Patch. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  7. ↑ "A Cry from Within". Dread Central. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  8. ↑ "Jersey Shore Shorts Festival 2014 Nominations!". Jersey Shore Shorts Film Festival. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  9. ↑ "Divorce or no; there's no stopping celebrity babies". The Spokesman-Review. April 2, 1992. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  10. ↑ Cobb Craig, David (08/09/1999). "Engaged". People. Retrieved 26 April 2014. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ↑ Cobb, David (2000-09-25). "Births". People. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  12. ↑ Abel, Olivia (2001-12-17). "Births". People. Retrieved 26 April 2014.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, April 10, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.