Debi Mazar

Debi Mazar

Mazar in Beverly Hills, California, December 4, 2009
Born Deborah Mazar
(1964-08-13) August 13, 1964
Jamaica, Queens, New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1981–present
Spouse(s) Gabriele Corcos (m. 2002)
Children 2

Deborah "Debi" Mazar (/məˈzɑːr/ or /ˈmzɑːr/;[1] born August 13, 1964) is an American actress and television personality, known for her Jersey Girl-type roles; as sharp-tongued women in independent films; and for her starring role in the Cooking Channel series, Extra Virgin, along with her husband Gabriele Corcos. She is also known for her role as press agent Shauna Roberts on the HBO series Entourage. and currently stars as Maggie on TV Land's Younger.

Early life

Mazar was born in Jamaica, Queens, New York, the daughter of Nancy and Harry Mazar. Her father was born in the Latvian SSR, Soviet Union, to a Jewish family, but raised in the Roman Catholic Church. She had no knowledge of her father's ancestry until her twenties. Her mother was raised a Roman Catholic, briefly converted to Judaism, then became a Buddhist, and later joined Jehovah's Witnesses until she was disfellowshipped for taking a blood transfusion.[2]

As a teenager, Mazar worked selling jewelry at Fiorucci with Linda Ramone and Joey Arias, as a dental assistant, and at a club.[3]

Career

While working at Danceteria, Mazar met Madonna. She hired Mazar to do her makeup for the music video for "Everybody". She also originated the hair and makeup for the play Speed-the-Plow.[3]

Mazar began her career as a hip hop b-girl in New York City. Her first television appearance was on the pilot for a hip hop television dance show, Graffiti Rock in 1984.[4] She appeared in five of Madonna's music videos[5] -– "Papa Don't Preach," "True Blue" (both 1986), "Justify My Love" (1990), "Deeper and Deeper" (1992) and "Music" (2000).[6] Mazar has played a number of minor supporting roles in a variety of films, including Sandy, a friend of Henry Hill's mistress in Goodfellas (1990); The Doors (1991); a small role in Spike Lee's Malcolm X (1992); Bullets Over Broadway (1994); and as Spice (of Sugar and Spice, with Drew Barrymore as Sugar) in Batman Forever (1995). She gained her first real following from playing a character on Civil Wars in the early 1990s. When that series was cancelled her character was brought over as a recurring role between 1993 and 1994 season of the TV drama L.A. Law.[6]

She played the villain Regina, a modern-day Cruella de Vil, in the family film Beethoven's 2nd (1993). She has appeared in independent films Inside Monkey Zetterland and Nowhere and her short-lived sitcom, Temporarily Yours. She also appeared as the genie in the Space Monkeys' music video, "Sugarcane".[6]

Mazar appeared on a Friends episode in its eighth season ("The One Where Rachel Has a Baby, Part One"). Mazar played "Doreen, the Evil Bitch," a crazed pregnant woman who shares a hospital room with Rachel. In the 1999 docudrama film The Insider, Mazar was Al Pacino's character Lowell Bergman's assistant Debi. From 2000 to 2002 she played Jackie on the television drama That's Life. She also provided the voice of Maria Latore in the video games Grand Theft Auto III (2001) and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004).

From 2004 to 2011, she had a supporting role on Entourage as press agent Shauna Roberts. She also had a recurring role on the sitcom Living with Fran, playing Fran Drescher's character's cousin, Merrill. She did a two-episode stint on the television series Ugly Betty, where she played Leah Stillman, a scam artist who claims to be a lawyer.

Mazar was a contestant on the ninth season of Dancing With the Stars. She was partnered with Maksim Chmerkovskiy and finished in twelfth place.[7] She was eliminated in the third week (October 6, 2009).

Mazar began appearing on a Cooking Channel cooking/reality show television series in January 2011, she, her husband Gabriele Corcos, as well as their two daughters star in the series, which depicts their lives, and showcases their own recipes. The show is scripted. The show has had four seasons as of June 2014.

In 2015, Mazar and her husband started another series on the Cooking Channel entitled Extra Virgin Americana where they travel the U.S., road trip style, with their children and family friend searching for some of America's great food.

Personal life

Prior to her marriage, she dated actor Paul Reubens for several years beginning in 1993. Reubens has since credited Mazar with ending his depression resulting from his infamous 1991 arrest.[8]

She married Gabriele Corcos on March 16, 2002, in a ceremony officiated by Ellen Burstyn.[2] They have two daughters: Evelina Maria (born in 2002) and Giulia Isabel (born in 2006). The family formerly lived in a home in Los Angeles. They sold the home in 2009, and moved to Brooklyn, New York. The family currently divides their time between their home in Brooklyn and a 14th-century house outside of Florence, Italy, that was given to them as a wedding present by Mazar’s in-laws.[2]

Mazar has had several dogs, including a dog named Delores which was prominently featured in the first season of her show Extra Virgin, until the dog's death in 2011.

Mazar and Corcos formerly hosted an internet show focused on Tuscan cuisine, Under The Tuscan Gun.[9] On January 19, 2011, Debi, and her husband Gabriele began hosting the cooking show Extra Virgin on the Cooking Channel, and released a cookbook in 2014, Recipes & Love From Our Tuscan Kitchen.[10][11][12]

Debi Mazar and her husband both appeared on an episode of the ABC talk show The Chew in 2014 to promote their show, Extra Virgin.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1981 Downtown 81 Peppermint Lounge Dancer AKA, New York Beat Movie
1990 Goodfellas Sandy
1991 Doors, TheThe Doors Whiskey Girl
1991 Jungle Fever Denise
1991 Little Man Tate Gina
1992 In the Soup Suzie
1992 Love Is Like That Delores
1992 Inside Monkey Zetterland Daphne
1992 Singles Brenda
1992 Malcolm X Peg
1992 Toys Nurse Debbie
1993 So I Married an Axe Murderer Susan
1993 Money for Nothing Monica Russo
1993 Beethoven's 2nd Regina
1994 Bullets over Broadway Violet
1995 Batman Forever Spice
1995 Empire Records Jane
1996 Cosas que nunca te dije Diane
1996 Girl 6 Girl #39
1996 Trees Lounge Crystal
1996 Red Ribbon Blues Darcy
1996 Space Truckers Cindy
1997 Meet Wally Sparks Sandy Gallo
1997 Nowhere Kozy
1997 She's So Lovely Georgie
1997 Deli, TheThe Deli Teresa
1997 Casper: A Spirited Beginning Angie Lyons Video
1997 Trouble on the Corner Ericca Rice
1998 Marry Me or Die
1998 Frogs for Snakes Simone
1998 Hush Lisa
1998 Life in the Fast Lane Rosie
1999 Insider, TheThe Insider Debbie De Luca
2000 More Dogs Than Bones Mary
2000 Held for Ransom Rita
2002 Ten Tiny Love Stories Six
2002 Tuxedo, TheThe Tuxedo Steena
2003 Who Killed the Idea? Mysterious Woman Short film
2003 Deception Janet Steiner
2004 Collateral Young Professional Woman
2004 My Tiny Universe Bonnie
2005 Be Cool Marla
2005 Edmond Matron
2005 Wait Joanne Short film
2006 Lies & Alibis Det. Bryce AKA, The Alibi
2006 Red Riding Hood Red's Mom
2008 Beautiful Life, AA Beautiful Life Susan
2008 Women, TheThe Women Tanya
2013 Lovelace Dolly Sharp
2013 Return to Babylon Gloria Swanson
2015 Entourage Shauna

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1984 Graffiti Rock Dancer TV film
1991–93 Civil Wars Denise Iannello Main role (36 episodes)
1993–94 L.A. Law Denise Iannello Main Role (22 episodes)
1994 Witch Hunt The Manicurist TV film
1995 Burke's Law Rachel Davis Episode: "Who Killed the Motor Car Maverick?"
1997 Temporarily Yours Deb DeAngelo Main role (6 episodes)
1998 Witness to the Mob Deborah Gravano TV film
1998 David and Lisa Maggie TV film
1999 Wild Thornberrys, TheThe Wild Thornberrys Mongoose (voice) Episode: "Darwin Plays the Palace"
1998–99 Working Liz Tricoli Regular role (17 episodes)
1999 Sissy Duckling, TheThe Sissy Duckling Mother Duck 2 (voice) TV film
1999 Providence Vonda Vickers Episodes: "Thank You, Providence: Parts 1 & 2"
2000 Get Real Kate Harris Episode: "Saved"
2000–02 That's Life Jackie O'Grady Main role (34 episodes)
2002 Friends Evil Bitch Episode: "The One Where Rachel Has a Baby: Part 1"
2002 Groovenians, TheThe Groovenians Yalda, Swirly (voice) TV short
2003 Wanda at Large Jenny Hawkins Episode: "Unaired Pilot"
2003 7th Heaven Nurse Kelly Episode: "The One Thing"
2003–04 All of Us Alex / Debi Recurring role (7 episodes)
2004 7th Heaven Nurse Kelly Episode: "The Anniversary"
2004 Practice, TheThe Practice Gigi Coley Episodes: "Comings and Goings", "New Hoods on the Block"
2004 CSI: Miami Rebecca Briggs Episode: "Speed Kills"
2004–11 Entourage Shauna 50 episodes
2005 NYPD Blue Maxine Annunziato Episode: "Lenny Scissorhands"
2005–06 Living With Fran Cousin Merrill Episodes: "A Year of Living with Fran", "Going to a Bar Mitzvah with Fran", "Coupling with Fran", "Reuniting with Fran"
2006 Ghost Whisperer Josie Episode: "The Woman of His Dreams"
2006 Ugly Betty Leah Feldman Episodes: "Trust, Lust and Must", "Four Thanksgivings and a Funeral"
2008 Privileged Debra Episode: "Pilot"
2008 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Peggy Bernardi Episode: "Babes"
2009 Burn Notice Amy Episode: "Friends Like These"
2009 Castle Paula Haas Episode: "When the Bough Breaks"
2010 Life & Times of Tim, TheThe Life & Times of Tim Rochelle (voice) Episode: "The Girl Scout Incident/Rodney Has a Wife?"
2010 Hawthorne Donna Alberghetti Episode: "Hidden Truths"
2010 Jonas Mona Klein Recurring role (7 episodes)
2011 Good Vibes Barbara "Babs" Brando (voice) Main role (12 episodes)
2012 Melissa & Joey Harper Quinn Episode: "The Knockout"
2012 Home Alone: The Holiday Heist Jessica TV film
2012 Happily Divorced Jan Episode: "The Back-Up Fran"
2014 The Chew Herself One episode
2015 Younger Maggie Series regular

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
2001 Grand Theft Auto III Maria Latore (voice)
2004 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Maria Latore (voice)

Music videos


References

  1. Debi Mazar (October 6, 2009). "Dancing with the Stars" round three: results show (Television). USA: ABC. Event occurs at 41:30. I've just been going by /ˈmzɑːr/ for all these years, but it's probably /məˈzɑːr/.
  2. 1 2 3 "Debi Mazar in Entourage – Back in the Public Eye". Newyorkmetro.com. June 6, 2005. Retrieved April 19, 2009.
  3. 1 2 "Debi Mazar". intothegloss.com. May 19, 2014. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  4. "Debi Mazar Recounts 6 Close Encounters with Hip Hop in the ’80s". egotripland.com. August 15, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  5. "Debi Mazar: My Kids Have Play Dates With Madonna". UsMagazine.com. November 4, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 "Debi Mazar Biography (1964-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  7. "New Dancing Stars Revealed! : People.com". Tvwatch.people.com. August 17, 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  8. "Paul Reubens: Playboy Interview". Playboy. Archived from the original on August 17, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  9. "Under The Tuscan Gun". November 3, 2008. Retrieved April 19, 2009.
  10. "Extra Virgin with Debi Mazar & Gabriele Corcos". Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  11. Rochlin, Margy (February 2, 2011). "Debi Mazar Hits the Kitchen on Extra Virgin". TV Guide. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  12. New York Daily News: "'Entourage' actress Debi Mazar and family test out their Easter feast for the Daily News" BY Gina Pace April 20, 2014

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