Heather Matarazzo

Heather Matarazzo
Heather Matarazzo at 2008 New York City Rally for same-sex marriage.
Born Heather Christina Marie Matarazzo
(1982-11-10) November 10, 1982
Oyster Bay, New York, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1993–present
Partner(s) Caroline Murphy (2004–2012)
Heather Turman (2016–present)

Heather Christina Marie Matarazzo[1] (born November 10, 1982) is an American actress. Her breakthrough role was Dawn Wiener, a dorky girl in the film Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995). She played Lilly in The Princess Diaries (2001) and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004). Her other movies include The Devil's Advocate (1997), Scream 3 (2000), Sorority Boys (2002), Saved! (2004), and Hostel: Part 2 (2007).

Early life

Matarazzo was born and raised in Oyster Bay, New York, the daughter of Camille, a homemaker, and Ray Matarazzo, a data processing manager for a bakery chain.[2] Matarazzo is of Irish descent, and was adopted and raised by the Matarazzos, a strict Catholic Italian American family.[3]

Career

Matarazzo began acting at the age of six; after commandeering the microphone at an AIDS benefit for children, she was given the card of a talent manager with whom she remained for ten years.[4]

In 1997, she won an Independent Spirit Award for her performance in Welcome to the Dollhouse. Matarazzo has expressed pleasure in being allowed to play interesting characters, some of whom "are ostracized for various reasons." She has commented that she is most proud of her performance in 1999's Our Guys: Outrage in Glen Ridge, in which she played a mentally challenged girl who is raped by football players.[5] In 1999 to 2000 she portrayed Heather Wiseman in the short-lived TV series, Now and Again. In 2000 she appeared in the teen romantic comedy film The Princess Diaries as Lilly Moscovitz and reprised her role in the 2004 sequel The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.

Matarazzo has made appearances on several hit TV shows including Roseanne, Law & Order, The L Word, Greys Anatomy and Strangers With Candy.[6] Matarazzo starred opposite Thaao Penghlis in the world premiere of Charles Evered's play Class at Cape May Stage in Cape May, New Jersey in May and June 2010.[7]

In 2011, Matarazzo announced that she would begin working on her directorial debut, a television series to be based on a memoir by author Diane Hanks, titled Summer Camp: A Memoir.[8]

Personal life

Matarazzo is openly lesbian.[5] On July 31, 2008, Matarazzo's publicist announced that Matarazzo was engaged to musician Caroline Murphy.[9] She was the keynote speaker at the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network of Boston's annual conference. In 2012, popular media news outlets announced that Matarazzo and Murphy had split amicably.[10] On January 11, 2018, Matarazzo proposed to her girlfriend, comedian and writer Heather Turman, and the two are currently engaged.[11]

Matarazzo revealed that she was scheduled to be at a meeting on the 15th floor of One World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, shortly after the attacks occurred.[12]

In 2017, Matarazzo was awarded an honorary doctorate of Fine Arts from online education enabler InterActive.

Matarazzo endorsed and actively campaigned for Senator Bernie Sanders for President in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.[13]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1995Welcome to the DollhouseDawn WienerIndependent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Nominated—Young Artist Award for Best Younger Actress in a Feature Film
1997Hurricane StreetsAshley
The DeliSabrina
The Devil's AdvocateBarbara
199854Grace O'Shea
The Hairy BirdTheresa "Tweety" Goldberg
1999Getting to Know YouJudith
2000Company ManNora
Scream 3Martha Meeks
2001The Princess DiariesLilly Moscovitz
2002Sorority BoysKatie
2003The Pink HouseCharlotte
2004Saved!Tia
Freshman OrientationJessica
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal EngagementLilly Moscovitz
2005Believe in MeCindy Butts
2007Hostel: Part IILorna
2010Mangus!Jessica Simpson
2013Culling HensMistress
2015Sidewalk TrafficFreda Rabinowitz
SistersDenny
2016Her CompositionGallery Owner
2016Girl FluLilli
2016The Great WTYT 960 Billboard Sitting Contest!Jezebel
2016Smothered by MothersAnnie
2016Culling HensMistress
2016Are You Afraid of the '90s?Jessicashort film
2018Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on FootShannon

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1993The Adventures of Pete and PeteNatasha2 episodes
1996TowniesBethany4 episodes
1997ERAlyssa GuntherEpisode: "Random Acts"
RoseanneHeather4 episodes
1998Law & OrderStephanie SutterEpisode: "Burden"
1999Our GuysLeslie FaberTelevision movie
1999–2000Now and AgainHeather Wiseman22 episodes
Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television
Nominated—Young Artist Award for Best Younger Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
2000Strangers with CandyReneeEpisode: "Is My Daddy Crazy?"
2002St. SassMargoTelevision movie
2006–2009Exes and OhsCrutch8 episodes
2007The L WordStacey Merkin4 episodes
2008Law & OrderJanice DunlapEpisode: "Sweetie"
Life on MarsJuneEpisode: "The Real Adventures of the Unreal Sam Tyler"
2014StalkerEmilyEpisode: "Fanatic"
2015Grey's AnatomyJoan Paulson2 Episodes
Raymond & LaneReverend MotherEpisode: "Climb Every Mountain"

References

  1. ↑ ""Heather Matarazzo" Video – Celebrity Interview and Paparazzi". OVGuide.
  2. ↑ "Heather Matarazzo Biography (1982–)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
  3. ↑ "Chatting with Heather Matarazzo". eonline.com.
  4. ↑ Stockwell, Anne. "Welcome to the House, Doll!". The Advocate.
  5. 1 2 Warn, Sarah (2006-02-27). "Welcome to the New Heather Matarazzo". AfterEllen.com. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
  6. ↑ "Heath Matarazzo". TV.com. 2005-08-28. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
  7. ↑ "Raising the curtain on summer theater: Cape May Stage presents world premiere". PressofAtlanticCity.com. 2010-05-12. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
  8. ↑ "Heather Matarazzo Talks Being an Out Actress, New TV Show, and 'Mangus!'". 2011-12-03.
  9. ↑ "Heather Matarazzo Officially Engaged to Caroline Murphy". AfterEllen.com. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
  10. ↑ Kathy Belge (2009-02-14). "Heather Matarazzo: Lesbian Actress". About.com.
  11. ↑ Heather Matarazzo (January 16, 2018). "Heather Matarazzo on Instagram". Instagram.
  12. ↑ "Heather Matarazzo on Twitter". Twitter.
  13. ↑ Heather Matarazzo [@HeatherMatarazz] (23 May 2016). "Join me and @cenkuygur tomorrow to introduce the future we believe in, @BernieSanders #bernieinanaheim #CAforBernie" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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