Andrea de Matteo

Andrea Donna de Matteo, born on January 19, 1972, in New York, was raised as the third child in a family with two brothers. Her parents, Donna and Albert de Matteo, provided a comfortable upbringing, with her mother being a playwright and drama teacher, and her father running a furniture manufacturing business. Andrea’s education included attending an arts school and earning a degree in film production, initially aspiring to become a director.

However, fate took a turn when she landed a significant role in “The Sopranos,” setting her on the path of an acting career. Andrea’s early interest in theater arts was influenced by her mother, while her father’s entrepreneurial spirit led her to co-own a vintage and rock-n-roll clothing store called Filth Mart for seven years, alongside her close friend Michael Sportes, before it closed in 2004.

Drea de Matteo made her debut in 1999 with a role in the lesser-known film “Meet Prince Charming,” directed by Brett Parker. Her talent caught the attention of “The Sopranos” producers, and despite her limited experience, she impressed them so much that her character, Adriana, became a permanent part of the show. Drea portrayed a confident lover of a young mafioso, a career-driven woman with a soft heart.

She further solidified her success with roles in feature films such as the action movie “Swordfish” (2001) alongside Hugh Jackman and John Travolta, and the drama “The Perfect You” (also known as “Crazy Little Thing”). Her work in the 2005 remake of John Carpenter’s “Assault on Precinct 13” also garnered attention. Additionally, she took on the lead role in the well-received film “’R Xmas.”

In 2004, seeking to break away from her Adriana persona, Drea de Matteo appeared in the comedy series “Joey,” a spin-off of the iconic show “Friends.” There, she portrayed Gina, the impulsive and expressive older sister of the main character, Joey, who moved to Los Angeles after parting ways with his friends. Matt LeBlanc reprised his role as Joey in the series. However, “Joey” was canceled after two seasons due to low ratings.

From 2009 to 2010, Drea was involved in the sixth season of “Desperate Housewives,” where she played Angie Bolen, an adventurer and criminal, and the mother of the Bolen family. Sharing the screen with Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Eva Longoria, and others, the project further solidified her popularity and established her as one of the most recognizable Hollywood celebrities. After the season, Drea left the show due to personal circumstances.

For twelve years, Drea de Matteo was in a civil partnership with country singer Shooter Jennings and welcomed two children: daughter Alabama Gypsy Rose Jennings in 2007 and son Waylon Albert Jennings in 2011. The couple eventually separated two years after their son’s birth. Currently, the actress has been engaged to Michael Devin, a former bass guitarist of Whitesnake, since 2015.

There is no public information about her official marriages. In her childhood, Andrea spent considerable time under the care of her maternal grandmother and a nanny from Nicaragua. When her grandmother underwent a heart transplant years later, the grown-up actress cared for and looked after her after the operation. She expressed her attachment to her family and loved ones by getting tattoos with their names.

Drea de Matteo starred in the Amazon series “Paradise City,” delving into the dramatic lives of rock musicians. The show captures the concert atmosphere and emphasizes the importance of sound. In a 2021 interview, she described the role as risky due to the characters’ controversial statements. She is also well-remembered for her role as a police sergeant alongside Jennifer Lopez in “Shades of Blue,” during its third season.

Currently, at 50 years old, Drea describes herself as a “shy but wild party-goer,” often wearing jeans and using strong language in her speech. Besides English, she fluently speaks Spanish and Italian. She appeared in the horror film “Safe Room” (2022) and the thriller “Collide” (2022), with the biopic “Queen of Manhattan,” where she plays an adult film star, highly anticipated.