Marisa Tomei Movies: Our 10 Favorite Flicks Starring the Stunning Leading Lady

Raquel Lekic

March 6, 2024 at 6:03 PM·6 min read

She can do comedy better than anyone, can hold her own in a drama with the best of them and capture the essence of a romantic leading lady as good as any other Hollywood sweetheart — that being said, it's no surprise that some of our favorite films of all time are movies with Marisa Tomei.

The 59-year-old Brooklyn born movie star took an interest in acting as a young girl, making her on-stage debut as Hedy LaRue in a school production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

Some of her earliest roles were in series such as As the World Turns and A Different World after making her on screen debut in 1984's The Flamingo Kid. She continued to act in various films before her breakout role in the 1992 comedy, My Cousin Vinny, where she truly shined amongst the cast.

The film established her as one of Hollywood's greats, and since then, she's become a face we love to see on our screen. Here, take a look at the 10 best movies with Marisa Tomei, ranked.

Top 10 movies with Marisa Tomei

10. Cyrus (2010)

This 2010 romantic comedy puts Marisa Tomei opposite John C. Reilly, the duo starring as two singles who meet and hit it off. As their relationship progresses and they begin to spend more time with one another, John (Reilly) comes to discover that Molly (Tomei) has an overly possessive adult son (Jonah Hill) who is unwilling to loosen his grasp on his mother, whom he has a peculiarly close relationship with.

9. The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

Starring none other than down-south heartthrob Matthew McConaughey, the hunky actor stars as a defense attorney who practices law out of the back seat of his Lincoln Town Car.

When asked to represent the privileged son of a wealthy real-estate mogul who has been accused of brutally assaulting a woman, the case goes far deeper than he initially anticipated. In the film, Marisa Tomei plays McConaughey's ex-wife Maggie, also a lawyer, who disapproves of her ex's choice of clients.

8. The Paper (1994)

The Paper stars Michael Keaton as Henry, an editor at The New York Sun, who works long hours with an unimpressive pay, much to the dismay of his pregnant wife Martha (Tomei), a fellow reporter on leave prior to the birth of their baby.

Considering a position at another paper, Henry has a change of heart when he learns of a story that could turn things around for him, in which two teens have been accused of a murder. With the help of his wife, they just might learn of the truth behind this story.

7. Slums of Beverly Hills (1998) Marisa Tomei movies

Vivian (Natasha Lyonne) is a teenager living with her father and brothers, moving from run-down apartment to run-down apartment throughout Beverly Hills.

When her cousin Rita (Marisa Tomei) escapes from her rehab facility, Vivian becomes responsible for her older cousin, ensuring that she continues her nursing education and stays away from drugs and alcohol.

Vivian and her family provide Rita with a place to stay in exchange for Rita's wealthy father, who sends the family money, to fix them up with a nicer apartment. Vivian must learn navigate her crazy family and the woes of growing up.

6. The King of Staten Island (2020)

The King of Staten Island is a semi-autobiographical film starring Pete Davidson, telling the story of Scott (played by Davidson), a 24-year-old college dropout who lives at home with his mother (played by Marisa Tomei) and sister in Staten Island.

He has dreams of becoming a tattoo artist, but lacks direction and drive. His world gets turned upside down when his mom gets a new boyfriend, forcing him to confront the things in his life holding him back, including the death of his father, a firefighter who lost his life on 9/11.

5. Only You (1994) Marisa Tomei movies

When Faith is a little girl, while playing with a Ouija board with her brother, she learns that her soulmate is named Damon Bradley. Years later, a fortune teller shares with her the same news.

Now all grown up and soon to be married to a podiatrist, Faith learns that the mysterious Damon Bradley, who she comes to know as her fiancée's high school classmate, is headed to Italy.

Determined to know if Damon is her destiny, she and her sister-in-law head to Italy to find the mysterious man, only to meet the charming Peter Wright (Robert Downey Jr.) along the way, throwing a wrench in her plans.

4. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as Andy opposite Ethan Hawke as Hank, two brothers. Andy, who plans to escape to Brazil once an audit reveals his embezzlement, ropes his brother into a scheme to commit a robbery and fund his escape — the victim being the jewelry store owned by his parents.

When the heist takes a turn south, their father sets out to find the culprits behind the robbery, unaware that the perpetrators are his own sons. Marisa Tomei plays the role of Andy's wife Gina, who is having an affair with his brother, Hank.

3. In the Bedroom (2001) Marisa Tomei movies

Ruth and Matt Fowler are a happy couple living in Maine, with a son, Frank, who has returned home from college. Frank is romantically involved with Natalie (Marisa Tomei), a local mother of two who is much older than him. When her ex-husband learns of their relationship, things take a violent turn in a direction Natalie, Frank or his family couldn't have anticipated.

2. The Wrestler (2008) Marisa Tomei movies

The Wrestler stars Mickey Rourke as Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a pro-wrestler who was at the height of his fame during the 80s, and now spends his time working part-time at a grocery store and at small scale wrestling events on the weekends.

He befriends a stripper named Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) who, like him, is surrounded by much younger people in her profession, and is no longer in her prime. Unwilling to move on past his glory days, he makes an attempt at a career revival, but the journey to get there proves to be brutal.

1. My Cousin Vinny (1992)

And in first place, by no surprise, is My Cousin Vinny as the very best of movies with Marisa Tomei. Bill and Stan are two friends who are wrongfully accused of murder and robbery in an Alabama town, and luckily for them, their lack of funds to hire a lawyer won't be a problem — Bill's cousin Vinny (Joe Pesci) is the answer.

Inexperienced and lacking a history of success, Vinny, along with his fiancée, Mona Lisa Vito (Marisa Tomei), might just find a way to get the job done. For her role in the movie, Marisa Tomei won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

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