Heather Matarazzo

Early life

Matarazzo's biological mother was Irish-American, while her biological father was from Ireland, from the town of Knock (Irish: An Cnoc), County Mayo. She was adopted and raised by the Matarazzos, an Italian-American family. She was raised in Oyster Bay, New York.

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.

In 1997, she won an Independent Spirit Award for her performance as adolescent social outcast Dawn Wiener 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, based on a true story, in which she played a mentally challenged girl who is raped by football players. In 1999 to 2000, she portrayed Heather Wiseman in the short-lived TV series, Now and Again. In 2001, 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, Grey's Anatomy and Strangers With Candy. 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.

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.

Personal life

In 2004, at the age of 21, Matarazzo came out as a lesbian in an article in the New York Daily News, and was subsequently profiled in an article in the October 2004 edition of The Advocate. On July 31, 2008, Matarazzo's publicist announced that Matarazzo was engaged to musician Caroline Murphy. In 2012, popular media news outlets announced that Matarazzo and Murphy had split amicably. Matarazzo married comedian Heather Turman in 2018.

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

Filmography

Film

Television

References

References

1. "Heather Matarazzo on Meeting Her Birth Mother".
2. "Chatting with Heather Matarazzo".
3. "Heather Matarazzo rocks the house".
4. Konig, Susan. (May 7, 2000). "At 17, She Already Finds Herself On Top of the Acting Game". [[New York Times]].
5. Warn, Sarah. (February 27, 2006). "Welcome to the New Heather Matarazzo". [[AfterEllen.com]].
6. (May 12, 2010). "Raising the curtain on summer theater: Cape May Stage presents world premiere". [[Press of Atlantic City]].
7. (December 3, 2011). "Heather Matarazzo Talks Being an Out Actress, New TV Show, and 'Mangus!'". [[Here Media]].
8. Anne Stockwell. (October 12, 2004). "Coming Out 2004: Welcome to the house, doll!".
9. Warn, Sarah. (August 1, 2008). "Heather Matarazzo Officially Engaged to Caroline Murphy". [[AfterEllen.com]].
10. Belge, Kathy. (February 14, 2009). "Heather Matarazzo: Lesbian Actress". [[About.com]].
11. (January 16, 2018). "Princess Diaries' Heather Matarazzo is Engaged to Heather Turman".
12. Matarazzo, Heather. (May 23, 2016). "Join me and @cenkuygur tomorrow to introduce the future we believe in, @BernieSanders #bernieinanaheim #CAforBernie".
13. Hopewell, John. (August 1, 2023). "Grace Glowicki-Starrer 'Booger,' From 'Everything Everywhere,' 'Shiva Baby' Exec Producers, Boarded by Visit Films (Exclusive)".