Téa Leoni
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Téa Pantaleoni (icon; born February 25, 1966), better known by her stage name Téa Leoni, is an American actress. She has starred in a wide range of films including Jurassic Park III
, The Family Man
, Deep Impact
, Fun with Dick and Jane
, Spanglish
, Bad Boys
, and Ghost Town
.
. Her mother, Emily Ann (née Patterson), was a dietician and nutritionist, and her father, Anthony Pantaleoni, was a corporate lawyer of the firm Fulbright & Jaworski
. Leoni's paternal grandfather was of Italian and English
descent; he was a nephew of Italian economist and politician Maffeo Pantaleoni
. Leoni's paternal grandmother, Polish-American Helenka Adamowska Pantaleoni
, a relative of Ignacy Jan Paderewski
, was a film and stage actress who was a daughter of musicians Józef Adamowski and Antonina Szumowska-Adamowska; with Józef's brother Timothee Adamowski
, they were the Adamowski Trio. Leoni's mother is a native of Texas, and was the niece of actor Hank Patterson
.
Leoni attended two private schools, Brearley School
and The Putney School
. She attended but did not complete studies at Sarah Lawrence College
. During her sophomore year Leoni was in a rock climbing accident in Colorado. She fell down a gorge while climbing with friends. The impact caused her to dislocate and fracture her jaw under the right interior mandible and caused extensive facial lacerations. Following the wiring shut of her jaw and extensive reconstructive surgery, Leoni was able to function and speak somewhat normally. She often credits this accident with the unique jaw shape and facial features she has come to be known for.
. In May 1988, Life
magazine ran a story on the casting of this new series. After production delays, the show never aired. The following year, Leoni starred as "Lisa DiNapoli" in the TV daytime drama Santa Barbara
.
Leoni went on to appear in the women's baseball film A League of Their Own
in 1992. Later in the year, she starred with Corey Parker
in the single-season Fox sitcom Flying Blind, playing an eccentric, downtown-Manhattan
libertine
who falls in love with an ordinary Long Island
college graduate. In February 1995, she appeared in the sitcom Frasier
as the fiance of Sam Malone
, portrayed by guest star Ted Danson
, in a crossover from Cheers
.
Leoni also landed the lead role in the sitcom The Naked Truth
, playing Nora Wilde, a tabloid news journalist. The show ran through 1998. In the 2000 episode of the The X-Files
"Hollywood A.D.
" (season 7, episode 19), Leoni played an actress portraying Dana Scully
in a movie under her own name.
Leoni's film work includes a lead role in Deep Impact
, a big-budget disaster film about a comet menacing Earth; and Jurassic Park III
, The Family Man
, Bad Boys
, and You Kill Me
. She starred as a film studio executive in Hollywood Ending
for director Woody Allen
, portraying his ex-wife, and in Spanglish
as the emotionally unstable wife of Adam Sandler
.
Leoni ranked #79 on the FHM
"100 Sexiest Women of 2000" list.
for 25 years.
Leoni married her first husband, Neil Joseph Tardio, Jr., a television commercial producer, on June 8, 1991, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Hope, New Jersey.
Leoni married her second husband, actor David Duchovny
, on May 6, 1997, after a nine-week courtship. They have a daughter born in 1999 and son born in 2002.
On October 15, 2008, Leoni and Duchovny confirmed that they had been separated "for several months." The media attributed the separation to Duchovny's much publicized sexual addiction. The couple have since publicly reconciled and are seen frequently together as a family.
On June 29, 2011, CNN reported that Leoni and Duchovny had once again split.
Jurassic Park III
Jurassic Park III is a 2001 American science fiction film and the third of the Jurassic Park franchise. It is the only film in the series that is neither directed by Steven Spielberg nor based on a book by Michael Crichton, though numerous scenes in the movie were taken from Crichton's two books,...
, The Family Man
The Family Man
The Family Man is a 2000 drama film directed by Brett Ratner and starring Nicolas Cage and Téa Leoni. Cage's production company, Saturn Films, helped produce the film....
, Deep Impact
Deep Impact (film)
Deep Impact is a 1998 science-fiction disaster-drama film released by Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks in the United States on May 8, 1998. The film was directed by Mimi Leder and stars Robert Duvall, Elijah Wood, Téa Leoni, and Morgan Freeman...
, Fun with Dick and Jane
Fun with Dick and Jane (2005 film)
Fun with Dick and Jane is a 2005 remake of the 1977 American comedy film of the same name, directed by Dean Parisot and written by Judd Apatow and Nicholas Stoller. It stars Jim Carrey and Téa Leoni as Dick and Jane Harper, an upper-middle-class couple who resort to robbery after the company for...
, Spanglish
Spanglish (film)
Spanglish is a 2004 American comedy-drama film written and directed by James L. Brooks, and starring Adam Sandler, Paz Vega, and Téa Leoni. It was released in the United States on December 17, 2004 by Columbia Pictures and by Gracie Films, and in other countries over the first several months of...
, Bad Boys
Bad Boys (1995 film)
Bad Boys is a 1995 American action comedy film directed by Michael Bay in his directorial debut, and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer...
, and Ghost Town
Ghost Town (film)
Ghost Town is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by David Koepp, who also co-wrote the screenplay with John Kamps. It stars English comedian Ricky Gervais in his first leading feature-film role, as a dentist who can see and talk with ghosts, along with Téa Leoni as a young widow and Greg...
.
Early life
Leoni was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Her mother, Emily Ann (née Patterson), was a dietician and nutritionist, and her father, Anthony Pantaleoni, was a corporate lawyer of the firm Fulbright & Jaworski
Fulbright & Jaworski
The international law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. is one of the largest law firms in the United States with nearly 1,000 attorneys in over 50 practice areas. The firm was founded in Houston in 1919 by R. C. Fulbright, an attorney working in railway regulation, and J.H. Crooker, a litigator...
. Leoni's paternal grandfather was of Italian and English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
descent; he was a nephew of Italian economist and politician Maffeo Pantaleoni
Maffeo Pantaleoni
Maffeo Pantaleoni was an Italian economist, and a notable proponent of neoclassical economics. He was occasionally referred to as "the Marshall of Italy", because of his unrelenting defence of laissez-faire economic policies....
. Leoni's paternal grandmother, Polish-American Helenka Adamowska Pantaleoni
Helenka Pantaleoni
Helen Tradusa "Helenka" Adamowska-Pantaleoni was an American silent film actress and humanitarian who was the founding director of the U.S. Committee for UNICEF, a role that she held for 25 years...
, a relative of Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Ignacy Jan Paderewski GBE was a Polish pianist, composer, diplomat, politician, and the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland.-Biography:...
, was a film and stage actress who was a daughter of musicians Józef Adamowski and Antonina Szumowska-Adamowska; with Józef's brother Timothee Adamowski
Timothee Adamowski
Tymoteusz "Timothee" Adamowski was a Polish-born American conductor, composer, and violinist. Born in Warsaw, he studied in that city's conservatory, later moving on to further studies in Paris. He served as the first conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra...
, they were the Adamowski Trio. Leoni's mother is a native of Texas, and was the niece of actor Hank Patterson
Hank Patterson
Hank Patterson was an American actor and musician. He is most known for playing stableman Hank Miller on Gunsmoke and Fred Ziffel on Petticoat Junction and Green Acres....
.
Leoni attended two private schools, Brearley School
Brearley School
The Brearley School is an all-girls private school in New York City, New York, United States. It is located on the Upper East Side of the Manhattan borough of New York City. The school is divided into the Lower School , Middle School and Upper School...
and The Putney School
The Putney School
The Putney School is an independent high school in Putney, Vermont. It was founded in 1935 by Carmelita Hinton. It is a co-educational, college-preparatory boarding school, with a day-student component, located outside of Brattleboro, Vermont. Emily Jones is the director...
. She attended but did not complete studies at Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in the United States, and a leader in progressive education since its founding in 1926. Located just 30 minutes north of Midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, this coeducational college offers...
. During her sophomore year Leoni was in a rock climbing accident in Colorado. She fell down a gorge while climbing with friends. The impact caused her to dislocate and fracture her jaw under the right interior mandible and caused extensive facial lacerations. Following the wiring shut of her jaw and extensive reconstructive surgery, Leoni was able to function and speak somewhat normally. She often credits this accident with the unique jaw shape and facial features she has come to be known for.
Career
In 1988, Leoni was cast as one of the stars of Angels 88, an updated version of the 1970s show Charlie's AngelsCharlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
. In May 1988, Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
magazine ran a story on the casting of this new series. After production delays, the show never aired. The following year, Leoni starred as "Lisa DiNapoli" in the TV daytime drama Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara (TV series)
Santa Barbara is an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on July 30, 1984, and last aired on January 15, 1993. The show revolved around the eventful lives of the wealthy Capwell family of Santa Barbara, California...
.
Leoni went on to appear in the women's baseball film A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own is a 1992 American comedy-drama film that tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League . Directed by Penny Marshall, the film stars Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Tom Hanks, Madonna, and Rosie O'Donnell...
in 1992. Later in the year, she starred with Corey Parker
Corey Parker (actor)
Corey Parker is an American actor and acting coach.-Biography:Corey Parker was born in New York City, the son of acting coach Rochelle "Rocky" Parker...
in the single-season Fox sitcom Flying Blind, playing an eccentric, downtown-Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
libertine
Libertine
A libertine is one devoid of most moral restraints, which are seen as unnecessary or undesirable, especially one who ignores or even spurns accepted morals and forms of behavior sanctified by the larger society. Libertines, also known as rakes, placed value on physical pleasures, meaning those...
who falls in love with an ordinary Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
college graduate. In February 1995, she appeared in the sitcom Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
as the fiance of Sam Malone
Sam Malone
Sam "Mayday" Malone is a fictional character on the American television show Cheers, portrayed by Ted Danson. The central character of the series, Sam is a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball team who owns Cheers and tends bar there. He is a recovering alcoholic and...
, portrayed by guest star Ted Danson
Ted Danson
Edward Bridge “Ted” Danson III is an American actor best known for his role as central character Sam Malone in the sitcom Cheers, and his role as Dr. John Becker on the series Becker. He also plays a recurring role on Larry David's HBO sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm and starred alongside Glenn Close...
, in a crossover from Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
.
Leoni also landed the lead role in the sitcom The Naked Truth
The Naked Truth (TV series)
The Naked Truth is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from 1995 to 1996, and on NBC from 1996 to 1998. The series stars Téa Leoni and co-starred Holland Taylor...
, playing Nora Wilde, a tabloid news journalist. The show ran through 1998. In the 2000 episode of the The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
"Hollywood A.D.
Hollywood A.D.
"Hollywood A.D." was the nineteenth episode of the seventh season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on April 30, 2000. "Hollywood A.D." was written by Jeffrey Bell and David Duchovny and directed by the latter. The episode was a...
" (season 7, episode 19), Leoni played an actress portraying Dana Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
in a movie under her own name.
Leoni's film work includes a lead role in Deep Impact
Deep Impact (film)
Deep Impact is a 1998 science-fiction disaster-drama film released by Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks in the United States on May 8, 1998. The film was directed by Mimi Leder and stars Robert Duvall, Elijah Wood, Téa Leoni, and Morgan Freeman...
, a big-budget disaster film about a comet menacing Earth; and Jurassic Park III
Jurassic Park III
Jurassic Park III is a 2001 American science fiction film and the third of the Jurassic Park franchise. It is the only film in the series that is neither directed by Steven Spielberg nor based on a book by Michael Crichton, though numerous scenes in the movie were taken from Crichton's two books,...
, The Family Man
The Family Man
The Family Man is a 2000 drama film directed by Brett Ratner and starring Nicolas Cage and Téa Leoni. Cage's production company, Saturn Films, helped produce the film....
, Bad Boys
Bad Boys (1995 film)
Bad Boys is a 1995 American action comedy film directed by Michael Bay in his directorial debut, and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer...
, and You Kill Me
You Kill Me
You Kill Me is 2007 crime comedy film directed by John Dahl, and starring Ben Kingsley, Luke Wilson, Téa Leoni, Philip Baker Hall, Dennis Farina, and Bill Pullman.-Plot:...
. She starred as a film studio executive in Hollywood Ending
Hollywood Ending
Hollywood Ending is a 2002 American film written and directed by Woody Allen, who also plays the principal character. It tells the story of a once-famous film director who suffers hysterical blindness due to the intense pressure of directing.-Plot:...
for director Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
, portraying his ex-wife, and in Spanglish
Spanglish (film)
Spanglish is a 2004 American comedy-drama film written and directed by James L. Brooks, and starring Adam Sandler, Paz Vega, and Téa Leoni. It was released in the United States on December 17, 2004 by Columbia Pictures and by Gracie Films, and in other countries over the first several months of...
as the emotionally unstable wife of Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
.
Leoni ranked #79 on the FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
"100 Sexiest Women of 2000" list.
Personal life
Leoni stated in the October 27, 2006 issue of Life magazine that she became a Goodwill ambassador for UNICEF partially because Helenka Pantaleoni, her paternal grandmother, was the president of the U.S. Fund for UNICEFU.S. Fund for UNICEF
The United States Fund for UNICEF is the United States non-profit non-governmental organization that supports the United Nations Children's Fund . Founded in 1947 by Helenka Pantaleoni, it is the oldest of the 36 UNICEF National Committees that support UNICEF worldwide through fundraising,...
for 25 years.
Leoni married her first husband, Neil Joseph Tardio, Jr., a television commercial producer, on June 8, 1991, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Hope, New Jersey.
Leoni married her second husband, actor David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
, on May 6, 1997, after a nine-week courtship. They have a daughter born in 1999 and son born in 2002.
On October 15, 2008, Leoni and Duchovny confirmed that they had been separated "for several months." The media attributed the separation to Duchovny's much publicized sexual addiction. The couple have since publicly reconciled and are seen frequently together as a family.
On June 29, 2011, CNN reported that Leoni and Duchovny had once again split.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (TV series) Santa Barbara is an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on July 30, 1984, and last aired on January 15, 1993. The show revolved around the eventful lives of the wealthy Capwell family of Santa Barbara, California... |
Lisa DiNapoli | # 1169–1174 |
| 1991 | Switch Switch (film) Switch is a 1991 comedy film written and directed by Blake Edwards. A promiscuous man is murdered by his lovers and reincarnated as a beautiful woman .-Legacy:... |
Connie the Dream Girl | |
| 1992 | A League of Their Own A League of Their Own A League of Their Own is a 1992 American comedy-drama film that tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League . Directed by Penny Marshall, the film stars Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Tom Hanks, Madonna, and Rosie O'Donnell... |
Racine 1st Base | |
| 1994 | Wyatt Earp Wyatt Earp (film) Wyatt Earp is a 1994 American semi-biographical Western film, written by Dan Gordon and Lawrence Kasdan and directed by Kasdan. It stars Kevin Costner in the title role as lawman Wyatt Earp, and features an ensemble cast that includes Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman, Isabella Rossellini, Mark Harmon,... |
Sally | |
| The Counterfeit Contessa | Gina Leonarda Nardino | TV | |
| 1995 | Bad Boys Bad Boys (1995 film) Bad Boys is a 1995 American action comedy film directed by Michael Bay in his directorial debut, and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer... |
Julie Mott | |
| 1995 - 1998 | The Naked Truth The Naked Truth (TV series) The Naked Truth is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from 1995 to 1996, and on NBC from 1996 to 1998. The series stars Téa Leoni and co-starred Holland Taylor... |
Nora Wilde | TV (3 seasons) |
| 1996 | Flirting with Disaster | Tina Kalb | |
| 1998 | There's No Fish Food in Heaven | Landeene | |
| 1998 | Deep Impact Deep Impact (film) Deep Impact is a 1998 science-fiction disaster-drama film released by Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks in the United States on May 8, 1998. The film was directed by Mimi Leder and stars Robert Duvall, Elijah Wood, Téa Leoni, and Morgan Freeman... |
Jenny Lerner | |
| 2000 | The Family Man The Family Man The Family Man is a 2000 drama film directed by Brett Ratner and starring Nicolas Cage and Téa Leoni. Cage's production company, Saturn Films, helped produce the film.... |
Kate Reynolds | |
| 2001 | Jurassic Park III Jurassic Park III Jurassic Park III is a 2001 American science fiction film and the third of the Jurassic Park franchise. It is the only film in the series that is neither directed by Steven Spielberg nor based on a book by Michael Crichton, though numerous scenes in the movie were taken from Crichton's two books,... |
Amanda Kirby | |
| 2002 | People I Know People I Know People I Know is a 2002 crime drama film directed by Daniel Algrant and stars Al Pacino, Kim Basinger, and Téa Leoni.-Plot:Eli Wurman is a Jewish publicist on the out, but all he knows is how to hustle and cajole, threaten and persuade. The hazy mania of his everyday life is fuelled by a steady... |
Jilli Hopper | |
| Hollywood Ending Hollywood Ending Hollywood Ending is a 2002 American film written and directed by Woody Allen, who also plays the principal character. It tells the story of a once-famous film director who suffers hysterical blindness due to the intense pressure of directing.-Plot:... |
Ellie | ||
| 2004 | Spanglish Spanglish (film) Spanglish is a 2004 American comedy-drama film written and directed by James L. Brooks, and starring Adam Sandler, Paz Vega, and Téa Leoni. It was released in the United States on December 17, 2004 by Columbia Pictures and by Gracie Films, and in other countries over the first several months of... |
Deborah Clasky | |
| 2005 | Fun with Dick and Jane Fun with Dick and Jane (2005 film) Fun with Dick and Jane is a 2005 remake of the 1977 American comedy film of the same name, directed by Dean Parisot and written by Judd Apatow and Nicholas Stoller. It stars Jim Carrey and Téa Leoni as Dick and Jane Harper, an upper-middle-class couple who resort to robbery after the company for... |
Jane Harper | |
| House of D House of D House of D is 2005 drama film directed by David Duchovny as his directorial debut in film, having previously directed an episode of The X-Files for television. The film stars Erykah Badu, Frank Langella, Téa Leoni, Zelda Williams, Anton Yelchin, and Robin Williams... |
Mrs. Warshaw | ||
| 2007 | You Kill Me You Kill Me You Kill Me is 2007 crime comedy film directed by John Dahl, and starring Ben Kingsley, Luke Wilson, Téa Leoni, Philip Baker Hall, Dennis Farina, and Bill Pullman.-Plot:... |
Laurel Pearson | |
| 2008 | Ghost Town Ghost Town (film) Ghost Town is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by David Koepp, who also co-wrote the screenplay with John Kamps. It stars English comedian Ricky Gervais in his first leading feature-film role, as a dentist who can see and talk with ghosts, along with Téa Leoni as a young widow and Greg... |
Gwen | |
| 2009 | The Smell of Success The Smell of Success (film) The Smell of Success is a Initiate Productions film directed by Larry Smith, starring Billy Bob Thornton and Téa Leoni, Kyle MacLachlan and Ed Helms.-Plot:... |
Rosemary Rose | |
| 2011 | Tower Heist Tower Heist Tower Heist is a 2011 crime comedy film directed by Brett Ratner and written by Ted Griffin and Jeff Nathanson based on a story by Bill Collage, Adam Cooper, and Griffin. It was released on November 2, 2011 in the United Kingdom, with a United States release following two days later... |
Claire Denham |