Marisa Tomei
Marisa Tomei
Age: 44
Character: Cassidy in The Wrestler
Synopsis: Back in the late '80s, Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was a headlining professional wrestler. Now, twenty years later, he ekes out a living performing for handfuls of diehard wrestling fans in high school gyms and community centres around New Jersey.
Estranged from his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) and unable to sustain any real relationships, Randy lives for the thrill of the show and the adoration of his fans.
However, a heart attack forces him into retirement. As his sense of identity starts to slip away, he begins to evaluate the state of his life, trying to reconnect with his daughter, and strikes up a blossoming romance with an aging stripper (Marisa Tomei).
Yet all this cannot compare to the allure of the ring and passion for his art, which threatens to pull Randy "The Ram" back into his world of wrestling.
Previous Oscar Wins: Marisa Tomei has already won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her 1991 performance in My Cousin Vinny.
Previous Oscar Nominations: She was also nominated agin in the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance in In The Bedroom in 2001.
Awards/Nominations for Film: For her role in The Wrestler Tomei has been nominated at the Golden Globes, the Baftas, and the broadcast Film Critics Association Awards.
Critics: 'Rourke is harrowing; Tomei is devastating.' (Newsday)
'Supporting turns by both Tomei and Evan Wood are magnificently realized as the "lost" women in Randy's checked life.' (Movie Eye)
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
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