Drea de Matteo

Biography: The former Catholic school girl from Queens graduated from film school at NYU's competitive Tisch School of the Arts (where she took Spanish with Rush Hour director Brett Ratner). Before her acting career took off, the avid Black Sabbath devotee tattered, studded and laced vintage rock and roll T-shirts to sell in her boyfriend's store. Still a bona fide rock and roll chick, Drea (pronounced "Dray") has her leather clothes custom-made by girlfriend AGAFA, who also creates clothes for Steven Tyler and Joan Jett. She lives in an East Village walk-up with her two Great Danes, Cyril and Lucille, and two cats, Treble and Bass -- a testament to her love of rock and roll.
You've seen her in the recurring role of ambitious Jersey high-hair Adrianna, girlfriend of Mafioso-in-training Christopher, on HBO's The Sopranos. This season, beginning January 16, she joins Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco and James Gandolfini as a full-fledged cast member. Before Adrianna, Drea did a couple of indie films -- Meet Prince Charming is the only one out on videotape. Later this year, she's got a small but critical role as an ill-fated state trooper in John Stimpsons' The Gentleman From Boston, described as a "Bay State Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."
The vivacious, 5'6", brown-eyed seductress from Queens may play the statuesque American beauty in movies, but in real life she's a fun-loving, dyed-in-the-wool, rock and roll girl, fond of tattoos and Winstons. You've gotta love a woman who wears a skin-tight, floor-length leather dress to the stodgy Emmy Awards.… Expand