Marisa Tomei ‪@FANEXPOHQ‬ 2024

Fan Expo candidate Make some noise and show all the love to the incomparable Marissa [Applause] to hello oh my goodness how has Tri been even have you had a good time this weekend I just got here this morning okay see so busy doing all the things um so hopefully you get a chance to see the city just a little bit to enjoy it take it in um especially as the season changes it gets all pretty up it's quite lovely um thank you for joining us this so happy to be here we are so happy to see you um as you can see this whole room full of fans of [Applause] yours oh so I I I asked the room earlier if there were any aspiring actors in the room so we can talk about some process stuff so that they possibly can be influenced and follow your lead because you are Dynamic you are Stellar in all of your oh absolutely icon so absolutely icon so when it came to acting I understand like being on stage was a big part of your inspiration as an actress what about that really Drew you to it uh well I mean I well when I was little we could like just plays like probably everyone does in school I mean if they're lucky that's awesome you did did you I did I was shy I was shy well being shy doesn't necessarily mean that you wouldn't want to be an actor I was super shocked I couldn't like you know barely speak I was really like well a person behind my mom's little you know Apron Strings kind of that's adorable though because you have such big personalities some of the characters you bring out I love that that is the true was like the opposite yes it's true acting Talent y'all so you can be shy but still be I that's I love that the alter right that is great did you have a favorite play that you would see um that really kind of was like I love this play um either as yourself or the family well well um I mean well when I was in school there were like little plays you know like Mary Poppins and little things like that you do Sport and then um my my parents did because because I grew up in Brooklyn my parents took us to the theater a lot so I did see the original of Horus line I saw nightm mother I saw a lot of really like very important shows really great actors you know Kathy B and nightm mother was just incredible so there were things I think also of my parents really liked the theater them have so you know you're a kid you kind of want to always please your parents that is and so I think you know just kind of rubbed off um but they like Musicals A lot especially my father I mean we watched a lot of musicals but I just don't really have the musical I I took a lot of dance L um um pretty solid tap dancer not great but like you know a lot of things like that but I just you know there's no I would love to be in musical just did not happen Okay so no we we're going to we're going to send that out in some form going we're calling it um but what I think is so Dynamic and and it speaks to your true Talent is even as a young child to see other people's performances and recognize like this is something special I think that says a lot builds a foundation for you so going to plays that was a foundational space for you uh when it came to acting and deciding that this was something that you wanted to do what sort of obstacles did you overcome to into the industry um yeah that's always the thing right if you don't have any connections you don't anybody how is this going to happen yeah like I well one of my uh aunties via marriage she she actually was a tap teacher she was a great dancer and she was a tap dance teacher but she she wasn't like really in the business business but she kind of knew enough to help me put like a head shot together and that kind of thing and how did I want I mean I guess how did I any I don't remember I mean I know that it was a challenge to figure out how do you get into the business part of it um but uh I mean I just like went there was a I I guess they still make it backstage I don't know if they have it in Canada but it was like like you could auditions you they'd hold open auditions you could try to get something and I did get a part on the soap opera at that time one thing kind of led to another that that way just really Scrappy basically like and even back to the musical thing I would just audition for anything even though was like horrible I just like when those people who audition for musical they are so talented they teach you that choreography in you know 30 seconds and you have to know it I was in a far it was not working for me but I tried I was just like I was stupidity of being young you come on the tenacity though of chasing your dream I think that is one of the most important things for anybody doesn't matter what you're going into um even if you don't necessarily think that you are the most uh skilled person at it you went for it you went out there you were seen and no matter what that means that those people that make decisions will know their name and I'm sure that there are some people that you audition for that're like hey I met Mar once she audition for me we didn't take her butt I know her I promise didn't give her that job remember that's our fault fo fools fools um you mentioned being on a sofa Opera and that takes place in instead of being on the stage you're on the small screen and there's something very special about television and you've had many different appearances um great great shows different world was in our life yes shout out came Seinfeld so do you like anything in particular about being on TV versus the stage or film uh they I mean TV is kind of like film right in a way I mean some of those things different world was in front of a live audience some know so that was very much like the stage like and it was It was a regular schedule and it was like a Friday night and the audience comes in and you have a live audience and it's they're there with you through that whole through that whole run and sometimes you go back and kind of pick up a few things but generally we just went right through it and I think it was that's what I liked about it I could I I like being with everyone over your distinguished career has filming for television changed much in process um whether the technology has changed so cameras are different there's no more like hardly any so you're not doing anything in front of the live audience except for I got to do the All in the Family so fun and so scary and it was just like so shocking came out of nowhere and I don't even it was but you were brilliant brilant I think it happened because I was Jimmy Kimmel's best friend is Chris Bianco who has an amazing pizza place and in Phoenix but then he opened one in LA and my brother is friends with that guy who because they both love do pizza of course so we went to that soft opening of that pizza place of that rest and Kimmel was there and we just all said Hi and then like two days later I got a phone call from Norman Le saying hey do you want to be part of this all in the family thing but I think it's because CU Jimmy produced it so I think it was cuz he just saw me the I was like you really do have to follow what you love I was like I really love pizza and I want to go and something good came out of it but it was really quite a challenge of course I certainly also was like Edith wait a second I guess I am not a okay I we very well let's let's say that for sure um and that's that's another classic show that is super steeve in astounding smart comedy and I think that's something that also uh marks your career you have such astounding comedic timing that you know when they see you they're like oh my God this is a beautiful woman and then she makes you laugh in the best way possible it's so true it's so true you are really making up for the last panel um and and to that end like when it comes to Comedy do you have any particular Idols or icons that you looked up to as comedians or performers that just made you laugh oh yeah Lucille Ball oh [Applause] absolutely and then I'd say Barbara sandwich in in her fun old and then my mother she's F yeah for your mom yeah I think that's the other thing that is so spectacular about you you have this wealth of culture that you dig into is that part of a New York upbringing I mean cuz obviously New York is a great place for culture so many different things to see is that kind of where you built an eye for recognizing all the things that on the D train I mean let's go let's go it's the subway I mean really it's the Subway or it's walking around the neighborhood but I really do think it's a lot about the Subway because it's so diverse you see so many different kinds of people and different kinds of characters and able I I always got a lot of inspiration in just being on the subway oh really go do you do you people watch a lot I mean cuz you're pulling characterizations out in all your roles do you watch people and be like that's something for l I'm going to yeah I agre some of you that was me in L when I freaked out on Amazing um considering uh in terms of movies there are so many of your roles that have been truly iconic obviously my cousin bny because to do so at at that point of your career what does that feel like as an accomplishment I don't know if any of us have ever wanted anything in this room that was of that level of a claim but to stand out in such a prominent role that you won the award what did that do for you as an actor well I mean it gave me it gave me a career I didn't really have I mean I had this you had some littleit I mean I I was part of the theater compan that's still the naked Angels great did you co that you co- founded that didn't you uh I was pretty early on my baby like third person you I wasn't like it was like Fisher and a couple other people from NYU that they had started it but I had met him on this set of flamingo kid that I was an extra but we became friends and like I'm s company and like it was just so great so lucky so lucky to have that time there's nothing like that where it's just I mean there there's nothing that I could do that would ever be really as pure as that time and it was so fulfilling and felt and we had we had an actual the too we had a space and that really gave us a home and it's a place you could just show up at any time and it would always be creative and it was really a very very special time so so I I was in the company and also had done this so proper like I was saying and um but I couldn't really break into movies and I was just lumx I just I it's hard it's hard it is really hard and casting directors are wonderful they really become your Champion so um I don't really remember how what I remember auditioning for my cousin Vinnie but I don't really I don't remember too much about it um that is a flaw I don't know but um I know that Joe wound up seeing the tapes at the time they would film you in person there and he he wound up choosing me at least I what I mean course yeah no no no I chose her I chose her um so it was just so it was a really lucky thing and it was really my second movie so it was all very it was very green and he really you know held my hand through the process and really took care of me and we're still close to this day and he was very very kind to me and such a tough guy person but really such a smart for Joe he play a lot like he plays a guitar he he had a career as a singer as a child character yes so that was one of the ways that we bonded especially on the step we would just sing a lot of old songs together yeah so he really looked out for me and and he was the like he was there that night of the I I mean it was just so surreal really like who would have thought that like the second movie that I would do would ever become something like that it was so nuts but I mean it's you me but he was right there and the wings right when I came off the stage he was so kind and he had actually just won his Oscar maybe right before that cuz I remember he took it to set one day for me to like grub for how you do it someone in the uh audience asked earlier about the the famous car speech um and I'm not going to ask you to do it but I will ask is to see it be this Hallmark of a feminist empowerment stance where this character is dismissed as being a woman that she can't know and you come through and just knock it out the park and you see people feel inspired and equalized with your performance how does that feel as a person as an actor as well I I really like it when when little girls do this show and sometimes they have that memorized like to see all that you know toughness come out of their tiny littley old I think it is a really good it's I think she was a good role model I mean that wasn't you know conscious or anything or it was that's the way Dale W wrote it and he wrote an amazing script to be so lucky to find something like that again I I feel so happy that I got to be part of that and it really did um use that Al alternate Persona that was absolutely brilliant um I did challenge them to see how many in this room could do it for up with that now there was a couple people they were like I [Music] can are y still feeling strong would y do it right now oh yeah okay I don't see those hands up now okay I so so in terms of movies um you had some amazing co-stars that you got to build characters with tell stories through um to you who would be like some of your favorite people who challenged your Artistry as an actor oh wow um who who I've gotten to work with I I'd say Robert Downey I mean we work together on chapl and and we work together on onlyu and and then again Spider-Man but but um yeah I think there was just like you don't always have that like what I had with Joe or what I have with him like there's you just have a rhythm it's like a comedic Rhythm that just happen so he definitely you know I love that Chapman is one of those phenomenal movies about film culture and one of the true icons of film um in your like diverse uh range of theography are there other characters like chap that you would love to tell the story about um oh gosh I can't think okay that's come back to I'm sure like most people in this room you have like you have to make a list and suddenly you can't think of anything that's what happens that's the works I think uh to to many people in this room there's so many that really got to know you through a lot of different roles and Aunt May is definitely one uh can I get some love for [Applause] Aunt we all like be super kiky were you a fan of comics at all before you took on that role not you know what and I think that that actually works so very well for your portrayal about me no because she's she's just gets to be this I person there was not This Ti of who you had to capture you just got to be the really cool aunt who was taking care of her nephew which is fun um well my brother was oh he was the one yeah yeah so so when you got the role did he freak out well I just asked him what is [Music] this but he really him and his friend David metalon we who we went to high school with I was like can we just I need you guys to give me the history and understand like at least what's the essence of what she stands for because that's what I have to try to capture because I I wasn't familiar with it and also my the Mandate from the studio was um a reinvention but you have to know what it is to reinvent right so um they did spend a lot of time you know telling me the history and also what really perceived as like what what her um what why she was a part of that Universe at all I love it I love it you I mean again phenomenal um I think I shed many man tears um in no way home I'm not going to lie we not going to talk about why cuz I'm going to cry up here but out of those three movies did you have any particular behind the scene favorite moments of bringing an to life I um no I mean I think some of the favorite things were really just watching and day I Grow Up watch and seeing their phenomenal Talent being like blown away from the the GetGo and um just seeing them step into shoes that I I mean I'm blown away like some people are just meant for it they are a different kind of they they carry enormous enormous star power enormous power and they they are managed to be real people at the same time and and just just multi-talent they can do everything they sing they dance they act they they do stunts they they design fashion I mean what are they not doing they can they incredible people I love it I love it that's that's absolutely magic and again I saw him to um sh SP in London was there and I want to and and there he is he's doing the verse beautifully like he can do everything and he did a cart little and flip it was it was awesome I love that I absolutely enjoy that um when it comes to different genres do you have a particular favorite genre to act in and is there one that you are just itching to jump into that you haven't really done yet well musical I mean no no we we get you that music we talk that to I got to write it myself absolutely anything else I mean do do you like horror movies no I don't no horror whatsoever no no I really I can't I can't the nightmares I The Purge Ian I had a small part in the political went with it was in that one and like it was like okay it's like a statement about how people are treated and you know we're going to like upright but it was but to be in a horror movie I just I just think I I couldn't I have nightm that's fair that's fair and also I can tell you you be amazing at it so I just want to throw that out there ever You're just bored you're like you know what I'll just do it I'll just try so there are so many uh very talented people that again wear many hats when it comes to being in this business um for you what other uh aspirations of the the film making or storytelling business are on the horizon for you ever s in the director chair or your producer writer what is on the horizon I just want someone to write another really great movie it to me yes yes that would be ideal okay do we have any wrers in room check just check I like that um for for you uh we we have just a few more minutes and I don't want to hold you up too too long um for you what is some of the best things that occur as a part of your career when it comes to interacting with fans have you had any crazy great moments that you were out and about just doing your thing and a fan came up and just gave you that glow of appreciation in an experience oh well yeah that's just so beautiful I mean it's really U you know what if if something's touched someone's family or you know just meant something to to them and like that always really is very moving to me and really really uplifting and then also of course when people are like really in tight Spider-Man suits and you can see all their [Applause] Jun okay so I'm sorry if you wore that outfit today be very cognizant of yourself know sincerely Vera thank you so very much for joining us been a blast [Applause] thank you guys