Concetta Tomei

Birthday

Dec 30, 1945

Birthplace

Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA

Bio: Character actress Concetta Tomei was born on December 30, 1945, and raisedin her hometown of Kenosha, Wisconsin, the only child of a policeman who wasa talented artist on the sly. She came from a long line of educators and waslikely drawn to that career at an influential age. She attended theUniversity of Wisconsin at Madison, where she earned a Bachelor of… More Bio: Character actress Concetta Tomei was born on December 30, 1945, and raisedin her hometown of Kenosha, Wisconsin, the only child of a policeman who wasa talented artist on the sly. She came from a long line of educators and waslikely drawn to that career at an influential age. She attended theUniversity of Wisconsin at Madison, where she earned a Bachelor of Sciencedegree in education. After teaching school in a Milwaukee suburb for fouryears, however, she abruptly quit to pursue her acting dream. She became astudent of the famed Goodman School of Drama in Chicago where she received aanother degree, a Bachelor of Fine Arts, in theater arts. She started herprofessional career on the stock and repertory stages and gathered aformidable list of early credits appearing in such plays as "A StreetcarNamed Desire, "Candida," "Blithe Spirit" and "The Corn Is Green." She madeher debut on Broadway replacing Carole Shelley in "The Elephant Man" playingthe actress/grande dame Mrs. Kendal. She continued in her role when asubsequent tour went out starring David Bowie.Seeking on-camera experience, she moved out West in the 1980s and foundplentiful work on TV with her all-controlling, severe-looking femmes, whichculminated in the critically acclaimed Vietnam War drama "China Beach"(1988) in which she played a hard-as-nails major. She continued with a hostof guest parts on "L.A. Law," "Murphy Brown," "Picket Fences" and "Wings,"among many others. Not readily known for her film work, she has neverthelessoffered occasional arch support (since 1991) in such pictures as Don't TellMom the Babysitter's Dead (1991), Twenty Bucks (1993), Out to Sea (1997)Deep Impact (1998), The Muse (1999) and View from the Top (2003). Anotherregular series TV role came with "Providence" (1999), in which she played achain-smoking mom.