# Drea de Matteo

Andrea Donna de Matteo (born January 19, 1972) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Adriana La Cerva on the television drama The Sopranos (1999–2006), for which she received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2004. Other notable roles include Gina Tribbiani on Joey (2004–2006), Wendy Case on Sons of Anarchy (2008–2014), Angie Bolen on Desperate Housewives (2009–2010), and Detective Tess Nazario on Shades of Blue (2016–2018).

## Early life and education

De Matteo was born in Whitestone, Queens, New York City. Her mother Donna is a playwright and playwriting teacher who has been on faculty at HB Studio, and her father, Albert, was a furniture manufacturer who was owner and CEO of Avery Boardman and Carlyle. She is of Italian descent, and grew up in a Catholic family.
After graduating from the Loyola School, De Matteo earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in film production from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, intending to become a film director. She additionally studied acting at the HB Studio.

## Career

De Matteo's role in The Sopranos helped launch her career. She has appeared in several films, including Swordfish, Deuces Wild, The Perfect You, Prey for Rock & Roll and the 2005 remake of John Carpenter's 1976 action film Assault on Precinct 13. She had the starring role in Abel Ferrara's R Xmas, for which she received positive reviews.
In 2004, De Matteo won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress (Drama) for her role as Adriana on The Sopranos (season 5) and was nominated for a Golden Globe the same year for the same role.
From 2004 to 2006, De Matteo portrayed Joey Tribbiani's sister Gina on Joey.
De Matteo played the role of Wendy Case in the series Sons of Anarchy. The pilot episode aired September 3, 2008, and De Matteo continued making regular appearances into the series' sixth season. She was promoted to a series regular for the seventh and final season.
De Matteo played Angie Bolen, the mother of the Bolen family, on season 6 of the show Desperate Housewives. She left Desperate Housewives at the season 6 finale in 2010, for personal reasons.
In 2012, she guest-starred in Californication.
De Matteo played the stepmother of Steve Wilde, the main character of the FOX comedy Running Wilde, appearing in season 1, episode 9. De Matteo co-starred as Krissi Cates in the film adaptation of Dark Places (2015). In 2015, she was cast as Det. Tess Nazario in the NBC drama series Shades of Blue.
De Matteo and Chris Kushner began hosting a rewatch podcast of The Sopranos on March 13, 2020, called Made Women; in July, the podcast was retooled and renamed Gangster Goddess Broad-Cast.
In September 2022, De Matteo announced she would open an account on OnlyFans. It went live in August 2023. She claimed her refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine put her out of work and led her to join the website.

## Personal life

In 1997, De Matteo opened Filth Mart, a clothing store with her boyfriend Michael Sportes. They closed the store in 2004.
De Matteo started dating musician Shooter Jennings in 2001. They became engaged on June 11, 2009, when Jennings proposed onstage at the Stanley Theater during a show in Utica, New York. They have two children together. Jennings and De Matteo eventually ended their relationship without marrying. In July 2015, De Matteo became engaged to Whitesnake bass guitarist Michael Devin.
De Matteo lost her apartment home of 22 years when a gas explosion and fire destroyed three buildings in Manhattan on March 26, 2015.
In July 2024, De Matteo revealed on a podcast that her 13-year-old son edits her content posted on the platform OnlyFans.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1996 | 'M' Word | - | |
| 1999 | Meet Prince Charming | Hilary Harris | |
| 2000 | Sleepwalk | Henrieta | |
| 2001 | 'R Xmas | The Wife | |
| 2001 | Swordfish | Melissa | |
| 2001 | Made | Club Girl | |
| 2002 | The Perfect You | Dee | |
| 2002 | Deuces Wild | Betsy | |
| 2003 | Prey for Rock & Roll | Tracey | |
| 2004 | Beacon Hill | Cadet Ramsey | |
| 2004 | Love Rome | Angela | |
| 2005 | Assault on Precinct 13 | Iris Ferry | |
| 2006 | Walker Payne | Lou Ann | |
| 2006 | Farce of the Penguins | Ester (voice) | |
| 2007 | The Good Life | Dana | |
| 2007 | Broken English | Audrey Andrews | |
| 2008 | Lake City | Hope | |
| 2009 | New York, I Love You | Lydia | |
| 2009 | Once More with Feeling | Lana Gregorio | Video |
| 2011 | Mob Wives | Drita D'Avanzo | Short |
| 2012 | Mob Wives 2: The Christening | Drita D'Avanzo | Short |
| 2013 | Free Ride | Sandy | |
| 2015 | Dark Places | Krissi Cates | |
| 2015 | Sex, Death and Bowling | Ana | |
| 2015 | Street Level | Angela | |
| 2017 | Don't Sleep | Jo Marino | |
| 2021 | Far More | Ana | |
| 2022 | Safe Room | Rocco | |
| 2022 | Collide | Angie | |
| 2022 | One Way | Vic | |
| 2025 | Nonnas | TBA | Post-production |
| TBA | That's Amore! | TBA | Post-production |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1996 | Swift Justice | Laurie Tuco | Episode: "Stones" |
| 1999–2006 | The Sopranos | Adriana La Cerva | Recurring cast (season 1 & 6), main cast (season 2–5) |
| 2002 | VH1 Big in 2002 Awards | Herself/Host | Main host |
| 2004–06 | Joey | Gina Tribbiani | Main cast |
| 2005 | HBO First Look | Herself | Episode: "Assault on Precinct 13: Caught in the Crosshairs" |
| 2007 | Aperture | Herself | Episode: "Drea de Matteo/Laurie Simmons" |
| 2008–14 | Sons of Anarchy | Wendy Case | Recurring cast (season 1 & 5-6), guest (season 4), main cast (season 7) |
| 2009–10 | Desperate Housewives | Angie Bolen | Main cast (season 6) |
| 2010 | Running Wilde | Didi | Episode: "One Step Forward" |
| 2010 | Fakers | Tanner's Mother | TV movie |
| 2011 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Sandra Roberts | Episode: "Pop" |
| 2011 | CSI: Miami | Evelyn | Episode: "Sinner Takes All" |
| 2012 | Californication | Holly | Episode: "Here I Go Again" |
| 2013 | Stalkers | Diane Harkin | TV movie |
| 2013 | The Mindy Project | Kelsey | Episode: "Mindy's Minute" |
| 2015 | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Karla Faye Gideon | Episode: "One of Us" |
| 2016–18 | Shades of Blue | Det. Tess Nazario | Main cast |
| 2017 | Bizarre Transmissions from the Bermuda Triangle | Herself | Episode: "Space Cake: Part 2" |
| 2019 | A Million Little Things | Barbara Morgan | Recurring cast (season 1-2) |
| 2021 | Paradise City | Maya | Main cast |
| 2021–24 | Match Game | Herself/Celebrity Panelist | 2 episodes |
| 2023 | Mayans M.C. | Wendy Case | Episode: "I Must Go in Now for the Fog Is Rising" |
| 2024 | Power Book II: Ghost | Melissa | Episode: "Higher Calling" |

### Music videos

| Year | Song Title | Artist |
| 2012 | "The Deed and the Dollar" | Shooter Jennings |

### Documentary

| Year | Title |
| 2008 | "Wasted Talent" |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Association | Category | Project | Result |
| 2000 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series | The Sopranos (season 2) | Nominated |
| 2001 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series | The Sopranos (season 3) | Nominated |
| 2002 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series | The Sopranos (season 4) | Nominated |
| 2004 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series | The Sopranos (season 5) | Nominated |
| 2004 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | The Sopranos (season 5) | Nominated |
| 2004 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | The Sopranos (episode: "Irregular Around the Margins" + "Long Term Parking") | Won |
| 2004 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | The Sopranos | Nominated |
| 2004 | Gracie Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | The Sopranos | Won |