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Mira Sorvino was nearly dismissed as “too refined” to play a “tacky hooker” in Mighty Aphrodite (1995). That’s the thing about acting, though – if you’re good at it, you can play anything. As Sorvino put it, in a recent interview, “I wanted to play every kind of character in every situation.”

That desire came as no surprise. Sorvino’s father, Paul, is an acclaimed character actor who, however, first exerted influence with words. He encouraged his (far away from Hollywood) New Jersey-born daughter to find self-expression outside acting, and she did so in a most impressive way, earning a BA in East Asian Studies at Harvard. A year as an exchange student in Beijing solidified her Mandarin, saw completion of her thesis on Chinese-to-African racism, but didn’t diminish a hereditary love of acting nurtured in high school and college productions. After graduation, and upon her return stateside, Sorvino moved to New York for auditions and waitressing-while-waiting-for-calls.

Some theatre work – Greensleeves, Best Schools – and some television – The Guiding Light, Swans Crossing, The Oldest Rookie – led to a position as assistant director of the film, Amongst Friends (1993). The talented 26-year-old was promoted to associate producer and casting director, and finally to on-screen co-star (for several film festival awards). Sorvino followed that hard-won success with non-stop and varied roles, in: The Obit Writer (1993), The Dutch Master (1993), The Second Greatest Story Ever Told (1993), Parallel Lives (1994, TV), Barcelona (1994), Quiz Show (1994), The Buccaneers (1995, TV), Blue in the Face (1995), and New York Cop (1995). The year’s biggest and best role, “unrefined” though it was, in Mighty Aphrodite, netted the actor an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and National Board of Review, New York Film Critics’ and Broadcast Film Critics’ awards. Sorvino didn’t change either her exhausting schedule or her eclectic mix of genres after the Academy nod, next choosing Tarantella (1995), Sweet Nothing (1996, TV), Jake’s Women (1996, TV), Norma Jean and Marilyn (1996, TV – for an Emmy nomination), Beautiful Girls (1996), Mimic (1997), Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997), Lulu on the Bridge (1998), Too Tired to Die (1998), Free Money (1998), The Replacement Killers (1998), At First Sight (1999), Summer of Sam (1999), and a 2000 off-Broadway run in Naked.

Sorvino is popular with webfans, and webmasters who juxtapose her Harvard degree with the ditzier of her roles. She is listed among the Best Dressed of Hollywood, and is a posed and candid interviewee. She has produced two documentaries – one tracing anti-Semitism in the former Soviet Union, and the other depicting her profession: Just Stay Calm: Stories in Independent Filmmaking.

Upcoming are The Triumph of Love, Semana Santa, WiseGirls, The Gray Zone and The Great Gatsby. A respected artist both before and behind the camera, Sorvino has the talent, experience, range and versatility to, indeed, “play every character in every situation.” It’s something fans can happily anticipate.