Trivia

Speaks Mandarin Chinese and French fluently.

Graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with her Bachelor's degree in Chinese (East Asian Languages and Civilizations) (1989). Her honors thesis: "Anti-Africanism in the People's Republic of China" about the Nanjing Anti-African protests, which won the Harvard Hoopes Prize for writing.

Was a founding member of the Harvard-Radcliffe Veritones, Harvard University's premier co-ed a cappella group (1985).

She was considered for a role in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) and Sir Peter Jackson later claimed that Harvey Weinstein had smeared her by spreading false rumors that she was difficult to work with and would damage production to him to prevent her from being cast and did the same with Ashley Judd who was also considered for a role in the film.

She has a beautiful singing voice. While an undergraduate at Harvard, she appeared as Dulcinea in a student production of "Man of La Mancha" at the Loeb Experimental Theatre (1986). The show was directed by her classmate Joseph Giani. Unfortunately, she came down with a cold during the one week the show ran, and performed with a mug of tea in hand.

Made her acting debut on an episode of Law & Order (1990) (which at that time starred her father, Paul Sorvino). Although her scene was deleted, she still earned a Screen Actors Guild Card for her trouble.

Mother, with husband Christopher Backus, of four children: daughter Mattea Angel Backus (b. November 3, 2004, when Mira was 37); son Johnny Christopher King Backus (b. May 29, 2006; Mira was 39); son Holden Paul Terry Backus (b. June 22, 2009; Mira was 42); and daughter Lucia Backus (b. May 3, 2012; Mira was 45).

Her jobs before acting include coat check girl, bartender, model English language paper editor in China.

Met her husband Christopher Backus at West Hollywood's Sur restaurant when he was her server. She tells everyone they met at a charades party because he is much younger than her and she didn't want people to know she was flirting with a younger man.

On May 1, 2018 in Los Angeles, California, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation presented "Conversations with Mira Sorvino", a career retrospective, where Mira discussed her many film and television roles. This was a private event for SAG-AFTRA members, but the Foundation videotapes and archives these interviews, and posts them on YouTube as well.

On June 11, 2004, Mira married actor Christopher Backus in a civil service in Santa Monica, California, and then had their formal ceremony on the island of Capri in Italy. Mira is of half Italian descent, and this was to honor her Italian roots. She wore a gown designed by Giorgio Armani.

Daughter of Paul Sorvino and Lorraine Davis. Stepdaughter of Dee Dee Sorvino Schneider.

According to Larry Cohen on the DVD commentary for The Stuff (1985), Mira Sorvino came to the set of the film to visit her father, Paul Sorvino, and was given a small role in the film. She plays one of the yellow suited "stuffies" at the plant her father's character attacks. Larry Cohen had forgotten Sorvino appeared in the film until he was talking with her and Quentin Tarantino, whom she was dating, and mentioned that he had directed her father in the film. Mira then reminded Cohen that she actually appeared in the film.

Is a huge fan of Star Trek (1966). Her father, Paul Sorvino, played Worf's adoptive brother Nikolai Rozhenko on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) (episode "Homeward"). Sorvino even asked the costume department to integrate the Starfleet symbol on the dress her character wore in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997).

Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World (1996).

Childhood friends with Hope Davis; they performed plays for the neighbors.

Attended and graduated from Dwight Englewood High School in Englewood, New Jersey.

Was the 108th actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Mighty Aphrodite (1995) at The 68th Annual Academy Awards (1996) on March 25, 1996.

Returned to work five months after giving birth to her son Holden in order to begin filming Angels Crest (2011). Also returned to work three months after giving birth to her daughter Lucia in order to begin filming Space Warriors (2013).

She auditioned for the role of Dorothy Boyd in Cameron Crowe's Jerry Maguire (1996), which went to Renée Zellweger.

She and her husband Christopher Backus have both guest-starred on the situation comedy Will & Grace (1998), though not in the same episode.

Older sister of Michael Sorvino and Amanda Sorvino. Cousin of Bill Sorvino.

Was a member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997.

Has appeared with Michael Rapaport in three films: Mighty Aphrodite (1995), Beautiful Girls (1996) and Bamboozled (2000).

Mentioned in the theme song of The Adventures of George the Projectionist (2006).

Is one of 25 actresses who have received an Academy Award for their performance in a comedy; hers being for Mighty Aphrodite (1995). The others in chronological order, are: Claudette Colbert (It Happened One Night (1934)), Loretta Young (The Farmer's Daughter (1947)), Josephine Hull (Harvey (1950)), Judy Holliday (Born Yesterday (1950)), Audrey Hepburn (Roman Holiday (1953)), Goldie Hawn (Cactus Flower (1969)), Glenda Jackson (A Touch of Class (1973)), Lee Grant (Shampoo (1975)), Diane Keaton (Annie Hall (1977)), Maggie Smith (California Suite (1978)), Mary Steenburgen (Melvin and Howard (1980)), Jessica Lange (Tootsie (1982)), Olympia Dukakis (Moonstruck (1987)), Cher (Moonstruck (1987)), Jessica Tandy (Driving Miss Daisy (1989)), Mercedes Ruehl (The Fisher King (1991)), Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny (1992)), Dianne Wiest (Bullets Over Broadway (1994)), Frances McDormand (Fargo (1996)), Helen Hunt (As Good as It Gets (1997)), Judi Dench (Shakespeare in Love (1998)), Gwyneth Paltrow (Shakespeare in Love (1998)), Penélope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)), and Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook (2012)).

Although raised in her Mother's episcopal faith, she converted to Catholicism after the death of her father actor Paul Sorvino.

Is one of 22 Oscar-winning actresses to have been born in the state of New York. The others are Alice Brady, Teresa Wright, Anne Revere, Celeste Holm, Claire Trevor, Judy Holliday, Shirley Booth, Susan Hayward, Patty Duke, Anne Bancroft, Barbra Streisand, Jane Fonda, Lee Grant, Beatrice Straight, Whoopi Goldberg, Mercedes Ruehl, Marisa Tomei, Susan Sarandon, Jennifer Connelly, Melissa Leo and Anne Hathaway.

Learnt to read by the time she was 3.

Owns her own production company.

While at college she spent 7 months in Beijing where she wrote for an English language paper and sang in jazz bands.