Tea Leoni |
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Elizabeth Téa Pantaleoni (born February 25, 1966), best known by her stage name Téa Leoni (pronounced /ˈteɪ.ə pɑːntəleɪˈoʊniː/), is an American actress. Her films include Jurassic Park III, The Family Man, Deep Impact, Fun with Dick and Jane, Ghost Town, Spanglish, and Bad Boys.
Leoni was born in New York City, the daughter of Emily (née Patterson), a dietician and nutritionist, and Anthony Pantaleoni, a corporate lawyer of the firm Fulbright & Jaworski. Leoni’s mother is a native of Texas, and her father is of Italian and Polish descent. Leoni’s paternal grandmother, Helen "Helenka" Tradusa Adamowska (1901 - 1987), was a film and stage actress who was a sister of Józef and Tymoteusz Adamowski, who with Józef's wife, Antonina Szumowska-Adamowska, were the Adamowski Trio. Leoni's paternal great-grandfather was the brother of Italian economist and politician Maffeo Pantaleoni.
Leoni attended Brearley School and The Putney School. She attended but did not complete studies at Sarah Lawrence College. In 1988, she was cast as one of the stars of Angels 89, an updated version of the 1970s show Charlie's Angels. In May 1988, Life magazine ran a story on the casting of this new series. After production delays, the show never aired. The following year, Leoni starred as "Lisa DiNapoli" in the TV daytime drama Santa Barbara.