Marianne Leone

Cognoscenti contributor

Marianne Leone is an actress, screenwriter and essayist. Her memoir, "Jesse, A Mother's Story Of Grief And Everyday Bliss" was published by Simon & Schuster in 2010 and her memoir, "Ma Speaks Up" was published by Beacon Press. She had a recurring role on HBO's, "The Sopranos" and has appeared in films by David O. Russell, Larry David, John Sayles and Martin Scorsese.

Recently published

The author's son, Jesse, and her husband, Chris Cooper. (Courtesy Marianne Leone)

That night, I saw my boy again

Marianne Leone's son Jesse died when he was 17. But one night, for a moment, a group of teenage boys 're-illuminated his luster here on earth,' she writes.

Cognoscenti

Dec 21, 2022

The cast of the film "The Godfather" pose for a family portrait during the wedding scene in a still from the film, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and based upon the novel by Mario Puzo. Left to right: Robert Duvall, Tere Livrano, John Cazale, Gianni Russo, Talia Shire, Morgana King, Marlon Brando and James Caan. (Paramount Pictures/Getty Images)

'The Godfather' made Mario Puzo famous. But his best work is about about a woman like my 'Ma'

I thought Puzo didn't understand women, writes Marianne Leone. Then I read "The Fortunate Pilgrim" and it helped me better appreciate my own Italian mother.

Cognoscenti

Apr 1, 2022

My Mother And The Sea

When I became a mother, I finally understood the blurred lines that parenting can bring, the overlapping of one life with another, writes Marianne Leone.