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
‘I was dreaming to come to America’
Marianne Leone's mother, who was born in Boston to Italian immigrants, returned to Italy with her parents as an infant. But in 1935, she used her American passport — and...
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.
'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.
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.
Looking For A Lost Son, She Found Her Mother's Voice
The shame I felt as a child was replaced by a love birthed in the empathy of my own loss, writes Marianne Leone.
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What My Immigrant Mother Would Say About President Trump
Ma may have struggled with English, writes Marianne Leone, but she knew how to parse bullyboys, even in dialect.
What Mother's Day Means When You Outlive Your Child
On the indelible nature of motherhood.
Two Stories, One Reason: Why An Actor And An Athlete Refuse To Support Football
NFL rookie Chris Borland quits after one season, and an actor declines an offer to be the voice of the sport.