Gina Mastrogiacomo

Gina Mastrogiacomo (November 5, 1961 – May 2, 2001) was an American actress.[1]

Gina Mastrogiacomo
Born
Gina Mastrogiacomo

(1961-11-05)November 5, 1961
Great Neck, Long Island, United States
DiedMay 2, 2001(2001-05-02) (aged 39)
California
OccupationActress
Years active1986–2001

Career

Mastrogiacomo made her film debut as Roxie in the 1987 fantasy comedy film Harry and the Hendersons. She next starred as the lead female character, Ginny, in Richard Haines's 1989 sci-fi comedy Space Avenger, an independent film which debuted at the Toronto Film Festival and parodied the Alien franchise and other sci-fi horror films like The Hidden.[2] Mastrogiacomo's performance impressed Martin Scorsese, who decided to cast her in his hit 1990 gangster film Goodfellas after watching the film.[3] In that film she portrayed Janice Rossi, Ray Liotta's mistress, and delivered a performance praised for its passionate and realistic delivery.[4][5][6][7][8] Her performance is praised as "vivid and immediate", which has not been reflected in retrospectives and oral histories of the film because of her early death.[9] Also in 1990, Mastrogiacomo starred in the 1990 musical television film An East Side Story.[10] In 1991 she portrayed Louise in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever,[11] one of several actors who had also appeared in Goodfellas.[12] Variety critic Tony Scott wrote that "Mastrogiacomo excels as Maggie's loyal friend Gloria" in the USA Network's 1995 television film Tall, Dark, and Deadly.[13] In 2000, she played the role of Jenny Uphouse in the X-Files episode "Chimera", playing a character having an affair with the sheriff as a form of revenge against middle-class housewife snobbery.[14]

Personal life

Mastrogiacomo was raised on Oceanside, Long Island, New York, and died in California on May 2, 2001, at the age of 39, of a bacterial heart infection.[9]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1987 Harry and the Hendersons Roxie
1989 Space Avenger Ginny
1990 Goodfellas Janice Rossi
1991 Jungle Fever Louise
1991 The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear Sex shop worker
1994 NYPD Blue Chicky Episode: A Sudden Fish
1994 Motorcycle Gang Waitress TV movie
1995 Tall, Dark and Deadly Gloria Bowers TV movie
1996 Bloodhounds Liz Moore
1996 Seinfeld The prostitute Episode: "The Wig Master"
2000 The X-Files Jenny Uphouse Episode: "Chimera" (final appearance)

References
  1. "Film and television credits: Gina Mastrogiacomo". TV Guide. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  2. Rich (September 27, 1989). "Film: TORONTO FESTIVAL OF FESTIVALS REVIEWS – Space Avenger". Variety. Vol. 336, no. 11. p. 47.
  3. Cohn, Lawrence (August 9, 1989). "Film: Haines goes back to basics: 'Space Avenger' made in old Technicolor process". Variety. Vol. 336, no. 4. p. 16, 29.
  4. Stephanie Goldberg (April 5, 2013). "Great movies and bombs, according to Roger Ebert". CNN.
  5. CNN Opinion: Ebert's sheer love of life, January 5, 2015
  6. ScreenRant Goodfellas: Every major performance, ranked, April 8, 2020
  7. The New York Times Aretha Franklin's music powered memorable moments onscreen, August 17, 2018
  8. Decider.com Put macho pride aside: Lorraine Bracco is the true center Of ‘Goodfellas’, July 11, 2015
  9. Kenny, Glenn (2020). Made Men; The Story of Goodfellas. Hanover Square Press. ISBN 9781488059131.
  10. "FILM BRIEFS - Gotham indie spotlights Latin music". Variety. Vol. 334, no. 9. March 22, 1989. p. 12.
  11. Meisel, Myron (July 1, 1991). "Buying & Booking Guide: JUNGLE FEVER". The Film Journal. 94 (6): 18-19.
  12. Gilbert, Valerie. Women and Mixed Race Representation in Film; Eight Profiles. McFarland Publishers Inc. p. 184. ISBN 9781476644738.
  13. Scott, Tony (January 23, 1995). "Television: TV REVIEWS - TALL, DARK AND DEADLY". Variety. Vol. 357, no. 12. p. 43.
  14. Fahey, Thomas (2000). Understanding Tracy Letts. University of South Carolina Press. p. 43-44. ISBN 9781643361123.
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