I think the fantasy of being a movie star is more powerful than the reality. So, for me, even if it's not a great film or a great play I'm doing, to know that you went for it. You had an experience that made you grow artistically and personally. What's really satisfying is knowing that you did a good job.

Macy and Martin Lawrence. At Andries Hudde Junior High School Marisa Tomei played the part of Hedy LaRue in a school production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. She also starred in the Sidney Lumet-directed Before the Devil Knows You're Dead opposite co-stars Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke.

Following her work on As The World Turns Tomei came to prominence as a supporting cast member on The Cosby Show spinoff A Different World in 1987. She received critical acclaim for her performances in Unhook the Stars (1996) Slums of Beverly Hills (1998) and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) and received Academy Award nominations for her performances in In the Bedroom (2001) and The Wrestler (2008).