Marianne Leone Cooper

Marianne Leone Cooper (born January 2, 1952) is an American film and television actress, screenwriter, and essayist. She is best known for her recurring role as Christopher Moltisanti's mother on the popular television series The Sopranos. Born in Boston, Massachusetts to Italian immigrants, Cooper married actor Chris Cooper in 1983. They have a son named Jesse, who was born prematurely and developed cerebral palsy. Cooper and Leone moved to Kingston, Massachusetts to find the best schools for children with special needs and became advocates for disabled children. Cooper has appeared in films such as The Thin Blue Line (1988), Goodfellas (1990), and The Three Stooges (2012), and has also acted in television series including Kate & Allie (1985) and Brotherhood (2007).