Marianne Leone is an actress, screenwriter, and essayist. Her essays have appeared in the Boston Globe, Post Road, Bark, Coastal Living, and WBUR’s Cognoscenti blog. Her memoir, Jesse: A Mother’s Story, was published by Simon & Schuster in 2010. Leone had a recurring role on HBO’s hit show The Sopranos as Joanne Moltisanti, Christopher’s mother. She has also appeared in films by David O. Russell, Larry David, John Sayles, and Martin Scorsese. She is married to the award-winning actor Chris Cooper.