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 playing Christopher Moltisanti's mother on The Sopranos.

Early life Cooper was born Marianne Leone in Nonantum, Massachusetts, to Italian immigrants. During World War II, her mother and aunt worked in a factory in Nonantum. Cooper attended Catholic school for twelve years.

In 2010, Leone's essays appeared in The Boston Globe.

Personal life Cooper married actor Chris Cooper in 1983. In 1987, their only son, Jesse Lanier Cooper, was born. Three months premature, Jesse developed a cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral palsy. After searching for the best schools for children with special needs, Cooper and Leone moved to Kingston, Massachusetts, where they became strong advocates for disabled children. On January 3, 2005, Jesse Cooper died from SUDEP. A memorial fund was set up in his name, the Jesse Cooper Foundation. Leone's memoir, Knowing Jesse: A Mother's Story of Grief, Grace, and Everyday Bliss, was published in September 2010 by Simon & Schuster.

She and Chris Cooper adopt and live with rescue dogs.