Heather Matarazzo

Heather Christina Marie Matarazzo (born November 10, 1982) is an American actress. Her breakthrough role was as a geeky girl in the film Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995). She played Lilly in The Princess Diaries (2001) and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004). Her other movies include The Devil's Advocate (1997), Scream 3 (2000), Sorority Boys (2002), Saved! (2004), and Hostel: Part 2 (2007).

Early life

Matarazzo was born and raised in Oyster Bay, New York, the daughter of Camille, a homemaker, and Ray Matarazzo, a data processing manager for a bakery chain. Matarazzo is of Irish descent, and was adopted and raised by the Matarazzos, a strict Catholic Italian American family. She attended Oyster Bay High School, as well as the BOCES Cultural Arts Center High School.

Career

Matarazzo began acting at the age of six; after commandeering the microphone at an AIDS benefit for children, she was given the card of a talent manager with whom she remained for ten years.

In 1997, she won an Independent Spirit Award for her performance in Welcome to the Dollhouse. Matarazzo has expressed pleasure in being allowed to play interesting characters, some of whom "are ostracized for various reasons." She has commented that she is most proud of her performance in 1999's Our Guys: Outrage in Glen Ridge, in which she played a mentally challenged girl who is raped by football players. In 1999 to 2000 she portrayed Heather Wiseman in the short-lived TV series, Now and Again. Matarazzo has made appearances on several hit TV shows including Roseanne, Law & Order, The L Word, "Greys Anatomy" and Strangers With Candy. Matarazzo starred opposite Thaao Penghlis in the world premiere of Charles Evered's play Class at Cape May Stage in Cape May, New Jersey in May and June 2010.