Of the rising clicque of new stars that have hit the movie screens
in the last little while, HEATHER MATARAZZO has managed to stand
apart as a versatile actress with a particular talent for playing
unglamorous, offbeat characters. She continues to appear in both
leading and supporting roles in mainstream and independent
features.
Matarazzo took the independent film world by storm at the age of
13 with her heralded performance as gawky adolescent Dawn Weiner
in Todd Solondz's black comedy "Welcome to the Dollhouse." The
film was honored with the Grand Jury Prize at the 1996 Sundance
Film Festival and Matarazzo received the 1997 Independent Spirit
Award for Best Debut Performance. She followed that film with an
acclaimed turn as a molested student in "Devil's Advocate"
opposite Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino.
Matarazzo's other films in 1997 include "The Deli," and two
indpendent projects which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival:
the suspense thriller "Arresting Gena" and the street-kid drama
"Hurricane Streets." Her long list of credits include the
disco-set "54," "Strike," a coming-of-age tale set at an all-girls
school in the early 1960s, "Company Man," "Cherry" and the 1993
Mobil Award-winning "A Children's Story." Her independent
film, "Getting to Know You," was screened at the 1999 Sundance
Film Festival and garnered favorable reviews.
In February 2000, Matarazzo was seen in the small but pivotal role
of Martha Meeks, the younger sister of Sidney Prescott's (Neve
Campbell) murdered horror-expert friend, Randy Meeks (Jamie
Kennedy) in Wes Craven's successful "Scream 3."
Matarazzo then reteamed with Todd Solondz in the college drama
"Storytelling," which was released in 2001, and was featured in
the international hit "The Princess Diaries" with Julie Andrews,
in which she played Princess Mia's (Anne Hathaway) opinionated
bestfriend Lilly Moscovitz. In 2002, she starred with Barry
Watson in the comedy "Sorority Boys" and played an evil sorority
president named Charlotte Maddox in "The Pink House." She
was reunited with "The Princess Diaries" co-star Mandy Moore in
the dark comedy "Saved!" (2004) and reprised her role in "The
Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement" (2004). She recently
starred as a mutilation victim in the thriller "Hostel: Part II."
Her film work has led her to become an in-demand television
actress. She had the recurring role of neighbor Heather on the
long-running sitcom "Roseanne," played Bethany on the Molly
Ringwald sitcom "Townies," and has guest-starred on "ER" and "Law
& Order." During the 1998-99 season, Matarazzo won raves for her
portrayal of rape victim Leslie Farber in the true-life telefilm,
"Our Guys: Outrage at Glen Ridge." Previously, Matarazzo played
Natasha on the Nickelodeon series, "The Adventures of Pete & Pete."
She also had a regular role in the series "Now and Again."
Matarazzo's stage credits include a regional production of "The
Miracle Worker," in which she played Helen Keller.
Music video fans recognize Matarazzo from her appearances in Nada
Surf's "Treehouse" and Sheryl Crow's "A Change Will Do You Good."
While she has been mostly seen, Matarazzo can also be heard: she
recorded R.L. Stine's popular "Ghost of Fear Street" as an audio
book for Simon & Schuster.
Matarazzo was born on November 10, 1982 in Long Island, New York.
She currently lives in Los Angeles.
![[Heather Matarazzo]](heatherm.jpg)