Mira Sorvino is often considered one of the best character actresses working today. Crafting great performances in many independent films, Sorvino won a much-deserved Academy Award in 1996 for Best Supporting Actress for Woody Allen's brilliant Mighty Aphrodite. Her role as a sweet but not-so-bright sex worker is comedy gold and Sorvino's performance is both funny and endearing.

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As the daughter of actor Paul Sorvino ("Pauly" from Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas), Mira Sorvino has carved out quite a good career on her own by doing great work in interesting projects. Although the actress lost some important roles due to being a victim of Harvey Weinstein in the 90s, Sorvino has crafted many memorable characters in some truly great films.

Amongst Friends (1992) (5.8)

In writer/director Rob Weiss's New Jersey-set debut feature Amongst Friends, Mira Sorvino plays the ex-girlfriend of one of a group of friends who left the city so he wouldn't get caught up in the low-rent criminal activities of the rest of his group.  When the friend returns to take her out of there as well, he finds that Sorvino's character is now dating one of the other men from their circle, who is now a mobster.

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The film received critical praise and Weiss's screenplay makes good use of character and place and is often spoken about amongst the underrated mob films.

At First Sight (1999) (6.0)

Still from At First Sight - Mia Sorvino

Mira Sorvino starred in this winning love story about a woman whose boyfriend (Val Kilmer) has been blind all of his life but has an operation to restore his sight. The two must navigate his new outlook on life, as her boyfriend literally sees the world for the first time.

At First Sight wasn't a financial success and does suffer from cliche, but Sorvino and Kilmer make it all work so well. Their chemistry is undeniable and Steve Levitt's screenplay (based on a book by Dr. Oliver Sacks) is literate and moving.

Mimic (1997) (6.0)

Mira Sorvino in dark light in Mimic

Mira Sorvino starred in Guillermo del Toro's creepy and masterful Creature Feature, Mimic. Sorvino plays a genetic scientist who creates a genetically defined bug to kill cockroaches that are carrying a deadly disease. The bugs begin to grow and learn how to mimic humans and set out to destroy mankind.

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The premise is old-fashioned and harkens back to the "bug" films of the 1950s, but del Toro's vision is dark and gruesome and creates palpable tension throughout, while bringing some effective horror film scares. The film is one of the best New York set horror films of them all.

The Replacement Killers (1997) (6.2)

mira sorvino in the replacement killers

Antoine Fuqua's homage to the action films of John Woo, The Replacement Killers is a tight and exciting film that gives Mira Sorvino a great role as a forger who helps Yun-Fat Chow's hitman survive against a team of killers.

Sorvino got a chance to be tough and participate in action sequences that were highly stylized and quite exciting. The film wasn't well-received by audiences, but critics were kind and Fuqua's under-seen work has become one of the great undervalued action films of the 1990s.

Romy And Michelle's High School Reunion (1997) (6.2)

Romy-And-Michelle's-High-School-Reunion

Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow were comic gold with their hit film Romy and Michele's High School Reunion. It is a sweet and hilarious tale of two best friends who construct a lie to tell their fellow classmates during their 10-year high school reunion, as their lives haven't gone as planned.

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While Romy and Michele are more than a bit "flighty," Sorvino and Kudrow play them with true heart and make them relatable and believable characters that endear themselves to the audience. A classic 90s comedy film, it is considered one of Sorvino's best roles and films. It's also considered Kudrow's best since leaving Friends and one of the better films starring a cast member from the show.

Summer Of Sam (1999) (6.7)

Spike Lee's Summer of Sam is a masterful multi-character piece about a Brooklyn neighborhood facing one of the hottest summers on record while the "Son of Sam" killer is executing his murderous rampage in the city.

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John Leguizamo and Mira Sorvino star as a couple who have an up and down relationship, as their friends and family and neighborhood are on the emotional edge due to the killings. The film made its way onto many critics' "10 best" lists, and while it was far from successful at the box office, the film is considered to be one of Spike Lee's finest films.

Reservation Road (2007) (6.7)

Mira sorvino Reservation-Road

In the deep and gut-wrenching drama Reservation Road, Joaquin Phoenix and Jennifer Connelly, and Mark Ruffalo and Mira Sorvino, play two couples who are affected by a tragedy on their street. All four of the main cast hold this film together, with Sorvino being a particular standout, as it occasionally slips into melodrama.

Mighty Aphrodite (1995) (6.7)

mira sorvino mighty aphrodite

In Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite, Mira Sorvino won her Oscar as Linda Ash, a porn actress and sex worker with a kind heart who dreams of finding Mr. Right and settling down to have a family of her own. Woody Allen tracks down his adopted son's birth mother and finds that it is Linda. Becoming enamored by her spirit, he tries to help her find true love and get her away from her current lifestyle.

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The film is full of a great cast that includes Michael Rappaport, Helena Bonham Carter, and F. Murray Abraham. It is oft considered a truly funny, sweet film and was a big hit with audiences and critics.

Barcelona (1994) (7.0)

A man and woman sit at a table in Barcelona

Whit Stillman's extremely well-written character piece Barcelona concerns a man and his cousin who end up in Barcelona navigating their future and discussing women, politics, and life.

This was a well-received film that showcased a good performance from Mira Sorvino as a woman who opens the lead character's eyes to a world beyond his Midwestern upbringing.

Beautiful Girls (1996) (7.1)

Ted Demme's Beautiful Girls is a soulful tale about a writer who is having a life crisis and returns home for a peaceful journey, only to find his old friends are having their own personal issues with their lives.

The film is a Robert Altman-esque piece with a fantastic cast that includes Timothy Hutton, Matt Dillon, Uma Thurman, Natalie Portman, Rosie O' Donnell, and Mira Sorvino. Critics and audiences swooned over the film, as it is populated by well-drawn characters, each one acted to perfection.

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