Born on December 4, 1964, to father Gary A. Tomei and mother Patricia Adelaide Tomei in Brooklyn, New York, Marisa Tomei grew up in Brooklyn with her younger brother named Adam Tomei, who is also an actor. She did her schooling from the Andries Hudde Junior High School and then went on to graduate from Edward R. Murrow High School and completed her studies in the year 1982. Her interest in acting was ignited at a very young age only, and she used to participate in a lot of plays during her school days.