Bio
Téa Leoni is an American actress known for her roles in movies such as Deep Impact, The Family Man, Spanglish and Fun With Dick And Jane.
She had the lead role of Nora Wilde in the television series The Naked Truth, appearing in 49 episodes from 1995-1998.
Born in New York City, Leoni became interested in acting through the influence of her grandmother, a former Broadway actress. Nicknamed Sarah Bernhardt because of her melodramatic tendencies, Leoni didn't pursue her craft immediately. Instead, she studied anthropology and psychology at Sarah Lawrence and then took time off from school to travel, living in Tokyo, Italy and St. Croix. Upon her return to New York, she went on her first audition.
She has appeared in many feature films, including Tower Heist, Ghost Town, You Kill Me, Fun with Dick and Jane, Flirting with Disaster, Deep Impact, The Smell of Success, House of D, Spanglish, People I Know, Hollywood Ending, Jurassic Park III and The Family Man, among others.
On television, she is well-known for her critically acclaimed role in the situation comedy The Naked Truth, which aired for three seasons. She also starred in the series Flying Blind.
In 2014 she began starring in the political drama series Madam Secretary as Dr. Elizabeth "Bess" Adams McCord, the United States Secretary of State.
Since 2001, Leoni has been a UNICEF Ambassador and, since 2006, she has been a National Board Member of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. Leoni is the third generation of her family working with UNICEF. Her grandmother co-founded the U.S. Fund for UNICEF in 1947 and served as its President for 25 years.
She has been heavily involved in the organisation, and her contributions were recognized in November 2007 when she and her father, Tony Pantaleoni, received the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award for their dedicated service.