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Marianne Leone

Actress, Screenwriter, & Advocate for Children with Disabilities.

Actress, Screenwriter, & Advocate for Children with Disabilities.

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Marianne Leone Biography

Marianne Leone, a screenwriter, essayist, and actress known for her work as Joanne Moltisanti on The Sopranos, and her husband, Academy Award winning actor Chris Cooper, used to joke that if they ever appeared on a daytime talk show, the legend on the bottom of the screen would say “Tragic parents of a severely handicapped child.” But that’s not how it was. Jesse was the knot that tied his family together, the key that unlocked the gift of unconditional love.

In her fiercely honest, sometimes heartbreaking, and always inspiring memoir, Knowing Jesse: A Mother’s Story Of Grief, Grace, And Everyday Bliss, Leone chronicles her transformation by the remarkable life of her son. Jesse had severe cerebral palsy and was quadriplegic, unable to speak, and wracked by seizures; he was also an honor-roll student who loved to windsurf and write poetry.

None of his triumphs came easily. Leone knew that the light of intelligence burned through Jesse’s entire being, but strangers, doctors, therapists, and educators dismissed Jesse as a lost cause. But, she writes, her family was not looking for miracles: they were looking for grace. “See the child, not the disability” became her mantra, and she locked horns with those who would prefer to ignore her son, or worse, tell him he “don’t belong.” For years she battled doctors who treated her son with indifference, searched for caretakers who could connect across a nonverbal divide, and fought to make school districts live up to the law and accommodate her son’s special needs.

Leone also shares her delight when, finally triumphing over a hostile school district, she sees Jesse make friends and excel in his public school classroom. Then, after Jesse’s sudden death at age seventeen, Leone writes, “Everything in my universe was blotted out.” Throughout Jesse’s life, and now, after his death, Leone walks the line between happiness and pain as the outside world relentlessly intrudes.

With warmth and great humor, Leone speaks candidly to families who strive to do right by their children, and explores a mother’s perseverance, grief, and abiding, unconditional love. But Jesse’s story is also the story of millions of American families who are affected by physical and mental disabilities—families who need to know that their children can live life to the fullest, despite physical limitations or societal prejudice. Nothing is impossible. Or, as Jesse wrote in his Latin homework, “amor vincit Omnia”—love conquers all.

A Foundation has been set up in Jesse's name, which supports inclusion and adapted sports for disabled people through the Federation for Children with Special Needs and AccesSportAmerica. The foundation also supports disabled orphans in Romania through the Romanian Children's Relief Fund.

Leone has also appeared in films by John Sayles, Nancy Savoca and Martin Scorsese. Her essays and op-ed pieces on a variety of topics have appeared in the Boston Globe. She and Cooper live on a tidal river in the South Shore of Massachusetts with their two rescue dogs, Lucky and Frenchy.

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FAQs on booking Marianne Leone

  • How do I book Marianne Leone to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Marianne Leone for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Marianne Leone, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Marianne Leone or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Marianne Leone

    Speaking fees for Marianne Leone, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Marianne Leone are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Marianne Leone, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Marianne Leone speak about?

    Marianne Leone is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Disability.
  • Where does Marianne Leone travel from?

    Marianne Leone generally travels from an undisclosed location, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Marianne Leone’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Marianne Leone for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Marianne Leone for your next private or corporate function.
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    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Marianne Leone or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
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Marianne Leone is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Marianne Leone for your event is available upon request. Marianne Leone generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Chalene Johnson, Jen Rustemeyer, Katherine Zimmerman, Bob Chapman and Rob Paulson. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Marianne Leone for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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