Marissa Ribisi is a Los Angeles-born American actress who now doubles as a fashion designer. Like most of her counterparts, Ribisi began her acting career with small roles across film and television projects. Some of her earliest film projects that put her name on the map include Dazed and Confused (1993), The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), Pleasantville (1998), and True Crime (1999). Ribisi is also known for appearing in notable television shows such as Friends, Felicity, Watching Ellie, Grown Ups, and Tales of the City.
Raised in a supportive home, Marissa Ribisi began acting as a child. Her parents work in the entertainment industry in different capacities and she also has a brother who is an accomplished actor. While she took a long break to carve a niche in the fashion industry, Ribisi is still active as an actress. In 2021, she appeared in two episodes of On the Verge after a long hiatus. Read on for more interesting facts you probably didn’t know about Marissa Ribisi.
1. Marissa Ribisi Is Giovanni Ribisi’s Twin Sister
An American national, Marissa Ribisi was born on December 17, 1974, in Los Angeles, California. However, she is of Italian ancestry. Ribisi is the twin sister of American actor Giovanni Ribisi with whom she shares a close bond. The twins were delivered by Bibbe Hansen who turned out to be Marissa Ribisi’s mother-in-law. Ribisi and her twin appeared as contestants on I’m Telling! (1987) and finished in third place. The duo has a younger sister named Gina Ribisi.
Marissa Ribisi’s father, Al Ribisi is a musician known for playing the keyboard for People! – a one-hit wonder rock band. There is no information on what Al has been up to in his career as a musician. Ribisi’s mother, Gay Ribisi is a talent manager who manages the careers of actors and writers. Having parents who are involved in the entertainment industry helped Ribisi and her twin to get an early start.
2. She Launched a Fashion Line In 2007
In October 2007, Marissa Ribisi added another feather to her career hat when she launched a fashion line, Whitley Kros. She teamed up with her business partner Sophia Banks (Marcus Coloma‘s wife) to start the journey. Whitley Kros has recorded exponential growth over the years with a presence in various online shops. Ribisi paused her acting career for a while to focus on starting a family and working on her new investment in the fashion industry but she is seemingly not giving up on the performing arts yet.
3. Marissa Ribisi Began A Long Break From Acting In 2003
Marissa Ribisi made her first screen appearance on the television series My Two Dads. She appeared as the red-haired Ginger in the episode “She’ll Get Over It.” Her next screen appearance was a minor role in Baywatch in 1990. Her other notable television appearances in the early and mid-1990s include DEA as Wendy, Tales of the City as Receptionist, Grace Under Fire as Shelley Sullivan, Grown Ups as Shari Hammel, and Rebel Highway as Joanie Dubois.
Dazed and Confused introduced Marissa Ribisi to the big screen in 1993. She played the role of Cynthia in the film which saw her share the screen with Matthew McConaughey and Adam Goldberg who were also unknown actors at the time. Ribisi got her next film role in The Brady Bunch Movie (1995) as Holly and followed it up with Charlotte in Kicking and Screaming (1995). In 1997, she appeared as Babs in Looking for Lola and co-wrote the film Some Girl in 1998. She also starred in the latter alongside her brother Giovanni Ribisi, Juliette Lewis, and Michael Rapaport
Other notable films she has appeared in include True Crime, Pleasantville, and Don’s Plum. Her last film appearance was in the 2001 movie According to Spencer as Wendy. However, Ribisi doesn’t seem to be done with acting yet. She appeared in two episodes of the television series, On the Verge in 2021.
4. She Was Married To American Musician and Singer-Songwriter Beck From 2004 To 2021
Marrisa Ribisi married American musician Beck on April 3, 2004. In May 2004, they welcomed their first child, a son named Cosimo Henri Hansen, while their second child, a daughter named Tuesday Hansen, was born in May 2007. Beck filed for divorce on February 15, 2019, after nearly 15 years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce was finalized on September 3, 2021, and Ribisi has not remarried or made her love life public.
5. Marissa Ribisi and Beck Were Both Scientologists
Marissa and her twin brother are active Scientologists. Her former husband also identified as a Scientologist in various 2005 interviews while stating that he retains his Jewish heritage. However, in a November 2019 interview, Back debunked being a Scientologist and refused to be associated with the practice. He considers himself Jewish and nothing more.
