Elizabeth Téa Pantaleoni (/ˈteɪ.ə pɑːntəleɪˈoʊni/; born February 25, 1966), better known by her stage name Téa Leoni, is an American actress and producer.
In her early career, Leoni starred in the television sitcoms Flying Blind (1992–93) and The Naked Truth (1995–98). Her breakthrough role was in the 1995 action comedy film Bad Boys. In later years, Leoni had the female lead roles in films including Deep Impact (1998), The Family Man (2000), Jurassic Park III (2001), and Fun with Dick and Jane (2005). In 2014, Leoni returned to television with the leading role in the CBS political drama series Madam Secretary.
Leoni was born in New York City. Her mother, Emily Ann (Patterson), was a dietitian and nutritionist, and her father, Anthony Pantaleoni, was a corporate lawyer with the firm Fulbright & Jaworski. Leoni's paternal grandfather was of Italian and English descent; he was a nephew of Italian economist and politician Maffeo Pantaleoni. Leoni's paternal grandmother, Polish-American Helenka Adamowska Pantaleoni, a film and stage actress, was the daughter of musicians Józef Adamowski and Antonina Szumowska-Adamowska. Leoni's mother is a native of Amarillo, Texas, and was the niece of actor Hank Patterson. Leoni grew up in Englewood, New Jersey, and New York City, and attended two private schools, Brearley School and The Putney School in Vermont. She attended but did not complete studies at Sarah Lawrence College.