Laura San Giacomo American actress Laura San Giacomo is a familiar face to the public thanks to her memorable roles in Pretty Woman and the television series Just Shoot Me! She can currently be seen on the new series Saving Grace. Laura San Giacomo was born November 14, 1962 in West Orange, New Jersey. Of Italian descent, her parents were MaryJo San Giacomo and John San Giacomo. Raised in a Catholic household, her father owned a paper mill to support the family. She attended Morris Knolls High School followed by Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. She is also an alumna of Washington College. She pursued her stage career until 1987, when she made her onscreen debut with a two-episode appearance on Spenser: For Hire with Robert Urich and Avery Brooks. She continued to bounce around television series such as Crime Story, The Equalizer, and Miami Vice with Don Johnson. Her first big break, however, came in 1989 with Steven Soderbergh’s Sex, Lies, and Videotape opposite James Spader, Andie MacDowell, Peter Gallagher, and Steven Brill. Making her debut in a big way, she took home the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female along with numerous other accolades.
Continuing her streak of success, she landed the role of Kit De Luca opposite Julia Robert’s Vivian Ward in Garry Marshall’s hugely successful hit, Pretty Woman. Other costars included Richard Gere, Jason Alexander, Amy Yasbeck, and Hector Elizondo. Thanks to the commercial success of the film, San Giacomo was an overnight success, and her career reflected as much. Bright spots after Pretty Woman included 1990’s Quigley Down Under with Tom Selleck and Alan Rickman and 1991’s Under Suspicion with Liam Neeson. She also found a hit with Once Around starring Richard Dreyfuss, Danny Aiello, and Gena Rowlands. She received more critical recognition for her work in the 1994 miniseries The Stand. Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, the production starred Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Jamey Sheridan, Miguel Ferrer, Rob Lowe, and Ossie Davis. Although she never stopped working, projects began to slow. When the series Just Shoot Me! came along in 1997, it offered San Giacomo the opportunity to revitalize her career. And that was exactly what it did. Beside George Segal, Wendie Malick, Enrico Colantoni, and David Spade, San Giacomo enjoyed the show’s successful run from 1997 to 2003. Guest stars over the show’s history included Rebecca Romijn, Brian Dennehy, David Cross, and Jenny McCarthy.
While shooting, she also took part in the indie flick With Friends Like These… opposite Adam Arkin, Elle Macpherson, Beverly D Angelo, and Bill Murray. She also earned critical attention for her lead in Jennifer with Jane Kaczmarek, Annabella Sciorra, Edie Falco, Camryn Manheim, and Julianna Margulies. Most recently, she appeared on three episodes of Veronica Mars with star Kristen Bell. She also landed a recurring role on Saving Grace with Holly Hunter. In her personal life, she was married to Cameron Dye from 1990 to 1998. They had one child, Mason. He was born with cerebral palsy, and she has since become an active advocate for parents of children with disabilities. In 2000, she married Matt Adler. They are still currently together. She and her family reside in San Fernando Valley, California. |
