Biography
Born in New Jersey to Italian-American parents, deep-voiced actress Laura San Giacomo studied at Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. After performing in regional theater, off-Broadway, and TV guest-star roles, she made her auspicious debut in
Steven Soderbergh's sex, lies, and videotape. As the down-to-earth yet adulterous Cynthia, her presence brought a sense of inhibition to the cast of otherwise sexually repressed characters. This was followed by a series of other good roles: the prostitute Kit in
Pretty Woman, the hardworking waitress in
Vital Signs,
Holly Hunter's sister in
Once Around, and the American expatriate Crazy Cora in
Quigley Down Under. In addition to providing her husky voice to the star-studded animated series
Gargoyles, she moved over to TV movies, most notably the
Stephen King adaptation
The Stand. On the big screen, she starred in
Nina Takes a Lover,
Stuart Saves His Family, and
The Apocalypse (co-starring her then-husband Cameron Dye). After having her son Mason, she started playing the memorable role of magazine journalist Maya Gallo on
Just Shoot Me, which ran from 1997-2003 on NBC. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide