Laura San Giacomo (born November 14, 1962) is an American actress known for playing the role of Maya Gallo on Just Shoot Me, as well as other work on television and in films.
San Giacomo (pronounced (san JEE uh KO mo), an Italian American, was born in West Orange, New Jersey and raised in the nearby town of Denville. She discovered acting in high school and subsequently earned a degree in fine arts at the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama. She also attended Washington College. San Giacomo then went on to appear in several theater productions. San Giacomo has appeared on the Los Angeles stage in the Garry Marshall-Lowell Ganz production of Wrong Turn at Lungfish, the Princeton/McCarter Theatre production of Three Sisters and off-Broadway in Beirut. She has also starred in Italian-American Reconciliation, regional productions of Shakespeare's The Tempest, As You Like It and Romeo And Juliet, as well as Crimes of The Heart.
San Giacomo first drew international attention in the landmark 1989 independent drama sex, lies, and videotape (1989), which also marked her film debut. Her work was nominated for a Golden Globe, and she also received a Los Angeles Film Critics' Association New Generation Award. The film itself was honored with the Cannes Film Festival's prestigious Grand Prize, the Palme d'Or. Laura also appeared in such films as Miles from Home (1988), Pretty Woman (1990), Quigley Down Under (1990), and Nina Takes a Lover (1994). She has also appeared in the Stephen King TV miniseries The Stand, (in the role of Nadine Cross) and in the starring role as Jenifer in the Jenifer Estess bio-pic Jenifer (2001). In addition to that, San Giacomo did voice work for the animated series Gargoyles (as the character of Fox), although her agent insisted that her name not appear in the end credits. San Giacomo was going to star in a biopic of Frida Kahlo, but it was canceled because of a backlash from fans who insisted that a Mexican be cast. Salma Hayek has since starred in a version, Frida.
Having a child influenced San Giacomo to make the transition from films to television. Her move to television gave her a regular work schedule and she didn't have to travel as much (as movies required). This lead to perhaps her best known role as the neo-feminist character Maya Gallo in the sitcom Just Shoot Me (1997-2003). She played a smart, sassy journalist who took a job at the fictional glossy fashion magazine Blush - which happened to be owned by her father Jack Gallo (George Segal). While San Giacomo was originally cast in the lead role of the show, David Spade's Dennis Finch character nabbed the lead role by season three. Despite the move, San Giacomo remained on as an integral part of the show. She appeared in all 148 episodes of Just Shoot Me. Also, in a February 2000 interview with Maxim, Spade noted that Just Shoot Me headquarters would constantly receive letters regarding San Giacomo's large breasts from viewers.
After the end of Just Shoot Me in 2003, San Giacomo appeared sporadically on television and in films. She made guest appearances on several television series, including the short-lived CBS drama The Handler in 2003 and HBO's Unscripted in 2005. She was the narrator for true-life crime series Snapped on Oxygen. San Giacomo also appeared in the 2005 films Checking Out and Havoc, as well as the 2006 film Conquistadora. San Giacomo was to have made her return to television on The WB's new drama Related in 2005, but the character was recast due to creative differences. Kiele Sanchez took her place as Anne Sorelli on the show. San Giacomo's public appearances were also few and far between as well. San Giacomo made her first public appearance in nearly a year on October 19, 2005 at the 15th Annual Environmental Media Awards. San Giacomo made another public appearance at the "Crystal and Lucy Awards" on June 6, 2006.
In 2006, TV Guide reported that San Giacomo would make a few guest appearances during the third season of Veronica Mars.
San Giacomo has been married twice: to actor Cameron Dye (1990-1998), with whom she had a son, Mason (born in 1996), who suffers from cerebral palsy, and since 2000 to actor Matt Adler. She is a cousin of Torry Castellano of the rock group "The Donnas".
She lives in the San Fernando Valley in California and her hobbies include horseback riding, gymnastics, ice skating, ballet, tennis, golf & playing piano.
San Giacomo is a strong supporter of charitable causes. She has appeared at the Environmental Media Awards, the "Voices For Change" gala benefit and concert benefiting Children with Disabilities and the "Friends Finding a Cure" gala benefiting Project ALS. She is also a founder of the Chime Charter Elementary School.
