Deanna Russo

An actress raised well outside the realm of show business -- as the daughter of an environmentalist in New Jersey -- Deanna Russo received formal dramatic instruction under the aegis of such coaches as Jack Hannibal, Marketa Kimbrell, and Sanford Meisner, then took her stage bow in Anne Demers' play Hidden Mandala in 2002. That same year, Russo moved to Los Angeles and ignited a presence on the big and small screens -- an effort culminating in increased activity near the end of the decade. In 2006, Russo appeared in the low-budget, direct-to-video slasher movie Rest Stop and directed a short subject, Taste of Kream; two years later, she headlined the telemovie Knight Rider, based on the seminal '80s series of the same name. Off-camera, Russo has become actively involved with The Underground, an "alternative," politically oriented Los Angeles-area television program initially seen on channel LA36 from 2005 to 2006. - Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide