L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano ITALIAN SECTION | T his year marked the 25 th a n n i v e r s a r y o f P r e t t y Woman. The film directed by Garry Marshall has achieved cult status; everybody remem- bers the modern Cinderella story w i t h R i c h a r d G e r e a n d J u l i a Roberts. As it happens suppor- ting roles get less attention but they are often the funniest and the most memorable. Playing the part of Julia Roberts' sassy best friend was Laura San Giacomo. The Italian-American San Giacomo had actually risen to fame a year prior to the release of Pretty Woman, with Steven S o d e r b e r g h ' s S e x , L i e s , a n d Videotape. She played the down- t o - e a r t h y e t f r e e - s p i r i t e d Cynthia, with a depth of presen- ce that brought a high level of seduction to the cast of otherwise sexually repressed characters. The actress wanted the role so badly that she threatened to leave her agency in order to be able to play Cynthia. Her persistence proved right when she received a nomination for a Golden Globe, f o r t h e I n d e p e n d e n t S p i r i t Awards and the New Generation Award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. The unprecedented success of this low-budget film in 1989, which ended up winning the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, became crucial in the rise of independent film at the box offi- ce in all years to come. Then came the character of Kit De Luca in Pretty Woman. Believe it or not when the movie came out it stirred controversy; some peo- ple didn't like the light portray of prostitutes and accused the director of sending the wrong message. Luckily the movie was later embraced for what it was, a wonderful fairytale full of lau- ghs, romance and inspirational lessons. San Giacomo was only at her second film and she was already experiencing world wide success. Laura was born in New Jersey t o I t a l i a n - A m e r i c a n p a r e n t s MaryJo and John; she grew up in a big extended family on both sides of her parents and spent a lot of time with a loving grand- mother who often played piano to her grandchildren. She fell in love with acting while in high school and went to study at the C a r n e g i e M e l l o n S c h o o l o f Drama in Pittsburgh. This is w h e r e s h e g o t a F i n e A r t s degree, specializing in acting. After graduation, she moved to N e w Y o r k . S e x , L i e s a n d V i d e o t a p e w a s n ' t j u s t h e r breakthrough role, it was also her first foray in feature films a f t e r y e a r s o f p e r f o r m i n g i n regional theater, off-Broadway, and TV. While preparing herself for the big transition into movies she had the opportunity to pay tribute to her roots in the cele- brated play Italian American Reconciliation; a deep explora- tion of relationships set in Little Italy which also starred John Turturro and Andrea Bianchi. San Giacomo's voluptuous looks as Italian as her name led her to many sensual and strong roles such as the hardworking waitress in Vital Signs, the femme fatale in a steamy affair with Liam Neeson in Under Suspicion, and the prostitute in distress Crazy Cora saved by Tom Selleck in Quigley Down Under. Her husky voice became a calling card of her performances; it added some sort of gravitas to her characters and became one of the signature voices on the star-friendly ani- mated series Gargoyles. She was on her way to beco- me a big movie star. Then life happened. Something so joyous like having a child (with her first husband Cameron Dye) also pre- sented a new challenge. Her son Mason was diagnosed early on with cerebral palsy, which affec- ted his mobility; he couldn't walk or sit independently. San Giacomo made the conscious decision to shift to TV which meant a steady schedule, less traveling, therefore a chance to be closer to her son. The new gig in the situation comedy Just Shoot Me! actually went to beco- me one of San Giacomo's bigge- s t a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s i n h e r career. The show ran for seven seasons, from 1997 to 2003, and her hot-tempered, feminist editor of a fashion magazine Maya Gallo became one of the most recognized characters on TV. She also received her second Golden Globes nomination. In the meanwhile she became an advocate for inclusive educatio- nal opportunities for all children, seeing how it helped her own child with his learning and phy- sical disabilities. With the help of educators from California State University Northridge she f o u n d e d C H I M E C h a r t e r Elementary School, which has kids with special needs benefi- ting from being included in a typical classroom setting. She later became involved with the music therapy program at CSUN where musicians who have studied different kind of disabilities and therapeutic tech- niques use music to help people with either a trauma or disability learning how to communicate or releasing emotions from a trau- matic event. Like all the efforts in her life Laura put her money where her mouth is, turning a challenging situation into a posi- tive. A true class act on and off set. MICHAEL TRAVERSA L a u r a S a n G i a c o m o ; s t ay i n g cl a s s y o n t h e b i g screen, the small screen and in real life Laura San Giacomo

• Cover