This raven-haired, pouty-lipped bombshell initially found work in her native New York, guest starring on a number of locally shot series (
Law & Order, Third Watch) before landing a recurring role as one of Jack Bauer's ill-fated squeezes on the third season of
24. Her breakthrough role came on a series set in her hometown but shot in Los Angeles:
CSI: NY. As a dedicated detective who let the job get the best of her, she gave up her badge and ultimately her life after a suspect she was shadowing turned on her. But her character's misfortune was Ferlito's boon, as the up-and-coming starlet was able to pursue big-screen opportunities, including a bloody good role as a scantily-clad victim in Quentin Tarantino's
Death Proof segment of
Grindhouse.
Vanessa Ferlito Fast Facts:
- Made film debut in the 2002 indie On_Line.
- Shaun Monson's 2003 documentary Earthlings inspired her to become a vegetarian.
- Nominated for an Image Award for her work in the 2003 TV-movie Undefeated.
- Gave birth to her first child, a boy, in September 2007.
