A once-familiar face from a blockbuster ’90s romantic comedy and hit TV sitcom has transformed her life into advocacy work, all while continuing her acting career.
Laura San Giacomo, best known for her role as Kit De Luca in “Pretty Woman” and as Maya Gallo in the NBC sitcom “Just Shoot Me!,” has maintained a steady career while becoming a passionate advocate for inclusive education and disability rights. Her personal journey as a mother to a son with cerebral palsy has shaped her mission beyond Hollywood.
San Giacomo was born in West Orange, New Jersey, to parents MaryJo and John San Giacomo. She grew up in Denville, where she first caught the acting bug while attending Morris Knolls High School.
Following her involvement in numerous leading roles in school plays, San Giacomo continued to develop her passion at the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in Pittsburgh. There, she completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting before relocating to New York to begin her professional career.
Her early work included guest appearances on popular television shows of the late 1980s, including “Spenser: For Hire,” “Crime Story,” “The Equalizer,” “All My Children,” and “Miami Vice.”
However, it was her pivotal role in Steven Soderbergh’s 1989 film, “Sex, Lies, and Videotape,” that significantly elevated her profile in Hollywood.
The movie garnered the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and for her performance, San Giacomo received a Los Angeles Film Critics Association’s New Generation Award, along with a nomination for a Golden Globe.
Just one year later, she appeared in “Pretty Woman” (1990) as Kit De Luca, the straight-talking roommate and mentor to Julia Roberts’ character Vivian Ward. The romantic comedy, which also starred Richard Gere, became a massive hit.
San Giacomo’s talent also extended to the stage, with numerous theater credits including “Wrong Turn at Lungfish,” “North Shore Fish,” “Three Sisters,” “Beirut,” and “Italian American Reconciliation.” Her regional theater work included Shakespearean classics like “The Tempest,” “As You Like It,” and “Romeo and Juliet.”
What followed was a busy string of film projects that showcased her versatility as an actress, but a major life change would soon shift her priorities and career path.
Following the conclusion of “Just Shoot Me!” in 2003, San Giacomo appeared less frequently on screen. She narrated the true-crime series “Snapped” and took part in the films “Checking Out” and “Havoc” in 2005.
In 2006, she reunited with her “Just Shoot Me!” co-star Colantoni on “Veronica Mars” for a three-episode arc as Harmony Chase. Later that year, she secured a starring role in “Saving Grace” alongside Holly Hunter, playing Rhetta Rodriguez for all three seasons of the show.
However, behind the scenes, San Giacomo was channeling her energy into advocacy work inspired by her son Mason. She became deeply involved with the CHIME Institute, an organization that promotes inclusive education for children of all abilities.
“Disability is natural,” San Giacomo told Oprah Winfrey during a 2016 appearance on “Oprah: Where Are They Now?” “It’s always been. It always will be. It’s part of the world, and it’s part of life.”
The actress also explained more about her perspective on how society should think of disability, saying that people don’t have a “constructive or positive view” about it.
In that same interview, she questioned the typical negative predictions given during diagnoses. Instead, she suggested a different perspective, asking what would happen if doctors said, “‘Look, this is the greatest gift you’re going to be given […] You are being called to the biggest plate of your life.'”
In April 2025, the 62-year-old was spotted rocking a youthful blonde hairstyle – quite different from her iconic dark locks in “Pretty Woman.” She wore fashionable charcoal cargo jeans paired with a cream V-neck tunic that highlighted her still-trim figure.
According to her IMDb page, she has a couple of upcoming projects that are still in pre-production as of this writing, meaning she has maintained a successful acting career spanning more than three decades.
From her breakout roles in “Sex, Lies, and Videotape” and “Pretty Woman” to her seven-season run on “Just Shoot Me!” and recurring role on “NCIS,” people still remember her name and face well.
However, this ’90s icon’s most meaningful legacy may be her advocacy for inclusive education and changing perceptions about disability, the impact of which extends far beyond her memorable film and television roles.
