Carla Gugino

Carla Gugino (born August 29, 1971) is an American actress known for her roles of Sally Jupiter in Watchmen, Vincent Chase's agent, Amanda, in season 3 of Entourage, Ingrid Cortez in the Spy Kids film trilogy, and as the lead characters of the television series Karen Sisco and Threshold.
Early life

Gugino was born in Sarasota, Florida, of Italian, English, and Irish ancestry.Her parents separated when she was two.Her father, Dr. Carl Gugino, is an orthodontist. Her mother moved the family to Paradise, California, when she was four years old. Despite moving around California a great deal as a child, Carla Gugino remained a straight-A student and graduated valedictorian. At the age of 15 she was spotted by a modeling agency in San Diego and moved to New York. This was unusual as at only 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m) tall, she was considered too short for catwalk work. Finding the experience too much, Gugino moved back to California that summer. Partly at the suggestion of her aunt, game show model Carol Merrill, she subsequently studied acting.

Career

Gugino has starred in many films including art-house film Lovelife along with Saffron Burrows and Sherilyn Fenn, Snake Eyes with Nicolas Cage (1998), Judas Kiss (which she also co-produced, 1998), the three Spy Kids films, Son in Law, The One with Jet Li, and Sin City. Her most recent roles came in box office hits such as Night at the Museum (2006) and American Gangster (2007).

She played Ashley Schaeffer in the first season of the Michael J. Fox television series Spin City. She also starred in the short lived CBS science fiction series Threshold and in ABC's Karen Sisco, in which she recreated the law-enforcement role of Jennifer Lopez from the film Out of Sight.

Gugino appeared in Roundabout Theatre Company's After the Fall opposite Six Feet Under's Peter Krause. In late 2006, she will begin the Off-Broadway play by Tennessee Williams, Suddenly Last Summer opposite actress Blythe Danner.

Gugino has also appeared in a wide range of TV programs including ALF, Doogie Howser, M.D., Saved by the Bell, Who's the Boss? and The Wonder Years, and is featured in the video to Bon Jovi's 1994 song "Always" and an Aerosmith video and also on the last season of Chicago Hope as brain surgeon Dr. Gina Simon. Gugino also frequently appears in films written and directed by her longtime boyfriend Sebastian Gutierrez, as they have worked together on several films in the past.

Gugino played Vincent Chase's new agent, Amanda, in the second half of Entourage's third season for a couple of episodes and reprised that role in the fifth season. Gugino appeared nude in the May 2007 issue of Allure after a previous on-film semi-nude appearance in Sin City as Lucille (2005).

She played Sally Jupiter, the original Silk Spectre, in the Watchmen movie,and had roles in The Unborn and Race to Witch Mountain (opposite Dwayne Johnson).

She played the female lead in the serial killer thriller Righteous Kill opposite Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. She also stars in a new film directed by Gutierrez, Women in Trouble, as a pornographic actress named Elektra Luxx.

Gugino starred in Chicago's Goodman Theater production of Eugene O'Neill's Desire Under the Elms January 17-February 17, 2009, in the role of Abby. The New York Times lauds, "She [Gugino] is simply magnificent...it is impossible to look away."On April 20, 2009, Gugino received an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding Actress In a Play for her performance in Desire Under the Elms. As of 2010, Carla Gugino has signed on to the revenge thriller Faster film (as she replace Salma Hayek) to join Dwayne Johnson, an ex con who will avenge his brother's death, Gugino plays Cicero, a detective who is hot on his trail as she diligently connects details of this recent crime spree with those of the brother’s decade-old killing.

Personal life
Her partner is writer/director Sebastian Gutierrez, with whom she has worked on Karen Sisco and Rise: Blood Hunter. The couple live in Los Angeles, where she spends her spare time practicing yoga. Her aunt is Carol Merrill from Let's Make a Deal (1963-1977) -- the first game show model who was elevated from simple staff to co-star status as a game show hostess. Carla credits her with getting started in show business.

Filmography
Film
Year Film Role Other notes
1989 Troop Beverly Hills Chica Barnfell
1990 Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael Young Roxy
1993 This Boy's Life Norma Hansen
Red Hot Valentina
Son in Law Rebecca ' Becca' Warner
1995 Miami Rhapsody Leslie Marcus
1996 Jaded Megan 'Meg' Harris
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco Delilah Voice Role
The War at Home Melissa
Wedding Bell Blues Violet
Michael Bride
1997 Lovelife Amy
1998 Snake Eyes Julia Costello
Judas Kiss Coco Chavez
2001 Spy Kids Ingrid Cortez
The Center of the World Jerri
The Jimmy Show Annie
The One T. K. Law/Massie Walsh
2002 Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams Ingrid Cortez
2003 The Singing Detective Betty Dark/Hooker
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over Ingrid Cortez
2005 The Life Coach Carla
Sin City Lucille
2006 Even Money Veronica
Night at the Museum Rebecca Hutman
2007 The Lookout Janet
Rise: Blood Hunter Eve
American Gangster Laurie Roberts
2008 Righteous Kill Det. Karen Corelli
2009 The Unborn Janet Beldon
Sparks Robin Short film
Watchmen Sally Jupiter/Silk Spectre
Race to Witch Mountain Dr. Alex Friedman
Women in Trouble Elektra Luxx
Under the Hood Sally Jupiter/Silk Spectre Direct-to-Video Release
Every Day Robin post-production
2010 The Mighty Macs Cathy Rush awaiting release
Elektra Luxx Elektra Luxx awaiting release
Girl Walks Into a Bar Post-Production
Faster Cicero Pre-Production
2011 Sucker Punch Mrs. Schulz Pre-Production
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1988 Who's the Boss? Jane Episode: "Prom Night II"
Good Morning, Miss Bliss Karen Episode: "Summer Love"
1989 ALF Laura Episode: "Standing in the Shadows of Love"
1989–1990 Falcon Crest Sydney St. James 11 episodes
1990 Ferris Bueller Ann Peyson Episode: "Stand-In Deliver"
1991 Doogie Howser, M.D. Sara Newman Episode: "Dueling Divas"
The Wonder Years Sandy Episode: "Triangle"
1992 Murder Without Motive: The Edmund Perry Story Allison Connors TV-Movie
Alternative title: Best Intentions
Quantum Leap Michelle Temple Cutter Episode: "Ghost Ship"
Davis Rules Kathi Episode: "A Father Makes All the Difference"
Episode: "Someone to Watch Over Them"
A Private Matter Mary Beth TV-Movie
Alternative title: Miss Sherri
1994 Motorcycle Gang Leann TV-Movie
1995 The Buccaneers Nan St. George Miniseries
1996, 1998 Spin City Ashley Schaeffer 12 episodes
1998 Alexandria Hotel
1999 A Season for Miracles Emilie Thompson Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie
1999–2000 Chicago Hope Dr. Gina Simon 23 episodes
2001 Mermaid Chronicles Part 1: She Creature Lily TV-Movie
Alternative title: She Creature
2003–2004 Karen Sisco Karen Sisco 10 episodes
2005–2006 Threshold Dr. Molly Anne Caffrey 13 episodes
2007–2008 Entourage Amanda Daniels 9 episodes

Awards and nominations
In 2009, Gugino was honored by the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF). During the Foundation's 34th Anniversary Gala in Washington, D.C., she received NIAF's Special Achievement Award for Entertainment, presented by her close friend actress Connie Britton.

Blockbuster Entertainment Award

* 1999: Nominated, "Favorite Supporting Actress in a Suspense" - Snake Eyes

Screen Actors Guild Awards

* 2008: Nominated, "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture" - American Gangster