Annie Parisse

Biography

Annie Parisse is an American actress. She is popular for her role as Alexandra Borgia in the police & Legal Drama- Law & Order(2005–2006). Her role of Debra Parker in the TV drama The Following(2013) was notable as well.

Her recent works include playing Kate in Three Birthdays(2023), Stephanie in Eric Larue (2023), Maya in the Young Blood podcast series.

Childhood-Family

Annie Parisse was born on 31st July 1975 in Anchorage, Alaska, United States to Annette Cancelmi(Mother) a school teacher in Pennsylvania & Louis G Cancelmi(Father) an executive officer with an airline(Alaska Air)

She & her brothers were brought up in Mercer Island, Washington where her parents worked. She has two brothers, Louis Cancelmi - an actor(and married to Elisabeth Waterston) and Michael Cancelmi- a teacher who teaches Italian language.

Her mother has worked as a teacher at Saint Kilian Parish School in Cranberry Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, as a first-grade teacher at Newport Heights Elementary. [4]

She took her stagename Annie Parisse from her great-grandmother Anna Maria Parisse, wife of her great-grandfather Gaetano Cancelmi. [4]

Her paternal grandfather Harry J. Cancelmi was a Pennsylvania Department of Justice Agent, and a State Parole Board Supervisor for the Western Pennsylvania District. [4]

Education

• Mercer Island High School: She studied at the MIHS, a public high school located in Mercer Island, Washington, she graduated in 1993 from the school.
• Fordham University: She attended the Fordham University in New York City. She majored in theater and during her time at the college she appeared in multiple college productions such as the Greek tragedy Medea, the Athenian tragedy Antigone. She has also worked as a Teacher of Acting for the Camera at the Fordham University Theatre Program [4]
• Youth Theatre Northwest: She attended the Youth Theatre Northwest located in Mercer Island, Washington State
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Marriage

Annie Parisse met actor Paul Sparks for the first time in 2005, they eventually got married after dating for some time in 2005, in October 2009 they had their first child Emmett Sparks(son), the couple welcomed a  daughter in 2014, named Lydia Sparks.

Image: Annie Parisse with Husband Paul Sparks

Paul had a guest role in the TV series 'Law & Order' which features Annie. 

Career

Annie started acting when she was in college, she would take part in college dramas and plays.

She made her debut on Big Screen with the movie On the Q.T.(1999) where she played a minor role of Wendy. She made her TV debut in the series As the World Turns(1999-2001). 

She has appeared in movies like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days(2003), National Treasure(2004), Monster-in-Law(2005), Prime(2005), Blackbird(2007), What Just Happened(2008), Definitely, Maybe(2008), Tickling Leo(2009), My Own Love Song(2010), The Tested(2010), Price Check(2012), One for the Money(2012), Wild Canaries(2014), And So It Goes(2014), Anesthesia(2015).

She has appeared in short movies like- Woman in Burka(2008), Bubble-Rama(2008), Wallace(2013)

She has had recurring roles in TV series like- Law & Order(2005–2006), Rubicon(2010), Person of Interest(2011–2016), The Following(2013), Vinyl(2016), Friends from College(2017–).

Interesting Facts

• Annie is of Italian(50%), Polish(12.5%), Slovak(12.5%), Syrian(25%) descent. Her father is 50% Italian, 50% Slovak, while her mother is of 50% Italian and 50% Lebanese-Syrian ancestry. [4]
• She played Hockey when she was in Alaska [2]
• She was a shy girl in her childhood and youth. [2]
• Annie's sister in-law Elisabeth Waterston is the daughter of her 'Law & Order' co-star Sam Waterston.
• She was nominated for Daytime Emmy Award for her role in As the World Turns(1999-2001)
• She took her great grandmother's surname Parisse for her screen name.
• She was nominated for Lucille Lortel Award(2009) for her performance in 'Becky Shaw'
• She was nominated for Drama Desk Award(2007) for her performance in 'The Internationalist'
• She has had a minor role (of exotic dancer who testified against a murderer in court) in Law & Order before taking the prominent role of Alexandra Borgia. She is one of the very few actors (Epatha Merkerson, Milena Govich, Jeremy Sisto and Jerry Orbach) that played a small role and then on to play recurring roles
• Her scenes were deleted from the movie 'The Amazing Spider-Man'
• She participates in social activism online, she is pro-refugee, pro-equality, anti-racism, transgender rights activist.
• She is disappointed with the political environment of the country.
• She likes horror movies.
• Her favorite Coffee- cortado.
• She eats healthy food and drinks lot of water.
• Her friends think of her as- Intelligent, Kind, Humorous, Talented.
• She was listed in "Top 50 Female Celebrities" by People's Magazine

Filmography

Movies

Series

Stage

Quotes

• It's always a little nerve-wracking to do a love scene.
• One man's cult is another man's religion.
• I'm a big fan of horror, personally.
• One of my favorite classes was horror in theater and psychology.
• When the right person touches the right button in someone, you can get them to do almost anything

Awards

Sources

1. Annie Parisse on wikipedia
2. Box Angeles interview
3. Annie Parisse info on Internet Off-broadway Database
4. Annie Parisse Bio on imdb
5.