Lana Parrilla, whose mother is a painter/artist and whose dad was a professional baseball player, says she grew up in a household where creativity and pursuing one's dreams were definitely encouraged. Her grandfather played the banjo, and her aunt, Candice Azzara, was an actress who inspired her from an early age. "When I was just a kid, growing up in Brooklyn," says Parrilla, "I was constantly making home videos with my family – real silly high-concept productions like, ‘Attack of the Killer Handkerchief.' I guess I knew even then that I wanted to be an actress."

After graduating from high school, Parrilla moved to Los Angeles to study acting and pursue a professional career. She made her film debut in the requisite sci-fi horror film, but then went on to land a guest role on the television series "Grown-Ups." She appeared in the Steven Spielberg action series pilot "Semper Fi," before being cast in the recurring role of Angie Ordonez on "Spin City" opposite Charlie Sheen during the 2000-0l season. Her television credits also include guest appearances on "JAG" and "The Shield."

Parrilla was amazed when she auditioned for NBC's "Boomtown" because executive producer Graham Yost had created a two-and-one-half page dramatic monologue for her character of Teresa, which provided the basis for her audition. "The scene takes place when Teresa is kidnapped and is alone in the back of a truck," explains Parrilla. "It was phenomenal to have a fully developed scene like that for an audition."

Parrilla lives in Los Angeles with her two Bengal cats, Stanley and Lenny. Her birthday is July 15.

Credit: tv.com