I was born in Hartford, Connecticut, to Anthony & Minnie Pugliese, whose ancestry is from Italy and Sicily. I knew I wanted to be an actress at the age of 16 when I saw my first Broadway show, Sugar with Robert Morse and Tony Roberts. Shortly thereafter I became involved in high school, community, and regional theater where I performed leading roles such as Sara Brown in Guys & Dolls, Hodel in Fiddler On The Roof, Jan in Grease, and Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music.
I began my professional training in 1992 in New York City with Gene Frankel, an American actor, theater director, and acting teacher especially notable in the founding of the off-Broadway scene. I performed in New York for two years and then walked away from my career for personal reasons.
In 2004 I relocated from the east coast to California, and in 2006 I worked on an independent film in San Francisco which reignited my passion for this art form. In 2012 I relocated from the Bay Area to Los Angeles where my first paying gig was a PSA about diversity for USA Network with Peter Gallagher.
I have studied my craft in Los Angeles with David Dean Bottrell, an actor most well known for his role of Lincoln Meyer on Boston Legal, Jeffrey Marcus, and Howard Fine. Since arriving in LA I have completed a number of independent films, performed both on stage and in television, and am looking forward to what the future may hold.
When I am not performing I can be found following several Beatles Tribute Bands, officiating weddings, and making Sicilian Meatballs and Sauce for my friends.
As a spiritual teacher, in 2013 I published a book on Self-Love & Self-Empowerment and in 2020 I started a YouTube Channel to help others during a time of social unrest, the pandemic, and political division.
Drama and Comedy selections from feature films, short films, and television.
WHY I BECAME FULL-TIME PROFESSIONAL ACTOR AT AGE 63