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.

From New Jersey to Hollywood Stardom

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.

Motherhood and a Shift to Television

During the initial years of the 1990s, San Giacomo experienced significant growth in her film career, taking on roles in movies such as “Vital Signs,” “Quigley Down Under,” “Once Around,” “Under Suspicion,” “Where the Day Takes You,” and “Nina Takes a Lover.”

Additionally, she was featured in Stephen King’s television miniseries “The Stand” and contributed her voice to the animated program “Gargoyles.”

In 1990, San Giacomo married actor Cameron Dye, and in 1996, they had their son, Mason. Mason was born with cerebral palsy, which presented difficulties in his physical and verbal progress.

This life-changing event prompted San Giacomo to transition from film to weekly television, seeking a more regular work schedule with less travel so she could spend more time with her son.

This transition led to her iconic role as Maya Gallo in the sitcom “Just Shoot Me!” created by Steven Levitan (who later co-created “Modern Family”). The show featured an ensemble cast including George Segal, Wendie Malick, Enrico Colantoni, and David Spade.

It ran for seven seasons and 148 episodes from 1997 to 2003, earning San Giacomo a Golden Globe nomination in 1999 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical.

San Giacomo once told Ability Magazine that she knew she wanted to act. Then she wondered if acting wanted her too. So, she tried it out, and so far, it had gone pretty well.

In her personal life, she eventually found happiness with actor Matt Adler, whom she married in 2000 after divorcing Dye in 1998. They’re still together to this day, but Mason is her only child.

Becoming an Advocate for Inclusive Education

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.'”

Eventually, her passion for inclusive education led her to help establish an elementary school through the CHIME Institute in the early 2000s. This groundbreaking program includes children with disabilities alongside typically developing children in the same classrooms.

“The world is changing and the physical barriers are down now. It’s time for the emotional barriers to go down. And what better place to start than school?” she explained in her Ability Magazine interview back then.

Her impactful “The More You Know” public service announcement also earned her recognition at the 2000 Media Access Awards. She had previously collaborated with Media Access on a PSA focused on teachers.

Following that, San Giacomo spoke with Roz Weiman, who oversaw “The More You Know.” San Giacomo proposed creating another PSA about inclusive education, and Weiman readily agreed. The subsequent PSA centered on the theme of diversity.

She believes inclusive environments benefit all children, not just those with disabilities. “I’ve also seen typical children really develop all kinds of wonderful attributes,” San Giacomo continued. “Communication skills, patience, the ability to recognize an accomplishment and celebrate it, compassion, sympathy—and I think that is really important for conscientious citizenship.”

The actress also talked about Media Access, describing it as a remarkable organization that not only represents actors with disabilities but also assists producers and writers in portraying disabilities authentically.

They offer research support and help connect productions with actors who have disabilities if a role requires it. Furthermore, they work to bring together actors, directors, and producers.

Continuing Career and Advocacy Work

In recent years, San Giacomo has maintained her acting career while balancing her advocacy work. Since 2016, she has appeared in 13 episodes of the popular series “NCIS” as Dr. Grace Confalone, with her most recent appearance in 2024.

Speaking about her work on “NCIS” during her 2016 interview with Oprah, San Giacomo expressed her appreciation for the show’s creative environment, “The NCIS has a lot of play in it even though some of the subject matter is not light and airy, but there is a feeling to it that is really playful and has a depth to it, so that’s exactly what I wanted—some place where I felt like I could just really, there was really a warm creative environment, and that’s what’s there.”

Meanwhile, her commitment to accessibility issues has remained strong. In 2021, she presented Mobility Ambassadorships to businesses in her neighborhood that made their spaces fully accessible, even matching donations for those who signed up to become #MobilityAmbassadors up to $5,000.

Furthermore, during the challenging times of 2020, San Giacomo also tried to encourage people to become more politically aware and take action. She recorded a heartfelt message urging everyone to vote by mail through Field Team 6.

In the video, she acknowledged the unusual and challenging circumstances of the time, where people were being asked to do unfamiliar things. She also highlighted the distressing situation of individuals waiting in long lines at food banks due to a lack of sustenance for their families.

Where Is She Now?

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 various stages of 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.