Marisa Petroro is a talented American film and television actress born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, with a rich heritage of Italian and Argentine descent. She has established a remarkable reputation for portraying a diverse range of on-screen personalities, making her a notable figure in the Hollywood industry.
At the tender age of four, Marisa began participating in East Coast beauty pageants, and by eight, she was taking acting classes in New York City at the prestigious HB Studio. As a teenager, she made a name for herself in the pageant circuit, winning the title of Miss Italia USA and later placing top five in Miss Italia World in 1996.
Marisa then devised a five-year plan, packed her bags, and embarked on a 3,000-mile cross-country drive to Los Angeles with a friend. Within a few years, she landed principal roles in hit films such as MGM's 'Pumpkin' and Columbia Pictures' 'Tomcats', as well as notable television credits on NBC's 'The Pretender', CBS's 'The Young and the Restless', and a national commercial directed by David Lynch.
In 2007-2008, Marisa starred in Roadside Attraction's feature film 'Everybody Wants to Be Italian', played one of the most recognized briefcase models on NBC's 'Deal or No Deal', and appeared on CBS's popular sitcom 'Rules of Engagement' and ABC's award-winning comedy drama series 'Desperate Housewives'.
From 2011-2012, Marisa had guest star roles on TNT's 'Franklin & Bash', Fox's 'Touch', Lifetime's 'Drop Dead Diva', and co-starred on Disney's 'Kickin' It'.
Over the past decade, Marisa has worked on films alongside notable actors such as Dominic Monaghan, Richard Tyson, French Stewart, and most recently in 'Ford v. Ferrari' as Mrs. Henry Ford opposite Tracy Letts, Josh Lucas, and Jon Bernthal, which won two Academy Awards in 2020.
Outside of acting, Marisa is deeply committed to philanthropy, having served as the national spokesperson for the Sarcoma Foundation of America from 2007-2010. As a cancer survivor of Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare childhood cancer, Marisa has used her platform to raise awareness and support for individuals diagnosed with cancer and undergoing chemotherapy.
Marisa continues to volunteer her time with various charity organizations, including the Tomorrow's Children Fund, The Young Storytellers Foundation, and Project Angel Food. She has also been involved in several notable events, including being the Commencement Speaker at her alma mater, Kean University in New Jersey, and being honored as "Woman of the Year" by The Center for Italian and Italian-American Culture in her home state of New Jersey.
