An actress raised well outside the realm of show business -- as the daughter of an environmentalist in New Jersey -- Deanna Russo received formal dramatic instruction under the aegis of such coaches as Jack Hannibal, Marketa Kimbrell, and Sanford Meisner, then took her stage bow in Anne Demers' play {+Hidden Mandala} in 2002.
That same year, Russo moved to Los Angeles and ignited a presence on the big and small screens -- an effort culminating in increased activity near the end of the decade. In 2006, Russo appeared in the low-budget, direct-to-video slasher movie Rest Stop and directed a short subject, Taste of Kream; two years later, she headlined the telemovie Knight Rider, based on the seminal '80s series of the same name. Off-camera, Russo has become actively involved with The Underground, an alternative, politically oriented Los Angeles-area television program initially seen on channel LA36 from 2005 to 2006. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide. 