Strong Medicine

Background:

“I question those guys who get their daily dose of SportsCenter. I think that's weirder than guys watching Lifetime. We have hot girls on Lifetime. If men like women, they're going to like Lifetime.” Rosa Blasi.

Having performed on over 40 professional productions (including musicals) since she was 8 years old, Chicago native Rosa Blasi later garnered recognition on television while starring as Dr. Luisa "Lu" Magdalena Delgado, who runs the free clinic on the hit Lifetime's intelligent medical drama "Strong Medicine" (2000-2006). Meanwhile, she starred as the mistress of the Panamanian general in the critically-acclaimed Showtime's biographical TV-movie "Noriega: God's Favorite" (2000) and supported Sarah Michelle Gellar in the blockbuster horror/thriller film, “The Grudge” (2004), playing the wife of Bill Pullman's character. She also has appeared in a string of TV shows, including "Hitz," "Married... with Children," "Frasier," "Beverly Hills, 90210," and "The Drew Carey Show."

Known for her reputation as having a sharp tongue and quick wit, Blasi has been a recurrent guest on such shows as “The View,” “Hollywood Squares,” “The Other Half,” and “Politically Incorrect.” She also has appeared in the Obie Award-winning episodic play “The Vagina Monologues” at the Apollo Theater.

“I remember being 8 years old and hiking up my swimsuit to make my legs look longer. I hoped that it would attract the lifeguard, who must have been 16. In my brain, you know, I thought I had a shot.” Rosa Blasi.

The 5' 2" Latina was Miss Rockford 1993 (Swimsuit Preliminary) and Miss Chicago 1994, and a finalist in the Miss Illinois pageants of both years. She has been married to New York Giants fullback Jim Finn since 2004 and has one daughter with him.

Rosa Estelle

Childhood and Family:

Born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 19, 1972, Rosa Estelle Blasi was raised in Mt. Prospect. Rosa's ethnic background is Puerto Rican, Italian, and Irish. Her father, Rocco, is Italian and knows 8 languages, while her mother, Joyce, is Latina/Irish. She has a sister named Tasha who is a High School Biology teacher, who currently works in Santa Monica, and one brother named Rocky.

Rosa speaks fluent Italian and is a classically trained mezzo soprano. She has had piano classes for 5 years, dancing classes for 5 years, and voice training for 13 years. She is close friends with actor Sean Hayes and actress Lisa Vidal.

On February 14, 2004, Rosa married New York Giants fullback Jim Finn (born on December 9, 1976) in Maui. They welcomed their first child together, a daughter named Marjorie Clothilde, on September 20, 2006.

Dr. Lu

Career:

“When I'm not listening to rap I like Broadway. Does that make me bipolar?” Rosa Blasi.

A Chicago native, Rosa Blasi has a strong background in theater, including with the esteemed Piven Performance Company and the long-running improvisational comedy troupe The Second City. She has performed on over 40 professional productions since she was 8 years old. Also classically trained as a mezzo soprano, Blasi has been dabbled in musicals and even toured with prolific musician Kenny Rogers.

5' 2" Blasi, whose ethnic background is Puerto Rican, Italian, and Irish, was Miss Rockford 1993 (Swimsuit Preliminary) and Miss Chicago 1994. She was also a finalist in the Miss Illinois pageants of both years.

Afterwards, Blasi landed her television debut with a recurring role on the CBS long-running soap opera, “The Bold and the Beautiful,” followed by guest appearances on two 1996 episodes of the surfing show “High Tide.” She subsequently was spotted as a guest on Fox's popular sitcom “Married... with Children” and starred in the failed comedy series “Lost on Earth.” She also joined the cast of the MTV/UPN sitcom, “Hitz” (1997).

Blasi spent the rest of 1990s appearing in such sitcoms as "Frasier" (NBC), "Becker" (CBS), "Caroline in the City" (NBC), "Grown Ups" (UPN), and "The Drew Carey Show" (ABC), as well as Fox hit primetime television soap opera/teen drama "Beverly Hills, 90210" and CBS show "Sons of Thunder," a spin-off of the western/police dramatic series "Walker, Texas Ranger." She also could be seen in the sci-fi made-for-television movie “Avalon: Beyond the Abyss” (1999), alongside Krista Allen.

Entering the new millennium, Blasi enjoyed her big break when she snagged the lead role of Dr. Luisa "Lu" Magdalena Delgado, who runs the free clinic and hosts a support group on Lifetime's medical drama "Strong Medicine" (2000-2006). Her performance in the show has won her an Imagen Foundation Award for Best Actress in a Television Drama, in addition to two nominations at the Imagen Foundation Awards and one nomination at the ALMA Awards.

The intelligent show, which focuses on feminist politics, health issues and class conflict, was eventually canceled on November 1, 2005. The final episode of the series aired on February 5, 2006.

During her hefty six-year stint in "Strong Medicine," Blasi guest starred in an episode of the syndicated dramedy series starring Pamela Anderson, "V.I.P.." She also co-starred with Bob Hoskins in the critically-acclaimed Showtime's biographical TV-movie about Panamanian general Manuel Antonio 'Tony' Noriega, "Noriega: God's Favorite" (2000), in which she portrayed the title role's mistress Vicky Amador.

After appearing in Matthew Rose's short film about gay issues, "Making Changes" (2004), Blasi made her big screen debut with the blockbuster suspense/horror film "The Grudge" (2004), director Takashi Shimizu's remake of the Japanese film "Ju-on: The Grudge." In the film, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Blasi played Bill Pullman's wife Maria.

Returning to the small screen, Blasi guest-starred in a January 2005 episode of CBS cop drama series “CSI: Miami” and co-starred on NBC unsold comedy series “Inseparable” (2006). Next, Blasi is set to so-star with Mario Lopez, Christina Milian and Anna Chlumsky in an upcoming television comedy series titled "Eight Days a Week," which is set to be aired on The CW Television Network midseason for the 2007-2008 season. In the show that follows the lives of young people who work for big wigs in New York City, Blasi will play Randi Rome, a hard-partying music publicist.

Known for her reputation as having a sharp tongue and quick wit, Blasi has been featured as herself on such shows as ABC's ongoing, multiple Emmy-winning daytime talk show “The View,” NBC/syndicated comedy and game show “Hollywood Squares,” “The Other Half,” and Bill Maher's tragically defunct political talk show “Politically Incorrect” (Comedy Central/ABC). She has also appeared in the Obie Award-winning episodic play “The Vagina Monologues” at the Apollo Theater. Additionally, she has been a recurring performer at the "What a Pair," a benefit concert for breast cancer research, and has recorded a lot of radio and television voice-overs.

Awards:

• Imagen Foundation Awards: Best Actress in a Television Drama, Strong Medicine (2000)