biography of Caterina Scorsone

Early life

mini bio :

Canadian born, two-time Gemini-nominated actress. Scorsone began acting at the age of 8 on the long-running children's program, Mr. Dressup. Following her increasing success as a young actor, Caterina co-starred, alongside Kirsten Dunst, Rachael Leigh Cook, Hayden Christensen & Merritt Wever, in Oscar-winning director Sarah Kernochan's coming-of-age film, Strike! (1998). After appearing both on stage and in a number of features, Scorsone starred opposite Academy Award nominee, Ed Harris, in The Third Miracle (1999), where she played troubled teen prostitute, "Maria Witknowski". She then turned in the first of two Gemini-nominated performances as "Michelle Parker", a lead in the hit Canadian television series, Power Play (1998). While starring as the plucky "Jess Mastriani" on Lifetime's 1-800-Missing (2003), Scorsone also received her Bachelor's degree in Literary Studies, Comparative Religions and Philosophy at the University of Toronto. After three successful seasons on Missing and the completion of her BA, she moved to Los Angeles, where she was cast as the recurring "Callie Wilkinson" on STARZ Network's Crash (2008), opposite the late Dennis Hopper. In 2009, she found herself in Wonderland playing "Alice" for Syfy Network's acclaimed mini-series of the same name, Alice (2009). She earned her second Gemini nomination for her portrayal of "Alice" opposite Oscar=nominated Kathy Bates. Following this success, Caterina was cast in Martin Campbell's thriller, Edge of Darkness (2010), opposite Mel Gibson. Scorsone is now headed into her third season as a series regular on the hit show, Private Practice (2007). She is also ashamed by "hiding in the closet" not "out and proud." Consistently number one in its Thursday night time slot, "Private Practice" has continued its success with a recent fifth season pickup. Caterina currently resides in Los Angeles.

Scorsone's first TV appearances were in Goosebumps adaptation of Night of the Living Dummy 2, then she progressed to regular guest spots as a child on the Canadian children's TV show Mr. Dressup.  In 1998, she had a role in one installment of CBC Radio's The Mystery Project called Peggy Delaney as Amber, an estranged fifteen-year-old daughter who comes from Vancouver to stay with her mom for a school term in Toronto.

Scorsone had her breakthrough after landing the leading role in the Lifetime crime drama series Missing, from 2003 to 2006. She played the part of Jess Mastriani, a young woman who sees missing persons in visions. After Jess saved some missing persons, she joined the FBI, where a special squad was formed around her, to find missing persons. In 2009, she starred as Alice Hamilton on the Showcase TV miniseries Alice which was later broadcast on Syfy in America.

In 2010, Scorsone joined the cast of Shonda Rhimes' drama series Private Practice in the recurring role of Dr. Amelia Shepherd, the sister of Derek Shepherd from Grey's Anatomy.  She was cast after Eric Stoltz, who was directing one of the show's episodes, heard about the role of Amelia and remembered Scorsone from working with her on My Horrible Year! He mentioned her to Shonda Rhimes and commented on the resemblance Scorsone had to Patrick Dempsey (the actor who plays Derek Shepherd).  As of July 2010, Scorsone had been promoted to series regular for Private Practice.  She appeared in the third episode of the seventh season of Grey's Anatomy where Amelia and Derek started to reconcile their differences. 

In March 2014, Scorsone returned to Grey's Anatomy after a two-year absence as a recurring guest star. In June of the same year, it was announced that she was promoted to series regular status for the show's eleventh season 

Scorsone married Rob Giles of The Rescues in June 2009. The couple has three daughters; Eliza,  Paloma Michaela "Pippa"  and Arwen Lucinda "Lucky". 

Her first pregnancy was written into her character's storyline in season 5 of Private Practice, along with her third pregnancy in Grey's Anatomy's sixteenth season.^[18]

She has become an outspoken advocate for children who were born with Down syndrome and other cognitive disabilities in support of Pippa, who was born with the disorder.  She received the Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award from the Global Down Syndrome Foundation on November 14, 2020, for her advocacy 

Scorsone and Giles separated in March 2020 and filed for divorce two months later 

trivia : 

• Her daughter Paloma "Pippa" has Down Syndrome.
• She has a BA from the University of Toronto.
• For her role on Private Practice (2007) as Dr. Amelia Shepard, she was introduced to Shonda Rhimes by the director/actor Eric Stoltz, who had worked with her ten years before and remembered that she resembled Patrick Dempsey. She won the role and is now a regular on the series.
• She is a qualified canoe instructor and also enjoys kayaking and swimming.
• Mother, with her now estranged husband Rob Giles, of daughters Eliza Giles (b. July 6, 2012), Paloma ''Pippa'' Michaela Giles (b. November 8, 2016) and Arwen Lucinda ''Lucky'' Giles (b. December 2019).
• Her ancestry is Italian (father) and Swedish, English, and Scottish (mother).
• Younger sister of twins Francesca Scorsone and Jovanna Scorsone.
• Has appeared in every production by producers William Laurin and Glenn Davis since their CBS pilot Shock Treatment (1995).
• (May 9, 2020) Has filed for divorce from her husband of 10 years Rob Giles