Gianna Simone (born December 22, 1989) is an American actress, model, and producer.
She has appeared in roles in the feature films ''
Star Trek Into Darkness
''Star Trek Into Darkness'' is a 2013 American science fiction action film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof. It is the 12th installment in the ''Star Trek'' franchise and the sequel to t ...
'' (2013), ''
Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in th ...
'' (2016), ''
I Can Only Imagine'' (2018), ''
Unbroken: Path to Redemption'' (2018), and several television series.
Early life
Simone is originally from
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
and during her youth, lived in
East Boston
East Boston, nicknamed Eastie, is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts annexed by the city of Boston in 1637. Neighboring communities include Winthrop, Revere, and Chelsea. It is separated from the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown and d ...
,
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
,
Revere,
and
Wilbraham. She was abused as a child and placed in Boston's
foster care
Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home ( residential child care community, treatment center, etc.), or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent" or with a family ...
system at thirteen years old.
Her father, Anthony Baxter, was unable to serve as her caretaker at the time, though Simone has since said that Baxter has been "a very positive influence" in her life and helped her make the decision to focus on acting. Around the time Simone entered the foster care system, she enrolled at a gym, where she met the owner Kathy DeMarco, who became her mentor. DeMarco introduced Simone to a small non-denominational Christian
Nondenominational Christianity (or non-denominational Christianity) consists of churches which typically distance themselves from the confessionalism or creedalism of other Christian communities by not formally aligning with a specific Christian d ...
church and wanted to adopt the teenager, but died before doing so.[
Simone attended ]Boston Latin Academy
Boston Latin Academy (BLA) is a public exam school founded in 1878 in Boston, Massachusetts providing students in grades 7th through 12th a classical preparatory education.
Originally named Girls' Latin School until 1977, the school was the ...
. Around age sixteen she began pursuing a modeling career.[
]
Career
Simone originally only wanted to focus on modeling, which she pursued despite opposition from agencies, and secured modeling work without agency representation for several years.[ She signed her first modeling contract with Boston's Maggie Inc. in 2009, and appeared in advertisements for the American Dental Association, ]Carolina Herrera
Carolina Herrera (born María Carolina Josefina Pacanins y Niño; 8 January 1939) is a Venezuelan-American fashion designer known for her personal style, and for dressing various First Ladies, including Jacqueline Onassis, Laura Bush, Michell ...
, Elie Saab
Elie Saab ( ar, إيلي صعب; born 4 July 1964) is a Lebanese fashion designer.
His main workshop is in Lebanon, with additional workshops in Milan and Paris. He started his business in the early 1980s and specialized in bridal couture (ex ...
, Hasbro
Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of K ...
, New Balance
New Balance Athletics, Inc. (NB), best known as simply New Balance, is one of the world's major sports footwear and apparel manufacturers. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the multinational corporation was founded in 1906 as the New Balance Arch ...
, Reebok
Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company ...
, and Vera Wang
Vera Ellen Wang (; born June 27, 1949) is an American fashion designer.
Early life
Vera Ellen Wang was born June 27, 1949 in New York City to Chinese parents who emigrated to the United States in the mid-1940s. Her mother, Florence Wu (Wu ...
. In 2010, she appeared on the cover of ''Boston'' magazine at the age of 20, while living in Boston.[
While pursuing modeling, Simone was encouraged to act by her colleagues. She began to focus on acting when she enrolled at Bunker Hill Community College and then joined the ]Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...
shortly after.[ She relocated to Los Angeles at the age of 21.][ She has appeared in the feature films '']Star Trek Into Darkness
''Star Trek Into Darkness'' is a 2013 American science fiction action film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof. It is the 12th installment in the ''Star Trek'' franchise and the sequel to t ...
'' (2013),[ '']90 Minutes in Heaven
''90 Minutes in Heaven'' is a 2004 Christian book written by Don Piper with Cecil Murphey. The book documents the author's death and resurrection experience in 1989. ''90 Minutes in Heaven'' remained on the '' New York Times Bestseller L ...
'' (2015), ''God's Not Dead 2
''God's Not Dead 2'' is a 2016 American Christian drama film, directed by Harold Cronk, and starring Melissa Joan Hart, Jesse Metcalfe, David A. R. White, Hayley Orrantia and Sadie Robertson. It is a sequel to '' God's Not Dead'' (2014), and t ...
'' (2016), and ''Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in th ...
'' (2016), and '' I Can Only Imagine'' (2018). She is slated to appear in the upcoming films '' Unbroken: Path to Redemption'', ''God Bless the Broke Road'', and ''Run the Race''. Simone has also appeared in several television series, including ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent
''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' is an American police procedural Drama (film and television), drama television series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and Executive producer#Motion pictures and television, p ...
'', ''Chuck
Chuck is a masculine given name or a nickname for Charles or Charlie. It may refer to:
People
Arts and entertainment
* Chuck Alaimo, American saxophonist, leader of the Chuck Alaimo Quartet
* Chuck Barris (1929–2017), American TV producer
* C ...
'', and ''Hitting the Breaks'',[ which she co-produced with ]Pure Flix Entertainment
Pinnacle Peak Pictures (formerly Pure Flix Entertainment) is an American evangelical Christian film production and distribution studio founded by David A. R. White and Russell Wolfe. Pinnacle Peak produces Christian films, including '' God's ...
through her company GS Productions.[ In 2015, she created the original series "Love Gianna", launched via ]YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
channel by REBL HQ, the digital entertainment studio created by Maker Studios
Maker(s) or The Maker(s) may refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Maker'' (film), a 1997 American drama film
*'' Makers: Women Who Make America'', a 2013 American TV documentary, a 2014 TV series, and related media
* Maker Studios, now part of ...
and Full Sail University
Full Sail University is a private for-profit university in Winter Park, Florida. It was formerly a recording studio in Ohio named Full Sail Productions and Full Sail Center for the Recording Arts. The school moved to Florida in 1980 and began ...
.
In 2016, Livingly included Simone in their red carpet fashion
Red carpet fashion refers to the outfits worn on the red carpet at high-profile gala celebrity events such as award ceremonies and film premieres. The clothes worn to award events such as the Oscars and the Golden Globes consistently receive inten ...
rankings following the Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
and Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United ...
. She was also included in ''Vogue Germany'' "Best Dressed" list from the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
Personal life
Simone founded the Gianna Simone Foundation, which provides rescue as well as support to abused and neglected people and animals.[ The foundation is managed by the National Christian Foundation and supports youth in Maryvale (Los Angeles) and ]Rwandan genocide
The Rwandan genocide occurred between 7 April and 15 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. During this period of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa, were killed by armed H ...
survivors.[ Simone also works with the ]animal rescue group
An animal rescue group or animal rescue organization is a group dedicated to pet adoption. These groups take unwanted, abandoned, abused, or stray pets and attempt to find suitable homes for them. Many rescue groups are created by and run by ...
Wings of Rescue, which relocates adoptable pets, on private planes, to no kill shelters and permanent homes.[ Simone also serves on the board of The Plantrician Project.
Simone is of Italian descent and identifies as a Christian and ]vegan
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. ...
.[ She likes ]extreme sport
Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extreme tourism overl ...
s, including riding motorcycles and skydiving
Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the Atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachut ...
, and is an avid aerialist and target shooter.[ Simone resides in Los Angeles.]
Filmography
* ''3rd Shift: Michael's Lament'' (2009)
* ''Beg'' (2011)
* ''Star Trek Into Darkness
''Star Trek Into Darkness'' is a 2013 American science fiction action film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof. It is the 12th installment in the ''Star Trek'' franchise and the sequel to t ...
'' (2013)
* ''90 Minutes in Heaven
''90 Minutes in Heaven'' is a 2004 Christian book written by Don Piper with Cecil Murphey. The book documents the author's death and resurrection experience in 1989. ''90 Minutes in Heaven'' remained on the '' New York Times Bestseller L ...
'' (2015)
* ''God's Not Dead 2
''God's Not Dead 2'' is a 2016 American Christian drama film, directed by Harold Cronk, and starring Melissa Joan Hart, Jesse Metcalfe, David A. R. White, Hayley Orrantia and Sadie Robertson. It is a sequel to '' God's Not Dead'' (2014), and t ...
'' (2016)
* ''Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in th ...
'' (2016)
* ''Run the Race'' (2017)
* '' I Can Only Imagine'' (2018)
* '' Unbroken: Path to Redemption'' (2018)
* ''God Bless the Broken Road
''God Bless the Broken Road'' is a 2018 American Christian drama film directed by Harold Cronk. A loose interpretation of the 1994 song "Bless the Broken Road," the plot follows a mother who loses her husband in the War in Afghanistan and must c ...
'' (2018)
Television
* ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent
''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' is an American police procedural Drama (film and television), drama television series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and Executive producer#Motion pictures and television, p ...
'' (1 episode: "Gods & Insects", season 9
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...
, 2010)
* ''Chuck
Chuck is a masculine given name or a nickname for Charles or Charlie. It may refer to:
People
Arts and entertainment
* Chuck Alaimo, American saxophonist, leader of the Chuck Alaimo Quartet
* Chuck Barris (1929–2017), American TV producer
* C ...
'' (1 episode: " Chuck Versus the Wedding Planner", season 4 Season 4 may refer to:
* "Season 4" (''30 Rock'' episode), an episode of ''30 Rock''
See also
*
* Season One (disambiguation)
* Season 2 (disambiguation) Season 2 may refer to:
* ''Season 2'' (Infinite album)
* '' 2econd Season''
See also
*
...
, 2011)
* ''Hitting the Breaks'' (ten episodes, 2016)
See also
* List of ''Chuck'' cast members
* List of Italian-American actors
To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Italian American actors or must have references showing they are Italian American actors and are notable. As discussed in the 2005 book ''Hollywood Italians ...
References
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simone, Gianna
Living people
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from Boston
Actresses from Los Angeles
American Christians
American female models
American film actresses
American people of Italian descent
American producers
American television actresses
Bunker Hill Community College alumni
People from Chelsea, Massachusetts
People from East Boston, Boston
People from Revere, Massachusetts
1989 births
Boston Latin Academy alumni