Bio
Born and raised in Ocala, Florida, American actress Deanna Wright is best known for her role as Kay Bennett on the soapie Passions.
Since leaving the show after three years in 2003, Deanna has appeared on Run of the House, Miss Match and CSI: Miami.
Her first-ever theatre project saw her playing the role of Cherryl in a piece entitled The Lamb, as part of an evening of one act pilot presentations, called Naked TV, produced by the Naked Angels Theatre Company (based in New York) in association with Fox Broadcasting.
Deanna's career has its roots in modeling – her formal training having started at Cassandra Carrigan's Model Centre in Ocala when she was 12 years old.
After six weeks at the school, Cassandra jumped at the chance to become Deanna's manager and – over the next three years – helped her secure auditions with companies such as Quincy's, Walt Disney, Euro Disney and Sea World.
Deanna's modeling career took off in the summer of 1997 when Flash of Milan, an Italian modeling agency, was granted permission to represent her in Europe. She spent eight weeks in Italy modeling for teen magazines and catalogues, including a campaign for Wella, an international hair product company.
In October 1998, Sheffield-Bloom – a television, commercial and film agency based in Miami – asked Deanna to audition for an acting role, though her background was in modeling. The experience resulted in a desire to pursue acting as a full-time career.
During the 1999 pilot season, Deanna continued her training, traveling to Miami regularly to tape auditions that were sent to Los Angeles by her agent.
One of those tapes resulted in a screen test that landed her the role of Pennie in the television pilot, Manchester Prep. The show was picked up, dropped, and later turned into the movie, Cruel Intentions 2.
In June 1999, Deanna began taking formal acting classes at the Acting Studio in Hollywood, Florida, and in August 2000 landed her role on Passions.
She also appeared in episodes of the television comedies Modern Men, Out Of Practice and That '70's Show.