Bio
Saundra Santiago is an American actress best known for her role as Detective Gina Calabrese on the television drama series Miami Vice, appearing as a main credited cast member from 1984-1989.
Santiago's breakthrough role was in a performance of Arthur Miller's A View From The Bridge on Broadway, and she would go on to star in Marvin Hamlisch's musical Smile as well as seminal hip hop movie Beat Street.
Santiago also read with Al Pacino for the role of Tony Montana's sister Gina in Scarface. Later, she was cast in the recurring role of Jean Cusamano and twin sister Joan on the hit HBO series The Sopranos.
She also created the role of Carmen Santos on CBS's longest running soap opera, Guiding Light. For her role, Santiago was the 2002 recipient of an Alma Award for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama and a nominee in the same category in 2001.
She also played the role of Angelina Parades (aka Isobella Santi) in One Life To Live in 2004. She has played two different guest roles in Law & Order, one in 1992 and the other in 2004.
Santiago has appeared in the made-for-TV movies The Cosby Mysteries (1994), With Hostile Intent (1995), Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan (1995), and To Sir, with Love II (1996).
She has had roles in the feature films The End of August (1982), Beat Street (1984), Carlito's Way (1993), Nick and Jane (1997), Hi-Life (1998), Garmento (2002) and The Promise (2006).
In 2007 she appeared in the FX television series Damages.