Carlease Burke

When Carlease Burke rented John Travolta "The Cadillac of Mini Vans" in the film Get Shorty (1995), she wondered if her unusual name would land her the high octane jobs in Hollywood. Director Barry Sonnenfeld said it did and there have been other high beams in her film acting career: In Her Shoes (2005) opposite Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette, directed by Curtis Hanson; and The Terminal (2004) with Tom Hanks, directed by Steven Spielberg. Manufactured in New York City, Ms. Burke was encouraged to go into show business by her childhood dentist in her hometown of Hollis, Queens. After graduating with a BA in Pre-Law from City College of New York and a couple of Off-Broadway shows under her timing belt, she steered west to work with Timothy Busfieldin his children's company, The Fantasy Theatre. Most recently, Carlease has maintained stability in national commercials such as GEICO (A Bird In The Hand), Pfizer(mytimetoquit) Macy's, Verizon, and Honda. Her first TV credit was a recurring