Biography
Austin, Texas native Jessica Polsky grew up with her sights set on Broadway, and began her triple-threat training while still in diapers. After a childhood steeped in stage and studying, Jessica graduated on full scholarship from the University of Arizona's prestigious Performing Arts Department as a Dance BFA, magna cum laude. A semester studying abroad and working with a professional dance company in Florence, Italy during her four years of college allowed her to add a degree in Italian on to her credentials, and she graduated with a BA in Italian, as well, also magna cum laude.
Her subsequent move to NYC to begin her professional performing career was met with almost instant success in Broadway musicals on tour throughout the world, as well as with select New York engagements, the beginnings of her film/tv career, and the start of her calling "behind the table" casting and directing.
Then came the call from Italian network TV: they had caught wind that there was a young American actress around, fluent in Italian and with the right "look" for the Italian market. They offered her a starring role on the hot, new prime-time sitcom, Camera Cafe'. Jessica accepted this offer and the rest, as they say, is history...
Camera Cafe' was an explosive hit, like nothing Italian television had seen for years, and created a fanatical following that can only be compared to that of Friends or Seinfeld. Jessica's character, which they left named "Jessica", was one of the lead elements of this sitcom set among the disgruntled employees of a corporate office. The show's stellar popularity took Jessica right along with it: the first season she won recognition from Italy's Accademia dei Telefilm (Best Lead Actress of the Television Season), and subsequently for many years was one of the country's most in-demand A-list celebrities.
She was a favorite of the press and of all corners of the industry. She could be seen constantly featured in cameos on every genre of TV project, as a special guest on talk shows, in magazines, on the radio, on the red carpet, in large-scale celebrity endorsement ad campaigns, and as a participant in promotional and charity events.
Following this success Jessica moved on and up within the industry in Italy and starred in a steady stream of highly visible and successful projects dedicated to her. This launched her into a multi-decade European career, moving from one primetime network hit to another, both as actor and as broadcast host.
Jessica was also the recipient of the Italian Parliament's prestigious "Italy-USA Cultural Ambassadorship" in recognition of her bi-continental acting career, and for the rare positive role-model celebrity she has become. This distinguished honor is reserved for opinion leaders whose professional and philanthropic endeavors promote friendly ties between the two nations. Soon after she was additionally awarded the prestigious "Crocitti Award", recognized as the Outstanding International Talent for all of Italy for her role opposite Danny Glover in the blockbuster hit feature film Ulysses: A Dark Odyssey.
Interspersed with this success in Europe, Jessica traveled home to NYC often to take part in selected theatre, film, and TV projects for the US market. After some years back and forth, her interest and focus began to shift more clearly to directing, casting, producing, and coaching. This repositioned her in the industry as a power player on the judging panel of film festivals and network TV talent competitions, penning adaptations of screenplays and treatments exchanged between the Italian and English-speaking entertainment industries, and she was even given a monthly magazine column, "Backstage", in the Italian publication Entertainment Illustrated, treating readers to an insider glimpse behind the scenes of show business.
Jessica has been the on-set cast acting/dialogue coach for multiple international series and cinematic projects, and is called on regularly as a consultant for musical theatre productions while juggling a busy calendar of mentoring at pre-professional performing arts training institutions, worldwide. This has culminated into her current career as Senior Agent with the premiere talent agency worldwide for international-specialized representation. Their offices span across Europe, the USA, and the UK, and Jessica works daily to place her roster of actors from all over the world in tv, film, theatre, commercials, and more.
