Saundra Santiago is a versatile actress who has worked in television, movies and on the Broadway stage. She holds a BFA from the University of Miami, and an MFA from Southern Methodist University. She is also a member of the Actor’s Studio in New York City. She was born and raised in the Bronx.
You can catch Saundra on the many episodics she’s starred in such as “Gotham,” “True Detective,” & the upcoming, “Blue Bloods.” She portrayed the recurring role of “Marciela” in the Fox series, “Gang Related.” She played Sonia Braga’s sister for Hallmark’s Movie, “Meddling Mom.” Living in Manhattan, she has guest starred on most NYC’s based television shows, such as “Person of Interest,” “Law and Order,” and the short lived, “The Unusuals,” & “Cashmere Mafia.” She recurred as Karen Gonzales in the first season of the Glenn Close FX hit, “Damages.” Her favorite recurring role or roles, for that matter, were playing twin sisters, Jeannie and Joan Cusamano on HBO’s monster hit, “The Sopranos.” She is most known for her series regular role as Gina Calabrese in the cult show, “Miami Vice” for which she played in for its full 5 seasons. She’s performed opposite the great Sidney Poiter, Bill Cosby and Elizabeth Montgomery in several MOWs. She’s danced with Al Pacino in “Carlito’s Way,” mothered Rosario Dawson in “25th Hour,” and done many Indies, and shorts. Her latest indie, “The House that Jack Built,” was just released in movie theaters, and VOD. Saundra made her Broadway debut in the 1st Tony Award nominated Arthur Miller play, “A View from the Bridge” as Catherine starring opposite Tony LoBianco. She was last seen on Broadway in the Tony Award winning “Nine,” starring Antonio Banderas. She continued to perform on Broadway and Off in musicals and plays, including “The Glass Menagerie” as Amanda Wingfield, “The House of Bernarda Alba,” the Tony Award nominated musical, “Chronicle of a Death Foretold,” “Hello Again,” “Spike Heels,” (with Kevin Bacon), and even toured the states and Canada with “Evita” as Eva Peron. You can hear Saundra singing on two musical recordings of “The House of Bernarda Alba,” and “Nine.” She also sang on two of the six Johnny Carson shows she guested on. On daytime, Saundra 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 Ouststanding Actress in a Daytime Drama and nominated several times. She stepped in the portray Carlotta Vega on ABC’s “One Life to Live” in its final years.
You can occasionally catch Saundra singing at the several cabaret clubs in NYC.
