- published: 02 May 2014
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Jennifer Esposito (born April 11, 1973) is an American actress, dancer and model, known for her appearances in the films I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Summer of Sam and Crash, and in the television series Spin City, The Looney Tunes Show, Samantha Who? and Blue Bloods.
Esposito was born in Brooklyn, New York, the second of two daughters of Phyllis, an interior decorator, and Robert Esposito, a computer consultant and music producer. She is of Italian descent. She was raised on Staten Island and is a graduate of Moore Catholic High School in Staten Island.
Esposito made her first television appearance in Law & Order in 1996. She then joined the cast of Spin City, where she appeared for two seasons. She also appeared in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. One of her more notable roles was as Ruby in Spike Lee's Summer of Sam in 1999, which was set against the late-1970s backdrop of the Son of Sam murders. She was originally cast in the Mira Sorvino role, but had to take a different role due to scheduling conflicts. Esposito's next films included Wes Craven Presents: Dracula 2000, The Master of Disguise, the 2004 comedy Taxi, and the Academy Award-winning film Crash, in which she played Don Cheadle's character's girlfriend Ria.