Let me start by saying that there is something about this actor which makes me all warm and fuzzy and I can't quite pinpoint it. Smile related, perhaps eye-based, I can't tell.
She was born Amanda Marie Rodgers in Melbourne, Australia on January 31st, 1973. She was studying law with hopes of becoming an attorney, when she auditioned for a role in John Duigan's independent masterpiece "Sirens". Her character in this film, "Giddy" abandoned a chaste and relatively conservative lifestyle for a more hedonistic one. It kind of mirrored Portia's decision to leave law behind and become an actress professionally.
She starred in some pretty unknown productions, "The Woman in the Moon", and the TV show "Too Something". She guest-starred on "Veronica's Closet" and had a recurring role on "Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher".
She was in "Scream 2", which couldn't have hurt her rise to stardom in the states. She starred as the icily erotic "Nelle Porter" on Ally McBeal. She plays a lawyer, which is an interesting twist of reality meets TV.
Other credits include some other TV-shows, and the films "The Invisibles", "Girl", "American Intellectuals" and "Stigmata".
When I first watched Stigmata, I said to myself, "Who is that gorgeous hair-dresser?" It was, I later found out, of course, de Rossi.
I haven't seen all of her movies, but I guess some of them are kinda stinkers. I own "Sirens" and it's pretty good, especially for a debut.
I'll have to get around to seeing the rest of her work, since I've run out
of Angelina Jolie movies...
Was I crushed when I discovered she was a lesbian? Surprisingly, no. I seem to recall thinking how she looked so very happy with her then partner, Francesca Gregorini, whom she later married legally in beautiful British Columbia (it didn't last). I hear she is currently dating Ellen DeGeneres of all people, further proof that Hollywood is a strange place, where strange people gather and do strange things.