BIOGRAPHY

NATALIE RAITANO

Date of Birth: October 3, 1969 Birth Place: Charleroi, Pennsylvania Height: 5'3 Facts: Born and raised in Charleroi, Natalie spent her childhood studying singing, ballet, jazz and gymnastics, always being the performer. After attending Mon-Valley Catholic High school, Raitano majored in dance and performing arts at Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA

" Fitness fans will recall 5-foot-3 live wire Natalie Raitano as host of the series "Hip Hop Body Shop" which ran on cable’s ESPN2 three years ago. The talented singer and dancer brings that same hip-hop energy to the role of Nikki, the weapons and explosives specialist on the action series "V.I.P." A one-hour series blending action and humor amidst the glamour and fast-paced life of Hollywood, Beverly Hills and trendy Los Angeles, "V.I.P." is produced by and distributed by Sony Pictures Television.

In the series, Pamela Anderson plays Vallery Irons, the unlikely head of an elite professional bodyguard agency. Raitano plays Nikki Franco, whose expertise with guns, fast cars and explosives lends extra muscle when the agency has to protect the rich and famous from danger. "Nikki is a street-tough girl from a family of mobsters who went straight," Raitano says. "She’s a rebel and when she got in trouble, her father, a cop, said it’s either jail or the military. She joins the service and comes out fully trained in explosives. She’s always ready to go."

Born and raised in Charleroi, a small town south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a younger brother and sister, Raitano had the opportunity at a young age to study gymnastics, skiing, dancing, singing and the piano.

Her father owns a paper products company and her mother, like Raitano herself, is active in the Special Olympics. Raitano’s sister has Down’s Syndrome. "She’s amazing," Raitano says. "She works at my father’s company. She’s also a deejay, and she’s really into the Special Olympics. Her name is Nicole but we call her Nicky, and she’s delighted that my name in ‘V.I.P.’ is Nikki."

When she first moved to Los Angeles, Raitano considered her options: "I wanted something exciting that fulfilled my passion. I explored dance and hip-hop but really wanted to sing. Within a few weeks I hooked up with a few girls and we formed Breeze, a singing group." As she pursued her passion, Raitano worked as a waitress, florist and aerobics instructor. She was introduced to Hollywood when, during a training session, one of her clients asked her to meet J.F. Lawton, creator and executive producer of "V.I.P." Soon after the meeting, Lawton pushed her to audition for the role of Nikki. She did and, says Lawton, "She just leaped off the screen." "

By: http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/vip/