When Carlease Burke rented John Travolta “The Cadillac of Mini Vans” in the film Get Shorty, she wondered if her unusual name would land her the high octane jobs in Hollywood.  We may never know, but it certainly prepared her for 2 high beams in her film acting career: In Her Shoes opposite Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette directed by Curtis Hanson; and The Terminal with Tom Hanks, directed by Steven Spielberg. “Working with these two heavy hitters was amazing.  They are truly the most powerful in their class.” Watch her as she continues to shine in the upcoming Jennifer Lopez film, The Back-Up Plan.

This low maintenance, high performance actress had stars in her headlights for as long as she can remember.  Manufactured in New York City, Ms. Burke was encouraged to go into show business by her childhood dentist in her hometown of Hollis, Queens.  After graduating with a BA in Pre-Law from City College of New York and a couple of Off-Broadway shows under her timing belt, she steered west to work with Tim Busfield in his children’s company, The Fantasy Theatre. Her first TV job was a recurring role on The Young and The Restless.

Most recently, Carlease has maintained stability in national commercials such as Pfizer (mytimetoquit), Macy’s, Verizon, Pizza Hut, AARP and The Ad Council. Her ever expanding list of guest star credits include Heroes, Southland, NCIS, Grey’s Anatomy, Bones, The Riches, Desperate Housewives, Malcolm in the Middle, Without a Trace, Monk, and How I Met Your Mother .

Carlease’s knowledge of American Sign Language paved the way to the role of Principal Jennifer Kramer in the Hallmark movie of the week, Sweet Nothing In My Ear starring Marlee Matlin and Jeff Daniels. 

Carlease also spins her wheels in live theatre. She played The Nurse in Boston Court’s Romeo & Juliet. Her exhilarating and confident performance earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress by the NAACP. Ms. Burke most recently portrayed Aunt Ester in August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean at The Fountain Theatre.

Carlease Burke is high octane performer who never seems to run out of gas. Under the hood of her production company, Bits N Pieces Productions lies Laugh-A-Latte a monthly stand-up comedy show that Ms. Burke hosts and produces in Long Beach, CA, and her reality solo show, FIFTY! It Doesn’t Look This Good On Everybody winner of The Actors Repertory’s 2nd annual solo show festival.  Currently in development is a web series that picks up where the solo show leaves off. A portion of the proceeds from these projects are donated to the Wellness Community for cancer survivors.

Even while in park Carlease is never idle.  In her free time, she enjoys walking and riding her bicycle near the ocean, trying out new recipes traveling, hula hooping and playing bid whist.