Quick Facts
Name: Vanessa Marcil (Ortiz)
Date of Birth: October 15, 1969
Birthplace: Indio, California
Family: (Parents: Peter & Patricia Ortiz, divorced) (Siblings: Older sisters Tina & Sheri, older brother Sam)
Relationship: Ben Younger since 2005. Ben is a writer/director. He wrote and directed 'Boiler Room,' as well as other features such as 'Prime' starring Meryl Streep.
Children: (1) Son, Kassius Lijah Marcil-Green. Born March 30, 2002. Father is Brian Austin Green. Kassius is named after Muhammad Ali, his father is a huge fan.
Past Relationships: Brian Austin Green (1999-2004), Tyler Christopher (Engaged, 1996-1998), Nathan Fillion (1996)
Height: 5'4"
Clothing Size: 0
Heritage: Mexican, French, Italian, and Portuguese
Height: 5'4" (1.63m)
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown

Vanessa Marcil was born in the small community of Indio, CA, about 25 miles from Palm Springs. The youngest of four children, Vanessa developed an early interest in both acting and music, and began performing in local theater at the age of eight.

Vanessa has performed in numerous theatrical productions, including Neil Simon's Fools and Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. She received critical acclaim for her performance in Southern Rapture, which was directed by Academy Award-winner Peter Fonda, and starred country singer/actor Dwight Yoakum and Academy Award-winner Sally Kirkland. Vanessa was also highly praised for her performance in Starfire, which ran for 12 sold-out weeks during the summer of 1999.

As versatile on screen as she is on stage, Vanessa was awarded her first professional television role on ABC's top-rated daytime drama, General Hospital. Her captivating performances garnered her two Emmy nominations (1997 and 1998) for her portrayal of Brenda Barrett. In February 1998, Vanessa was named "Outstanding Lead Actress" at the Soap Opera Digest Awards. After six years on GH, Vanessa departed the show in August 1998. However, after a four-year break from daytime, Vanessa returned to General Hospital in August 2002.

Aside from GH, Vanessa had numerous other television credits to her name. From 1994 to 1996, she was a host for ABC's In Concert. In 1997, Vanessa starred in the mad-for-television movie To Love, Honor and Deceive, and had a recurring guest role on the police drama High Incident produced by Steven Spielberg. Vanessa joined the cast of Beverly Hills, 90210 in November 1998 and remained with the show for one-and-a-half seasons. In 2001, Vanessa made a guest appearance in the season finale of Spin City and the hit series NYPD Blues.

Vanessa made her feature film debut in the 1997 blockbuster film The Rock, where she starred opposite Nicholas Cage, Sean Connery and Ed Harris. In 1999, she also starred in two independent films Nice Guys Sleep Alone with Sean O'Bryan and This Space Between Us with Jeremy Sisto.

Helping others is something Vanessa feels strongly about and she is personally committed to issues confronting women and children. She was awarded the 2001 "Sojourn Service Award" and has supported Sojourn Services for Battered Women and their children by hosting TVC Charity Events and making appearances on Wheel of Fortune. Through her fundraising efforts, Vanessa hopes to increase awareness of domestic violence and inspire battered woman to take control of their lives.