Paggi House, a romantic little upscale eatery in Austin that’s been around for decades, was once the residence of Nicole Paggi’s great-great-grandfather.
The twentysomething actress, who stars in ABC’s “Hope & Faith,” was born in Austin, grew up in Georgetown, Texas, and graduated from what was Southwest Texas State University, now Texas State University-San Marcos. She plays 15-year-old Sydney, daughter of Faith Ford’s character Hope, on the Friday night sitcom that stars Ford and Kelly Ripa as sisters.
Paggi keeps a complicated bi-coastal cycle, taping “Hope & Faith” in New York for three weeks and going back to her main residence in Los Angeles for one week.
Paggi says she dreamed of becoming an actor for years but knew she needed an education first. After graduating from college with a degree in marketing, she decided to make the leap.
“Hollywood seemed like another country,” Paggi said. “Something in my heart was telling me to go, but it seemed unrealistic. Finally, I just went for it. At first, my family laughed, but then they realized I was serious.”
Her first pilot, Fox’s short-lived but critically praised primetime soap opera “Pasadena,” got things started. She landed the role of Jennie, star Alison Lohman’s best friend.
Several TV guest shots followed, including a recurring role on NBC’s drama “Providence.” She’s been working steadily for 21 1/42 years, but “Hope & Faith,” now ranked in the Top 50 among 158 regular series, is her best shot at stardom.
Sydney is a rebellious teen whose hormones are raging and who gets along better with her glamorous aunt (Ripa) than her stay-at-home mom.
“I went in for auditions nine times,” Paggi said. “I had a feeling it was going to be big because Kelly has such a strong fan base, and Faith Ford is so skilled.”
Paggi doesn’t make public her exact age because she’s playing a character so much younger, but she doesn’t mind playing a teenager.
“From a business standpoint, it’s such a selling point,” she said. “It gives me longevity. I came into the business late and don’t really have a foot-long resume. Everything’s a stepping stone. This may not be my favorite character to play, but it’s so much fun on the set, and it’ll allow me to play other roles.”
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Edited by Cara DiPasquale ([email protected]) and Kris Karnopp ([email protected])