10 Hot and Talented Upcoming Actresses from Chicago

Heather Dorff is a Los Angeles based award winning actress. Born and raised in Chicago, IL, she has also spent time living in Georgia, New York, and Louisiana, as well as visited Italy, Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom, giving her a wide perspective of people and cultures around the world.

Heather has studied Meisner acting technique at Act One Studios & with acting coach Ed Hooks. Heather landed her first acting roles in music videos featuring Ross Crean and Etare Neged. Shortly after she received her breakout role in the vampire thriller, feature film, 'Afraid of Sunrise'. She has received many lead and supporting film roles since. Heather produced and starred in the award winning short dark drama film 'What They Say', a film based on a short story she also penned. Heather most recently starred alongside fellow indie scream queen actress and director Jessica Cameron in the multi award winning feature film 'Truth or Dare' and again starred alongside Cameron in the short film 'The Tour' shot on location in London, UK.

Apart from acting, Heather has experience in modeling, public speaking, event hosting, web design, roller and ice skating, skiing, horseback riding, and has trained in MMA kickboxing. She plans to continue expanding and perfecting her acting technique by continuing acting courses and filming in Los Angeles.

Kelsey Zukowski is an experienced and passionate screenwriter, actress, and model, specializing in the horror genre through dark examination. Based in Los Angeles, she has worked on productions across the country, working heavily in the indie horror scene in Chicago as well as LA. Zukowski is most well-known for penning and co-starring in the surreal dark drama, "What They Say", winning awards at film festivals across the country. More recently her tale of real life horrors of bullying and abuse in the psychological slasher, "Words Like Knives", premiered at Blood at the Beach festival in Virginia Beach. Zukowski is working on the feature haunted house film, "Within These Walls", a gritty collaboration with filmmaker James Tucker, centering on a disturbing ghost story that brings out complete entrapment and relentless torment of one girl as she struggles to find her inner-strength (played by Zukowski).

Zukowski is a huge believer in all that the horror genre is capable of. She strives to dive in to the good and the bad, the light and darkness, that surrounds us, in a creative, justifying sense through the genre. She eagerly ventures in to other genres, but her home is in horror. Zukowski was heavily inspired at an early age by the Halloween franchise, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and fellow Cleveland-native, Wes Craven's surreal and 'fighting through the mind' brand of horror in particular.

Zukowski has a background in theater, having fallen in love with acting during a school production when she was 10. This love of acting proved to be a love of storytelling and the cinema in particular. When Zukowski was 14 she began writing film reviews, greatly inspired by the late Roger Ebert's writing style and ability to relay the entire movie going experience in his reviews. While still in high school in Ohio, Zukowski's film reviews were being published in the California-based newspaper, The Valley Voice. She has been a published film critic for the past 7 years writing for a variety of websites including Criticsword.com, HorrorYearbook.com, FilmArcade.net, DirectorsLive.com, TheCelebrityCafe.com, and 8th-circuit.com. She's written TV recaps, music and movie reviews, news stories, and has conducted interviews with independent film makers around the world. She has covered and shown appreciation for all types of films from low budget independent to Hollywood mainstream and always eager to highlight foreign films or unknown gems.

Zukowski has a Bachelors of Arts in Digital Cinema with a concentration in Screenwriting from DePaul University. Shortly after graduating, Zukowski became involved with the independent film scene. Some of her earliest roles were in various productions of crime writer, Kevin Jamison's intense serial killer depictions, the throwback horror anthology "Psycho Street", and the Autumn Offering "Born Dead" music video, which aired on MTV2's Head Banger's Ball. From acting she bridged in to modeling, working heavily with alternative, pin-up, and glamor modeling. As in her writing, Zukowski is most drawn to thematic, stylistic modeling that has an artistic expression, human emotion, and creates a singular world within an image.

Anita Nicole Brown is an aspiring actress who caught the acting bug late. Although cast in many independent films, Brown still considers herself aspiring because she feels that with acting (as with anything in life) one should always look to grow and learn more. And that is what she is doing.

Coming late into the field, Brown feels she has been blessed with many life experiences that have prepared her for each and every character she has and will be cast in. She has played the gamut of characters that include an action fighter (Crisis Function and Crisis Function Awakening - still filming), a detective investigating corruption (Wages of Sin: Special Tactics - still filming), a jury member trying not to be swayed by her fellow jurors (12 Angry Women - still filming), a woman who discovers her boyfriend has been cheating on her (Pieces of David) and even a mother pushed to the edge (A Woman And A Gun)!

But Brown has yet to accomplish her goal: Showing the world that a Type One Diabetic (T1D) can and will accomplish anything they desire and change the perception of diabetics in this industry. After almost 17 years as a T1D, Brown has overcome so much with her diabetes especially regaining the ability to walk after fighting diabetic nerve damage in her legs and feet almost nine years ago. And now, Brown wears her diabetes each and every day. Literally! She has an insulin pump and for some productions, the thought of having an actress with such a visible device for treatment has been a bit unnerving. But in the past few years, Brown has seen a change in which production companies are writing her character in as a diabetic who is strong and determined OR they allow the pump to be worn and shown without feeling the need to address it because it does not take away from Brown's ability to deliver the character.

It is a slow change but it is one Brown is excited about accomplishing! Look out world, Anita Nicole Brown has much more to show you!

Wendy George is known for The Dilemma (2011), Epitaph: Bread and Salt (2013) and Once Upon a Time in the Hood (2004).

Born in the Downriver suburbs of Detroit, Valerie Meachum grew up an Air Force brat, logging fifteen addresses by age twelve. Now based in the Chicago suburbs, she's equally at home in new plays on storefront stages, musicals and classics in the burbs, and the vibrant independent film scene of "Hollywood Midwest."

She has written and is working on producing an evening-length solo theatre piece about Pre-Raphaelite model/artist/poet Elizabeth Siddal. Also a highly accomplished costumer, she often puts her combined skills to good use by bringing beloved heroines to life for children at hospitals and charity events.

Deneen Melody is a voice over and film actress located in Los Angeles, CA. She is known as the voice of Zoé Lee from the popular animated series, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, as well as other characters from a wide variety of animated series, anime, and video games. Deneen is also a professionally trained dancer, performance artist, and circus performer.

Cristin McAlister is known for The Glass House (2014), Epitaph: Bread and Salt (2013) and Love (2016).

Leah MacDonald is known for Epitaph: Bread and Salt (2013), Ring of Time (2013) and Foursome (2013).

Yohanni Liman is known for Epitaph: Bread and Salt (2013), Transit (2019) and The Alumni Chapter (2011).

Leena holds a B.A. in Film/Video Production from Columbia College and studied acting technique in the vibrant Chicago theater scene. Her comedy training includes Second City Chicago and the Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles, where she wrote and performed with the character-sketch group Soul Sista Comedy, both on their mainstage, as well as The Pack Theater, Comedy Central Stage, and more. Currently she creates online sketch comedy with Deadline Junkies' SkeDJes, writes half hour comedy pilots, and really tries to get her succulents to propagate.