Lana Parrilla (“Boomtown”) plays Nina Schaefer, a married woman who is still in love with her college sweetheart on NBC’s new mid-season drama “Windfall.”

Parrilla, whose mother is a painter and artist -- and whose dad was a professional baseball player -- says she grew up in a household where creativity and pursuing one's dreams were definitely encouraged. "When I was just a kid growing up in Brooklyn," said Parrilla, "I was constantly making home videos with my family -- real silly high-concept productions, like 'Attack of the Killer Handkerchief.' I guess I knew even then that I wanted to be an actress."

After graduating from high school, Parrilla moved to Los Angeles to study acting and pursue a professional career. She made her feature-film debut in the requisite sci-fi horror film, but then went on to land a guest-starring role on the television series "Grown Ups." She appeared in Steven Spielberg’s action series pilot "Semper Fi" before being cast in the recurring role of Angie Ordonez on "Spin City," opposite Charlie Sheen, during the 2000-01 season.

Last season, Parrilla was a regular on the hit show "24" as Sarah Gavin, who worked in CTU trying to find terrorists. Her television credits also include guest appearances on "JAG" and "The Shield."

Recently, Parrilla was honored with an Imagen Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her moving portrayal of Teresa Ortiz on "Boomtown" in its debut season.

Parrilla has dedicated her time to helping the victims of the tsunami in Sri Lanka by starting an art and sports program for refugee camp children. She plans to return this April to further develop the program.

Parrilla lives in Los Angeles with her two Bengal cats, Stanley and Lenny. Her birthday is July 15.