Vanessa was born and raised in Toronto. She first caught the acting bug after being selected to act, write and tour a play with 7 other inner-city kids in Toronto and get credit for it instead of attending her last year of high school. It was amazing, needless to say, and the following year she was accepted into Concordia University's Theatre Program where she earned her BFA.

Upon graduation she was cast in several commercials and a recurring role in IFC's The Festival. She also co-created an award...