Alison Armitage is out to prove to the world that she is much more than just another pretty face. Well-recognized as the gorgeous woman-in-white in the Carl's Jr. hamburger ad who spills ketchup on her lapel, she was also the sexy star of the hit international TV series Acapulco H.E.A.T.

She was born in High Wycombe, England, just outside of London, and at the age of one her family moved to Hong Kong. An agile tomboy as a youngster, Alison began swimming competitively. The many hours of training each day helped her to win numerous medals and honors on her way to representing Hong Kong's swim team. Unfortunately, two broken legs and a broken arm put an end to that. Still noted for her athletics however, she became captain of every woman's sports team at her high school. "I hated skirts," Alison explains with a smile.

Having family in Africa, Southern America, Asia and Europe, Alison started traveling the world at a young age and by age fifteen she took a summer job traveling unaccompanied all over Southeast Asia. Traveling is something she is very passionate about, citing "I would go anywhere in the world," and adds, "I have no fear of doing it alone." She became infatuated with Southern California by watching the popular American television show, Charlie's Angeles. "It looked like such a beautiful place," she remembers, "but being 'an Angle' or an actress for that matter never crossed my mind." College was what she set her sights on and as a foreign student she came to America to study computer science at the University of San Diego. After College, Alison moved to Denver, Colorado to start her new career in computers but it was another kind of career that happened instead. "It all started quite by accident," she puts it, "and that's when I decided to move to L.A."

Alison began acting classes, and appearances on various TV shows and commercials soon followed. She caught the eye of producers for the TV series Acapulco H.E.A.T., who after a worldwide search cast Alison as the sleek and graceful Marie Clair "Cat" Pascal. There was one condition, she had to lose her English accent and she only had four weeks in which to do it! The show starred Cat as the cool, intelligent former thief who now fights international terrorists, drug kingpins and criminals as a member of the H.E.A.T. team. Alison also hosted the sports competition show Beach Clash and played the sexy dental hygienist in Seinfeld's "The Jimmy" among other series she guest starred in during her hiatus.

Alison secured the lead role for the second season of Acapulco H.E.A.T. due to her immense popularity overseas. Then she set out to prove her diversity as an actress, portraying a murderous heroin addict on Silk Stalkings, a sergeant major in an episode of the TNT TV series L.A. Heat, and a nerd turned super villain in Black Scorpion. She can be seen speaking "the Queen's English" in a recurring role as the heroine, Ariel in the Warner Brothers produced TV series The New Adventures of Robin Hood.

Alison's film career has included an appearance in Jerry Maguire as one of Jerry's former girlfriends and an appearance in the Sylvester Stalone/Rene Harlen film Driven as Stalone's former girlfriend. She also plays Frankie's girlfriend in the Sundance Festival short Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Current projects include the upcoming Canadian film The Hunter starring Alison as detective Catherine Malloy and a starring role in Debt of Honor, which is yet to be produced.

"I think the tough but feminine action-hero type is fun to do for the big screen, but I'm interested in playing all kinds of different characters", says Alison. "I'm happy, I love what I do and I'm looking forward to the next challenge." Part of that challenge includes special training. Alison completed a three-day S.C.A.R.S. sniper-training course for Debt of Honor and trains weekly in revolver and automatic pistol for moving target competition. She also studies boxing and martial arts twice weekly, combining the arts of Judo, Jiu-Jitsu and Aikido. She has also studied combat with the Broad Sword.

Alison has also tried her hand at hosting. She filmed two pilots last year, Wrestle Rock, which combines music videos and Pro-Wrestling and Ransacked, a game show by the producers of Weakest Link. Most recently she was a guest host on the most popular show on the E TV network, "Wild on E!" But the project that she is currently working on is in a new medium for her, soaps. She will be guest appearing on the international hit soap, The Bold And The Beautiful.

In her spare time, Alison enjoys sailing, scuba diving, snow skiing and snow boarding, and working with charitable organizations such as Olive Crest, which finds and matches would-be parents with adoptive children.

Look for much more from this beautiful Brit in the very near future!

By Lars Jahnson, starMarket-img.com