Donna Rusch, a talented actress and journalist, was born and raised in the vibrant city of Houston, Texas. Her passion for acting began at a young age, sparked by her fond memories of watching Mary Ann on reruns of Gilligan's Island. This early fascination led her to take her first acting class in middle school, where she discovered her natural talent.
As she grew older, Donna's love for acting only intensified, and she began to split her time between cheerleading and starring in plays such as "Wait Until Dark", "A Company of Wayward Saints", "MacBeth", and "Little Women" at South Houston High School. After graduating from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Radio/TV/Film, Donna landed a part-time job as a Desk Assistant at KTRH-740 AM, Houston's #1 All-News Radio Station.
Her dedication and hard work soon paid off, as she rose to become a Reporter, earning numerous local and statewide awards, including "Best News Series in Texas" from UPI. After three years, Donna decided to move to the smaller city of Beaumont, Texas, to hone her television reporting skills. She quickly became the city's first female solo 10 o'clock weeknight News Anchor.
However, Donna's love for acting eventually won out, and she moved back to Houston, signing with top Texas Talent Agent, Jenny Bosby of the Pastorini-Bosby Talent Agency. Her first national commercial audition resulted in booking the job for Texaco Express Lube, marking the beginning of a successful 17-year career in commercials, voiceovers, and as a spokeswoman for various clients, including ExxonMobil, Shell, Compaq Computers, Continental Airlines, and Chevron.
Before becoming a star, Donna even had the opportunity to star alongside Matthew McConaughey in a training film for Exxon Aviation. In 1995, she became the host of "Texas Today", a live daily morning show featuring Hollywood stars, top chefs, book authors, and a live band.
In 2000, Donna made her TV movie debut as a Reporter in Hell Swarm, directed by Tim Matheson, and later became known as "Renee Rusch", a traffic reporter on several radio stations and TV Traffic Anchor on both the NBC and CBS television affiliates. In 2011, Donna made the move to Los Angeles with her husband Craig Beisel and their two daughters.
She quickly became involved in the Independent Film world, landing a lead role in the award-winning film Home from War, accepted to Cannes 2013. Donna has also appeared in co-star roles in TV episodes of Criminal Minds and Revenge, and stars in the thriller The Channel, set to be released in 2013. She has booked national and regional commercials for Curves, Sara Lee, and Reliant Energy.
When not acting, Donna enjoys volunteering as an acting coach for stage productions by the "Spotlight Academy for Students", a ministry of Calvary Community Church in Westlake, California.
