Heidi Ellyn was born in Berkeley, California to University of California students, Virginia Kelsey and William Newsom, who divorced when she was a toddler. At age nine she was adopted by her mother's third husband, Raymond Hilsinger, a doctor in Oakland, California.Although she considers herself a Bay Area native,Heidi has lived in cities all over the world including Tokyo, London, Washington, D.C., Texas, Seattle, San Francisco, Malibu and Los Angeles. She now resides in Honolulu, Hawaii.She started her acting career in as a child in Oakland, California, performing, dancing and singing in multiple local productions, including San Francisco Children's Opera. She won the title of Queen of Oakland's Fairyland and appeared in television and live performances as part of her duties as a beauty queen. Between ballet lesson and musical theater roles, Heidi managed to be a highly competitive AAU track star.She studied acting at the highly acclaimed American Conservatory Theater, in San Francisco, whose celebrated alumni include Elizabeth Banks, Annette Bening, Nicolas Cage, Danny Glover and Denzel Washington. She also attended and received a scholarship to the Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts, whose storied alumni include Robin Williams, Kathy Bates and Zac Efron.Heidi graduated from Miramonte High School in Orinda, California and went on to get an undergraduate degree from UCLA and a law degree from Pepperdine University School of Law. She is a licensed attorney in California. Prior to becoming a trial lawyer, Heidi worked as an intern in Washington D.C. for the United States Senate Judiciary Committee, then chaired by Vice President of the United States, Joseph Biden.Heidi's love of racing has never left and she still competes in several 5k and 10k races in Hawaii every year.Heidi's ancestors include some of the earliest American settlers in California and she is proud to be a 5th generation graduate of the University of California. Her son, Cooper Ellyn is following in the family tradition and is a student at the University of California San Diego.Her beautiful sisters, Ann Salvetti and Kim LaShelle, reside in Marin County, California. Brother, Lance LaShelle, is a talented actor and director based in California.Heidi's youngest sons, Christopher Ellyn and Tristan Olensky are working actors in both film and television. Show less «