Parisse has also starred as Julia Snyder on the soap opera As the World Turns, for which she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award.

[3][7] Parisse moved to New York City when she was 18 to attend Fordham University, where she majored in theater and appeared in numerous productions, including Medea and Antigone, both of which featured her as the lead.

[3] Parisse joined the cast of the CBS soap opera As the World Turns as Julia Snyder from 1998 to 2001 and returned for a few episodes in 2002.

This made her one of the Law & Order cast members who had a solo appearance prior to securing a sustaining role, along with Jerry Orbach, S. Epatha Merkerson, Michael Imperioli, Milena Govich, and Jeremy Sisto.

She had a recurring role on CBS' Person of Interest as Kara Stanton, the former partner of Jim Caviezel's character John Reese.

Starting on March 8, 2007, Parisse starred in a revival of Craig Lucas's Prelude to a Kiss, with Alan Tudyk and John Mahoney.