[2] Pitillo was living in suburban New Jersey, and working as a department store clerk when a friend invited her to audition for a TV commercial.

Subsequent commercial work included an ad for Bank of Boston, York Peppermint Pattie, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Chic Jeans, among others.

In the fall of 1987, Pitillo was cast as Nancy Don (Lewis) on the ABC soap opera, Ryan's Hope, which lasted until that series ended its run in 1989.

[3] Upon moving to Hollywood, Pitillo's work consisted primarily of television drama (South of Sunset), small parts in theatrical motion pictures, and included starring roles in several Made-For-TV movies.

She earned critical praise for her roles in the following: Middle Ages,[4] Escape from Terror: The Teresa Stamper Story,[5] as well as Between Love and Honor.

[8] After completing Dear God in the summer of 1996, Pitillo was contacted by NBC President Warren Littlefield, who had taken notice of her performance in Partners.

NBC continued to search for a suitable television project for Pitillo, and with input from Littlefield,[12] developed the sitcom House Rules, which aired as a mid-season replacement in March 1998.

[15] Tri Star Pictures, which owned rights to the franchise, called on Centropolis to begin pre-production work on a sequel, which was tentatively titled Godzilla 2.