Willa Holland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Willa Holland
Holland in 2017
Born	(1991-06-18) June 18, 1991 (age 34) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress model
Years active	1995–present
Parent(s)	Brian De Palma (stepfather; 1995–1996)

Willa Joanna Chance Holland (born June 18, 1991) is an American actress and model. She is well known for her roles in popular TV shows and video games. Willa played Kaitlin Cooper in the teen drama The O.C.. She was also Thea Queen in Arrow and its spin-off show The Flash. Gamers might know her voice as Aqua in the Kingdom Hearts video game series.

Early life and first steps in acting

Willa Holland grew up with two sisters, Brianna Holland and Piper De Palma. Her mother, Darnell Gregorio, was married to film director Brian De Palma for a time. Willa went to Palisades Charter High School for only six weeks. She left because her acting career was starting to get busy. Also, some of her schoolmates were not supportive of her acting dreams.

When Willa was seven, she was playing at her stepfather Brian De Palma’s neighbor's house. This neighbor was the famous director Steven Spielberg. He was filming home videos and told Willa's parents, "You've got to put her in front of a camera."

Starting her career

After that, Willa signed with the Ford Modeling Agency when she was seven. She quickly got a job modeling for Burberry. She has also modeled for other big brands like Guess, Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Ralph Lauren.

In 1999, Willa's stepfather helped her get an agent for acting. Since then, she has appeared in many commercials across the country. In 2001, when she was ten, Willa worked with her father in a movie called Ordinary Madness.

She first played Kaitlin Cooper on The O.C.. She joined the show in season three and became a main character in season four.

Willa Holland at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival

In 2007, Willa was cast in the movie Garden Party. She played April, a troubled teenager who wanted to become a model in Los Angeles. In 2008, Willa appeared in three episodes of the TV show Gossip Girl. She played Agnes Andrews, a rebellious model who caused trouble for another character, Jenny Humphrey.

Voice acting and big screen roles

In 2010, Square Enix announced that Willa would be the voice of Aqua in the video game Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. This game was released in North America in September 2010. That same year, Willa starred in her first big movie, Legion. It was an action-thriller film where she played a teenager named Audrey Anderson. She also played Janice Heddon in the 2011 film Straw Dogs.

In 2012, Willa was cast in Arrow, a TV series based on the Green Arrow comic books. She played Thea Queen / Speedy, who is the sister of the main hero, Oliver Queen / Green Arrow. She was a regular cast member for six seasons. Willa returned for special appearances in the seventh and eighth seasons of Arrow.

Also in 2012, Willa starred in the movie Tiger Eyes. She played Davey Wexler in the film, which was based on a popular book by Judy Blume.

Film roles

Television roles

Video game roles

Music video roles

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Willa Holland para niños