For someone with only a few IMDB credits to her name, Bianca A. Santos has quickly risen to being one of the most recognizable faces in the YA world.
A California native, Bianca appeared in a few short films before landing her first major role, Lexi Velez on ABC Family’s The Fosters. Bianca appeared on 11 episodes as Lexi, best friend of Mariana Adams Foster (Cierra Ramirez) and girlfriend of Mariana’s twin brother Jesus (Jake T. Austin). Lexi was one of the most honest and fair portrayals of an undocumented immigrant ever on television.
Bianca’s success with The Fosters landed her the starring role on MTV’s newest series Happyland, which premiered on Tuesday, September 30. Happyland takes places at a fairytale themed amusement park, with Bianca starring as Lucy Velez, daughter of the park’s iconic princess mascot, Princess Adrianna (Camille Guaty). Living in the shadow of her princess mother, surrounded by a constant onslaught of manufactured happiness, Lucy has become jaded and cynical, and is ready to pack up and leave the park for good…until she meets the hunky new hire Ian (Shane Harper), who turns out to be the son of the park’s new CEO. After things heat up between Ian and Lucy, things get extremely awkward when they discover that they may be brother and sister. Only a few episodes of Happyland have aired so far, but we assume that it will get renewed for at least a second season.
With all her success on TV, Bianca has also transitioned into film. Her first major motion picture, Ouija, was just released in theaters on October 24. The film is an ensemble horror flick, with a stellar cast of young actors, including Secret Life’s Daren Kagassof, Teen Wolf’s Shelley Hennig, and Big Love’s Douglas Smith. After a friend (Shelley Hennig) dies under mysterious circumstances, a group of teens decide to contact her spirit via Ouija board. Who they actually make contact with is something much worse than they could ever imagine. With a setup this spine-tingling, Ouija could easily become the next Final Destination-style horror franchise.
What’s on the horizon for Bianca? Currently in production is a film called The DUFF, a teen comedy that stars Mae Whitman (Parenthood), Bella Thorne (Shake It Up), and Robbie Amell (The Tomorrow People). The film centers on a high school girl (presumably played by Whitman) who disrupts her school’s social status quo after she discovers that she has been named The DUFF, which stands for Designated Ugly Fat Friend. The DUFF is scheduled to be released on February 20, 2015.
Happyland airs Tuesdays at 11:00 on MTV.