Angelica Willis
Chloe De Los Santos is a gifted 15-year-old actress and dancer who is recognised for her fun personality and her realistic depiction of roles. Born in Brisbane, Australia, she is beginning to make her mark in the television industry in shows such as Netflix’s Tidelands (2018) and recently on NBC’s La Brea (2021) where she plays the quiet and introverted Lily Castillo.
The multi-talented actress began her career doing musical theatre such as Les Misérables. She played Little Cossette when she was seven years old and spent two years touring around Asia and Australia. This includes Manila, Philippines where she performed at The Theatre at Solaire. “Getting to perform in the Philippines and see some of the country and feel the warmth and hospitality of the people was a real honour and I’m so glad I got that experience,” she stated in a recent interview with The Philippine Times.
Being of Filipino heritage, De Los Santos shares how she is most connected with her background through food and parties. “My dad is Filipino, and he loves to cook different food all the time. I also love our big family parties and everyone being together and enjoying time with each other, and I get to hang out with all my family- all the cousins, aunties, and uncles. Those are my favourite celebrations!”
The young actress already has a strong Filipino following. She adores her fans and treasures the gifts she receives from them. She understands her impact as an actress and how inspiring she is to her Filipino fans. “If acting is something you’re passionate about, just keep going. Keep doing what you love. You’ll probably get 100 no’s and maybe one yes – but it’s all worth it in the end,” she said when asked about advice she would give to fellow Filipinos.
More recently, De Los Santos has been playing an important role in NBC’s new time travel drama, La Brea. Filmed in Melbourne and surrounding areas, the story is set in Los Angeles when a massive sinkhole mysteriously opens up. The series follows a family that is separated from each other and a desperate group of strangers. Playing as Lily in La Brea, she has won over many hearts across the world and has been praised for being able to convey a mature and complex character. “What I love about performing and acting is being able to put myself into someone else’s shoes and to create a whole new person and the world that they live in,” she said.
She will be more visible on our screens with a new project coming out in 2023. In the meantime, she says that she has big aspirations and will continue working hard. “There are a few top actors that I dream of working with, and award nights look super fun, so I’d love to go to those one day, but my goal is to just keep working at this and keep getting interesting and rewarding roles to play as time goes on.”
La Brea is available to be streamed on 9Now. The show has been commissioned for a second season.
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