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Lela Loren

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Lela Loren
Lela Loren at the opening night of Broadway's "Eclipsed" in 2016
Born (1980-05-07) 7 May 1980 (age 44)
Sacramento, California, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active2006–present
Known forportraying Angela Valdes on Power

Lela Loren (born 7 May 1980) is an American television and film actress. Known for her leading role as Angela Valdes on the Starz television series, Power,[1] [2] Loren notes in interview that it took time to land her first audition, and that her early roles were in The Shield, Gang Related, and shows of the CSI franchise.[3] Further television roles followed, including in Cold Case, and Ghost Whisperer,[not verified in body] and she went on to film roles, including in The Hangover Part III and Reign Over Me.[not verified in body] In 2019, Loren joined the second season of the Netflix science fiction series, Altered Carbon as a series regular, playing the character of Danica Harlan.[4]

Early life

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Loren was born Maria Loren Avellaneda Sharp on May 7, 1980, in Sacramento, California.[5] She has one sibling,[3] an older brother, Daniel Sharp, who is the executive chef at a small restaurant in New York City.[6] Her mother is of Mexican descent, received her college degree in her 40s, and became a teacher; her father, an American, was working as an economist at the time he married her mother.[3] She spent her childhood in Sacramento, California, and later, in suburban Sacramento, although spending summers in an area of her mother's heritage, in Mexico.[3] Loren has stated that, despite her mom being from Michoacán, Mexico,[7] she did not learn Spanish until she was 10 years old, and that doing so helped her to communicate with relatives when she would return to the village from which her mother came.[8] From early childhood, Loren had surrounded herself with an array of pets, and had intended a career in biology.[3] Loren went to an all-girls' high school,[9] where she was a member of a men's rowing team.[9][10]

Loren attended Whitman College[11][better source needed][better source needed] in Walla Walla, Washington,[10][better source needed][better source needed] where she majored in biology.[citation needed] She "begrudgingly fell in love" with acting after enrolling in a fine arts course "to get it out of the way", only to find herself moved to an entry level acting class when the arts class was full.[3] It is reported that she did work on a commercial fishing boat in Alaska as a means to pay her college expenses.[9][10] She graduated with a B.A. in theatre,[10] in 2002.[citation needed] She also studied performing arts at the Ruskin School of Acting.[where?][when?][10] From her upbringing and studies, Loren is fluent in English, Spanish, and Italian.[10][12]

Career

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Television work

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Loren notes that it took three years for her to land her first acting audition, and that she "paid her dues with small roles"—in The Shield, Gang Related, and shows of the CSI franchise.[3] Further television roles followed, including in Cold Case and Ghost Whisperer.[13] Loren began a leading role as Angela Valdes on the Starz television series, Power from 2014-2020,[1][2] starring in 63 episodes.

In 2019, Loren joined the second season of the Netflix science fiction series, Altered Carbon, as a series regular, playing the character of Danica Harlan.[4]

in 2021, Loren joined the third season of STARZ's series American Gods as Marguerite Olsen, a reporter for the local paper, a committed single mother of two, and a property manager.[14]

Film work

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Loren has had various film roles, including in The Hangover Part III in 2013 and Reign Over Me in 2007. [15] Most recently he starred in The Man from Toronto in 2022, Awareness in 2023 and Knox Goes Away in 2023.[16]

Stage work

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In 2009, Loren played the lead role, Flora, at the American Conservatory Theater in José Rivera's Boleros for the Disenchanted.[10] She also starred as Antonia in a stage production of My Antonia at Pacific Resident Theatre.[when?][10]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2000 The Waste Alise
2004 Beneath The Loch Ness Mona
2005 Varsity Baseball Girls Club June
2006 Between the Lines Yola
2007 Reign Over Me Dental Hygienist
2008 Flotsam Salazar Short
2011 The Reunion Theresa Trujillo
2013 Snitch Vanessaa
Stalkers Jane Cox TV movie
The Hangover Part III Female Officer
2020 Bruised Mrs. Bradshaw
2022 The Man from Toronto Daniela Marin
2023 Awareness Adriana [17]
Knox Goes Away Cheryl Knox

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2006 Cold Case Ana Castilla Episode: "Sanctuary"
CSI: Miami Isabella Mansera Episode: "Shock"
CSI: NY Jo O'Keffe Episode: "Sweet 16"
2007 The Shield Nydia Hernandez Recurring Cast: Season 6
Ghost Whisperer Anna Sanchez Episode: "Haunted Hero"
2008 The Unit Carina Episode: "Sudden Flight"
2009 NCIS Agent Isabella 'Izzie' Cortez Episode: "Outlaws and In-Laws'
2010 Chuck Elia Episode: "Chuck Versus the Honeymooners"
Lost Claudia Episode: "Across the Sea"
2011 The Mentalist Nilda Episode: "Bloodhounds"
The Closer Maria Flores Episode: "Death Warrant"
2012 Covert Affairs Blanca Gonzalez Episode: "Loving the Alien"
2012–13 H+: The Digital Series Francesca Rossi Recurring Cast
2014 Gang Related Silvia Recurring Cast
2014–19 Power Angela Valdes Main Cast: Season 1-5, Guest: Season 6
2018 Bull Katherine George Episode: "Justice for Cable"
2020 Altered Carbon Danica Harlan Main Cast: Season 2
2021 American Gods Marguerite Olsen Recurring Cast: Season 3

Personal life

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Loren also writes poems,[18][full citation needed] which is part of her process of getting into character.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ a b de Leon, Concepcion (June 5, 2015). "Power's Lela Loren on Playing a Shady Prosecutor and What Success Means to Her". Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  2. ^ a b Morales, Nikoleta (June 19, 2014). "Lela Loren breaks stereotypes in "Power"". Archived from the original on 31 July 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Connery, Ana Pelayo (September 15, 2018). "Lela Loren of the Hit Show Power Draws Strength from her Heritage". USA Today. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  4. ^ a b White, Peter (August 27, 2019). "'Altered Carbon': 'Power' Star Lela Loren Joins Season 2 Of Netflix's Sci-Fi Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  5. ^ George, Crystal (22 June 2022). "The Man from Toronto cast guide: Guide to the Netflix movie's cast and characters". Netflix Life.
  6. ^ Gabbara, Princess. "How Actress Lela Loren Faked Her Way Into Cooking on an Alaskan Fishing Boat". Rachael Ray In Season.
  7. ^ Monell, Ray (June 11, 2015). "Lela Loren in the thick of the action on Starz drama 'Power'". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  8. ^ "Mornings with Lela Loren — Rose & Ivy". Archived from the original on 2019-08-29.
  9. ^ a b c Balfour, Brad (June 2, 2015). "Omari Hardwick and Lela Loren Talk Power's Season 2". BlackFilm.com. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h TV Guide Staff (5 March 2020). "Lela Loren—Biography—Fast Facts, College". TV Guide. Retrieved 5 March 2020. Fast Facts / Was a member of an all-male crew team during high school. / Studied performing arts at Ruskin School of Acting. / Worked as a commercial fisher in Alaska to pay for college. / Starred in the titular role of a stage production of My Antonia at Pacific Resident Theatre. / Performed the lead role of Flora in José Rivera's Boleros for the Disenchanted at the American Conservatory Theater in 2009. / Is fluent in English, Spanish and Italian. / College / Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington, United States (BA in Theatre)
  11. ^ Loren, Lela (August 28, 2016). "'Power' episode 7: Actress Lela Loren on how FBI interrogation scenes get made". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  12. ^ "The Source |Her Source I Lela Loren & Naturi Naughton Talk 'Power'". April 13, 2014.
  13. ^ "Lela Loren | Actress". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  14. ^ Comments, Ray Flook | Last updated | (2020-11-20). "American Gods Season 3: Lela Loren Talks Marguerite's "Large Secret"". bleedingcool.com. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  15. ^ "Lela Loren | Actress". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  16. ^ "Lela Loren | Actress". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  17. ^ Prieto, Belén (18 July 2023). "Así es 'Awareness', el nuevo 'Matrix' de Amazon, según su director y protagonistas: "Las ilusiones te harán creer"". El Español.
  18. ^ Unknown participant (Interviewer), Hardwick, Omari & Loren, Lela (interviewees) (n.d.). Omari Hardwick & Lela Loren on the Final Season of 'Power' and Possible Spin-Offsv (Sway's Universe). Retrieved March 5, 2020 – via YouTube.[full citation needed]
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