Biography
Shereen Balles is a Kanaka Māoli actress, producer, writer, singer, educator, and cultural advocate from Oahu, originally from Nuuanu. Shereen lives in Waianae. She is Kanaka Māoli (Native Hawaiian), as well as Puerto Rican-Taíno, Cowlitz-Nisqually, Pacific Islander, and Caucasian in lineage.
A member of SAG-AFTRA since 2010, Shereen is a SAG-AFTRA National Asian Pacific Islander American Media Committee member, as well as a member of several SAG-AFTRA Hawaii Local committees, including the Legislative, Background Actor, and Diversity Committees for many years. Shereen has been a strong advocate for Hawaii's film industry, participating in online and in-person testimony before the State Legislature and House of Representatives. She is also a member of the Hawaii Film Alliance and volunteered with the AFL-CIO/IATSE food drives during the IATSE, WGA, and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023.
Having sung in her family band, Mike Balles y Sus Latinos Escogidos, since childhood, Shereen began honing her performance skills in the University of Hawaii at Mānoa Theatre program, making her debut on the Kennedy Theatre stage in Umi a Līloa in 1992. She has since built a professional career in film and television, appearing in most productions filmed in Hawaii over the past 15 years, including NCIS: Hawaii, Magnum P.I., Hawaii Five-0, Next Goal Wins, Doogie Kameāloha, M.D., Jurassic World, Godzilla, Cosmos: Possible Worlds, and Chief of War. The list continues to grow with her extensive background acting work.
Shereen has also held speaking roles in Magnum P.I., Kahala Sunset, Down to Earth, Maria Del Mar, and various independent film productions. She has expanded her creative work into producing, writing, and co-directing independent film projects, including her short film A Way Out, working both in front of and behind the camera.
Her educational and artistic training includes completing the Mana i Ka Mana Indigenous Peoples of Hawaii Acting Intensive and becoming an alumna of ICAN International, where she studied under respected Indigenous actors, filmmakers, and cultural mentors. She also received professional training at ZA Studios Hawaii.
Beyond entertainment, Shereen is recognized for her work as a Teacher, Kahu, Cultural Practitioner, and advocate for Indigenous storytelling. Through Ōlelo Hawaii performance practices, including speaking, chanting, and singing, she is dedicated to uplifting Native Hawaiian and Indigenous voices, perpetuating Hawaiian and Indigenous cultures, and mentoring future generations of artists and creatives.
Note: IMDb prohibits the use of the Okina, which is a letter in Ōlelo Hawaii.
