Biografia
Born to minister Joseph Montagna and interior decorator Sherry Phillips, Kendra Rose Montagna was destined for a traditional residential life. She was born in Jamestown, New York, and attended Falconer Elementary. At age five, she persuaded her parents to let her participate in the Allen Park Talent Show. Her imaginative passion for music and the arts, especially all things Disney princess, shone through. She performed "Part of Your World" from Disney's The Little Mermaid and won first place. This was just the beginning.
At 11, Joseph took a piloting job that relocated the family to Indiana. Living between a cornfield and a church, Kendra attended Franklin Township Middle School and Franklin Central High School. She focused on academics and embraced typical Bible Belt life in the Midwest. With extracurricular activities and church on Sundays, she blended seamlessly into Midwestern culture.
Kendra discovered her voice through her love of the arts. At 16, she played the lead role of Annie in a production of "Annie." She was also part of the award-winning FC Singers show choir, conducted by Bill Griffel and choreographed by renowned Damon Brown. Traveling to contests nationwide, she shared her passion with fellow artists and performed on the stage of Disney’s Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida.
Graduating with honors, Kendra attended Butler University for a few semesters before yearning for a bigger city. Driven by intuition and a sense of adventure, she left small-town Indiana for Los Angeles, California. There, she began working as an extra and landed a minor role as a varsity cheerleader in "The Return of Zoom" (starring Kate Mara, Tim Allen, Courteney Cox, and Chevy Chase). Realizing this was her calling, she enrolled at Playhouse West in North Hollywood, studying Sanford Meisner's technique: “Living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” The possibilities inspired her.
She later completed the prestigious two-year Baron/Brown Meisner training program in Santa Monica, California. Auditioning regularly, she earned membership in the Screen Actors Guild in 2007. Kendra appeared on 20th Century Fox’s "Bones" in 2005 and the television pilot "Edison" with John Leguizamo. She embraced the web series boom with numerous online projects, starred in the 2012 sci-fi film "Life Tracker," and featured in the romantic comedy "Ripe," scheduled for release next year. She has several more productions forthcoming.
Though she misses Olive Garden, Kendra is fulfilled and thriving through her creative journey.
Trivia: Kendra Rose Montagna’s favorite restaurant is Denny’s.
Her friends call her Ken.
She admires her grandmother, Bernice Range, who makes her own jam.
