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LA native actor, director, playwright and entrepreneur Brenda Banda grew up in South Central Los Angeles. She was only eleven years old when she first stepped onto a stage at Russell Elementary where she performed as MC at their 6th grade culmination.
Growing up where drive-by shootings were routine, Banda took refuge in the arts and sports making them her safe heaven. A memorable 2nd grade field trip where she saw a production of Peter Pan set stars in young Brenda's eyes. It was at that moment she day dreamed she was going to be an actor someday.
While a student at San Fernando High School, she co-founded the women's soccer team. She also directed, produced and acted in her first theatre production, a Spanish play that she had read in Spanish Lit. class. Banda suggested her teacher to produce it and when he said "Do it and I'll support you" she was forever transformed. In 2010, Banda co-founded a theatre company called the Urban Theatre Movement. At 18 years old she joined a Rock En Español band called Encrucijada where she fashioned her own version of wild Latina rockers Alejandra Guzman and Gloria Trevi.
In 2014, at a friend's suggestion, Banda decided to become a theater coach. She is has been a artist with Inside Out Community Arts a program funded by P.S. ARTS, the only organization in South Los Angeles dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing arts education (dance, music, theater, and visual arts) to under-served public schools and communities. Other teaching contracts have included CNCA Camino Nuevo Burlington, B.R.I.D.G.E. Theatre Project (Spring 2020) and ENACT. She most recently worked on a Spanish Golden Age theatre pilot with UCLA and 24th Street Theatre that looks to bring Spain's Golden Age playwrights into elementary classrooms all over the United States. Brenda is also the co-founder of Urban Theatre Movement and served as the company's creative director of Urban Legends, a yearly one acts theatre festival. Banda's last directing piece was Obscuridad, a play she wrote and was part of Urban Unrest at the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2017. Handball by Seth Zvi Rosenfeld, another play she directed, was produced in LA in the fall of 2013 and then picked up to be presented at Summer Stage NYC 2014 in Central Park. A self-described late bloomer it wasn't until 2019 when she finally came to terms with her calling and decided to pursue a career in Hollywood. With little credits to her name she was determined to work her way up. Six weeks into her decision she booked a recurring role in the Netflix® Original Series Gentefied.
Looking up to fellow actress Viola Davis for her strength, energetic weight and how she is able to owns her space, she also admires the fact Ms. Davis came into the scene at an older age. Banda wants to inspire adults who have dreams but feel life has passed them by.
Awards include: Obscuridad nominated for Vanguard's Duende Award, winner Urban Unrest (2017), Encore Award through Sacred Fools and Best World Premiere through Rogue Machine Theatre Company.
A firm believer that it is the duty and the burden of the immigrant child to succeed, Banda strives to keep working and learning and be able to take care of her mother for being the driving force behind her.
Future projects include the release of Banda's fitness mini digital series Fit for A Queen and a Comic Book where she was the inspiration behind a super hero called Sophia Azul, The Blue Witch. Banda's first big break Gentefied is based on the digital series of the same title. It centers on three cousins who band together to keep their Grandfather's popular Boyle Heights taco shop in business as the neighborhood becomes more gentrified.
An animal rights advocate, Banda calls herself a vegetarian with vegan goals. She attended Cerritos College and has studied at several institutes including Steppenwolf West and The Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Brenda Banda is represented by Sixtos Talent, Momentum Talent and Literary Agency and Espada PR.
