Isabela Merced (born July 10, 2001), born Isabela Moner, is an actress, singer, and dancer. She portrays CJ Martin in the 100 Things to Do Before High School series.
Early life
Merced was born Isabela Moner in Cleveland, Ohio, to Patrick Moner, a firefighter, and Katerine[1] Moner, who is Peruvian. She has an older brother named Jared and a younger brother named Gyovanni.
Career
Merced made her Broadway debut in Evita at age ten. In the same year, she was a featured singer on The Next Big Thing: New York, her television debut. The following year marked her film debut in director Henry Barrial's The House That Jack Built.
In 2014, Merced landed a recurring role in NBC's short-lived television show Growing Up Fisher and a voice-over role in Dora and Friends: Into the City. She made her Nickelodeon debut in the 2014 movie Splitting Adam.
She booked the lead role of CJ Martin in 100 Things to Do Before High School, which premiered in 2014 before starting its original run in 2015.
In September 2015, she released her twelve-track album Stopping Time. It includes the single "Dream About Me." There are covers of popular songs as well as original songs.
In November of 2015, Merced was attached to Jame Patterson's Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life book-to-movie adaptation. It began filming in November 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia, and wrapped in January 2016.[2] It was released on October 7, 2016.[3][4]
Merced performed the National Anthem on January 3, 2016 at the Arizona Cardinals vs Seattle Seahawks game.[5]
In March 2016, Merced announced her role in Legends of the Hidden Temple,[6] a Nickelodeon TV movie based on the game show.[7][8] The movie was filmed in Canada[9][10][11] and Los Angeles.[12] Filming finished in April[13][14] and it premiered on November 26, 2016.[15]
Merced was reportedly being eyed for the lead role in Michael Bay's fifth Transformers movie.[16] She later confirmed on her Twitter and Instagram accounts that she is set to star in the film.[17][18] She also revealed her role in the animated movie The Nut Job 2 on Twitter in July 2016.
In August 2016, it was reported that Merced signed on to CAA talent agency.[19] In December 2016, she booked a role in Sicario: Day of the Soldado, the sequel to the 2015 movie Sicario,[20] a role in which she had to cut her hair.[21]
In February 2018, Deadline reported Merced had been cast in Instant Family,[22] which reunites her with former Transformers costar Mark Wahlberg.
In May 2018, Variety reported that Merced will be portraying Dora in Dora and the Lost City of Gold live action movie based on the Nickelodeon animated show of the same name. It will be filmed in Queensland, Australia.[23]
In 2019, her first single is “Papí” due to her Peruvian Heritage
Filmography
Theater
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | A Christmas Carol | Sarah Cratchit/Polly/Want | Playhouse Square Cleveland production |
2011 | Billy Jonas and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra | Musical theater | |
Les Miserables | Young Cossette | FPAC Fairmount Performing Arts Center production | |
Annie | Annie | Avon Lake High School | |
2012 | Evita | Child (alternate) | Broadway debut |
2013 | Fly | Wendy | World Premiere Production Dallas Theater |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | The Odd Squad | Olive | PBS pilot |
2012 | The Next Big Thing: NY | Herself | |
2014 | Growing Up Fisher | Jenny | Recurring role; 7 episodes |
Dora and Friends: Into the City! | Kate | Recurring role | |
Splitting Adam | Lori Collins | TV movie | |
2014–2016 | 100 Things to Do Before High School | CJ Martin | Lead role |
2015 | Nickelodeon's Ho Ho Holidays | Herself | TV special |
2016 | Legends of the Hidden Temple | Sadie | TV movie |
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | The House That Jack Built | Young Nadia | Film debut |
2016 | Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life | Jeanne Galletta | |
2017 | Transformers: The Last Knight | Izabella | |
The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature | Heather (voice) | ||
2018 | Sicario: Day of the Soldado | Isabela Reyes | Completed filming |
2019 | Instant Family | TBA | Filming |
Dora and the Lost City of Gold | Dora | Pre-production |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | The Imagen Awards | Best Young Actress - Television | 100 Things to Do Before High School | Nominated | [24] |
2016 | Best Young Actor - Television | Won | [25] | ||
Tiger Beat 19 Under 19 | Bae Watch - Female[26] | N/A | Nominated | [27] | |
2017 | CinemaCon Award | Rising Star of the Year | N/A | Won | [28] |
Personal life
Her family still lives in Cleveland, but Isabela splits her time among Los Angeles, New York, as well as Cleveland.[29]
Some of her hobbies are skiing, snowboarding, skating, jumping on the trampoline with her brothers and hanging out with friends.[30]
She began dating Henry Danger star and her Splitting Adam co-star Jace Norman in April 2016.[31] In November 2016, Norman confirmed they had split after seven months of dating and are just friends.[32]
Trivia
- She is equally fluent in Spanish and English and is learning French.[30]
- She has been acting since she was 7 years old.
- She is a twelfth grader[citation needed] and home schooled.
- Her favorite actress is Jennifer Lawrence.[29]
- Her father is a firefighter and makes a small cameo in "Change Your Look and See What Happens Thing!"[33]
- She loves all types of music.[citation needed]
- Her favorite Shampoo is Suave.[citation needed]
- Isabela drinks "Throat-Coat-Tea" for her recording sessions.[citation needed]
- She loves 5SOS.[citation needed]
- She uses "Vanity Planet" products.[citation needed]
- Isabela has a Samsung Galaxy phone.[citation needed]
- Isabela posts covers of songs on YouTube.
- Isabela likes "Lucky Charms" for breakfast.[citation needed]
- Her outfits or mostly from the store Topshop or Forever 21.[citation needed]
- Isabela is 5'2”.[citation needed]
- Isabela is half Peruvian and mixed with other nationalities.[citation needed]
- Her favorite color is blue.[citation needed]
- She can do a heel stretch.[citation needed]
- Her bedroom wall color is yellow.[citation needed]
- She has a musical.ly account "isabelamoner".
- She is a fan of Tori Kelly and Justin Bieber.[citation needed]
- She doesn't answer comments on Instagram because she says some of them are weird.[citation needed]
- Isabela owns a lot of make up.[citation needed]
- Her zodiac sign is Cancer.
- She can ride a Hoverboard.[citation needed]
- Isabela does a lot of traveling.
- Her favorite Hispanic drink is called "Inca Kola".[citation needed]
Gallery
To view the Isabela Merced gallery, click here.
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