Biography

A multidisciplinary, multi-racial Filipina actress, Christina Orjalo was born September 22, 1999 and is based in Toronto, Canada. Her film career began at age four when Christina was cast in the action movie 16 Blocks alongside Bruce Willis and Mos Def. She subsequently was cast in The Time Traveller's Wife, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, and the hit children's T.V. shows The Big Comfy Couch and Stella and Sam.

Christina's love for theatrical performance emerged from her seat in the Princess of Wales Theatre during the 2007 Toronto production of The Phantom of the Opera, which inspired her to pursue theatre in her hometown. Her stage debut was the cherished role of Little Cosette in the production of Les Miserables at OLT. For much of her formative years, Christina could be found performing in a variety of musicals, such as: The Sound of Music, The Music Man, Hairspray, and Grease. Throughout her childhood, Christina challenged herself to engage in the beginnings of multiple instruments such as the piano, voice, guitar, ukulele, and violin. She also endeavoured in the sport's community, most notably enjoying soccer (with a killer left boot to show for it).

Her formal training in theatre began with the acceptance to multiple Stratford Festival acting programs; in 2016, she was accepted into the highly competitive training program for young actors at the Stratford Festival, garnering young actors from across the globe for professional Shakespeare training. Throughout these years, Christina completed her high school learning immersed in Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts Drama Program.

Following graduation, she was accepted into Sheridan College and the University of Toronto's joint acting program specializing in Theatre and Drama Studies. In her third year, she portrayed Cassandra in the site-specific rendition of The Oresteia, and additionally premiered as Ruth, Elisa, Deborah, and Goldie in David Yee's The Cecil Hotel. Throughout her undergraduate career, Christina continuously aimed to create provocative and form-bending works through her emerging interest in playwriting; she wrote Luke 7:47 and The Messengers, which premiered with UofT's EDSS and the Beck Festival respectively. Christina received multiple awards throughout her academic career, notably the A.L. Fernie Award for her high scholastic achievements and early career success. She graduated with High Distinction and now holds an Advanced Diploma in Professional Acting Technique and an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Drama, respectively.

Upon graduation in 2021, Christina was quickly cast in a principal role for the CW Network, taking her to Vancouver, Canada. Shortly after, she was cast as Valerie Long in Astrid and Lilly Save the World, which filmed in Newfoundland, Canada. Christina is overjoyed to have stepped foot in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans within months of each other!

For the stage, she had the pleasure of contributing to the writing of MH370, an online, interactive art installation with fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Company. Christina is one-third of the Carlos Bulosan Collective "Disconnect(ed)" creating a piece titled Pedestal Pinays, set to make its Canadian premiere in 2023. Christina continues to grow under the mentorship of Melee Hutton, David Yee, and her long-time inspiration and big sister since birth, Marissa Orjalo.

In her spare time, Christina enjoys karaoke, longboarding, scrapbooking, playing with her cat Lucy, and interviewing her friends and peers on her YouTube show called "Fondue for Two" (inspired by Glee), which is undergoing artistic rebranding for the sake of legality. Christina looks up to the likes of Florence Pugh, Simu Liu, Pia Wurtzbach, Phillipa Soo, Jo Koy, Audrey Hepburn, and Daniella Dela Peña.

- IMDb mini biography by: C.W.