Hey there! My name's Lissa. I'm an actor, producer, and costume designer currently based in New York City, but raised in and around Philadelphia. My interest in acting began in my twenties—starting in Philly and eventually leading me to New York City. 

My first on-camera role as a featured bar girl in the third season of Amy Sherman-Palladino's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel kicked off my determination to pursue acting professionally. My first leading role in a feature film, Alice-Heart, cemented my conviction to work on projects I believe in and to support the films I contribute to both on and off camera when invited. With Alice-Heart also being the first feature I lead-produced, I was ecstatic to receive Slamdance 2025’s Honorable Mention for the Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize, as well as the festival’s Outstanding Acting Award. 

As a mixed Filipino American creative, I feel fortunate to work in a time that seeks out and champions diverse voices. Growing up in two distinct cultures has taught me to appreciate the eccentric—and often contradictory—facets of the human experience. I aim to draw upon these perspectives in hopes of bringing nuance and depth to my work. 

With the projects I contribute to, I hope to rekindle the liberated spirit of independent, low-budget filmmaking and encourage more Gen Z artists to tell stories that are true to them, no matter how seemingly trivial or grand. I firmly believe that film sets should be environments that foster collaboration and friendship, and I aspire to influence a future where this outlook becomes customary. 

Some of my favorite films include Goro Miyazaki's From Up on Poppy Hill, Ryuske Hamaguchi's Drive My Car, Paul Thomas Anderson's Phantom Thread, Joachim Trier's The Worst Person in the World, Lino Brocka's Manila in the Claws of Light, Luis Ortega's El Ángel, and Damien Chazelle's La La Land. These films, among many others, inspire me to continue storytelling and reaffirm my optimism in the future of the film industry. 

When I'm not acting or producing, I love studying linguistics, playing music, cooking, reading, and painting.