Willa Holland

Infobox actor


imagesize = 150px
name = Willa Holland
birthname = Willa Joanna Chance Holland
birthdate = birth date and age|1991|6|18
birthplace = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
deathdate =
othername =
occupation = actress and fashion model

Willa Joanna Chance Holland [According to the State of California. "California Birth Index, 1905-1995". Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. At Ancestry.com] (born June 18, 1991) is an American model and actress. She is best known for playing Kaitlin Cooper, Marissa Cooper's devious younger sister, on the television series "The O.C." She was recently cast to appear on a multi episode story arc on the show Gossip Girl.

Early life

Holland was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of cinematographer Keith Holland and actress Darnell Gregorio-De Palma. She has two sisters, Brianna Holland (born 1988) and Piper De Palma (born 1996). Holland spent the earlier part of her childhood in Chelsea, London. It was during that period that she spent time on the set of the film "" which was directed by her stepfather Brian De Palma.

She went to Kenter Canyon Elementary School and later Paul Revere Middle School. She also attended Palisades Charter High School for a brief time.

Career

Holland spent the summer of 1999 in The Hamptons with her family. After a day playing at Steven Spielberg's home, the seed was planted that she should spend her life acting in film. Spielberg told her mother "You've got to put her in front of a camera!". [http://television.aol.com/news/tv_tattler_celebrity_interviews/willa_holland the TV Tattler] - New 'O.C.' Star Willa Holland Dishes About Playing Kaitlin Cooper] [ [http://www.tvguide.com/News/Insider/?cmsGuid=%7BCE821E81-EF5D-4B5B-B3E6-0152B100C74A%7D tvguide.com] - How Low Can O.C.'s Young Kaitlin Go?] [ [http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/spielberg%20gave%20the%20ocs%20holland%20her%20big%20break_29_03_2006 contactmusic.com] - SPIELBERG GAVE THE OC'S HOLLAND HER BIG BREAK]

Upon her return to Los Angeles that September, Holland first signed with Ford Modeling Agency. She began getting work immediately: her first job was for Burberry of London, where she had much success.

The following year, 1999, De Palma took Willa to a theatrical talent agency. Since then she has shot many national commercials. During 2001 when Willa was ten, she worked alongside her cinematographer father in Ordinary Madness. She was even slated to co-star in the 2005 FOX series "The Inside" with fellow model Rachel Nichols, but left the show when writer Tim Minear was brought in to overhaul it. She played the role of Kaitlin Cooper on "The O.C." for its third and fourth seasons. Incidentally, Willa Holland was a fan of "The O.C." before landing the role of Kaitlin Cooper, Marissa Cooper's (Mischa Barton) rebellious "little" sister. [ [http://people.aol.com/people/article/0,26334,1150240,00.html People.com] - Introducing ... Willa Holland] [ [http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271%7C99619%7C1%7C,00.html Zap2it] - Holland's New Mini-Cooper Revs onto 'The O.C.'] She was a regular on the entire fourth season. Willa currently attends private acting classes with one of LAs most esteemed acting coaches.

She has recently graced the cover of Teen Vogue (where she was the youngest cover girl) and Fashion 18 and has been featured in CosmoGirl!, as well as representing LeSportsac Fall and Winter 2006 The O.C. handbags for Macy's. She also currently tops the High Critic's Top 20 list for 2007.

Willa played a confused teenager (April) in the film Garden Party, which opened July 11, 2008 in Los Angeles, New York, Portland, and Seattle. [http://www.gardenpartymovie.com Official Website]

On September 5 2008 it was announced that Gossip Girl creator Josh Schwartz was giving her a at-least-3-episode stint in Season 2 of Gossip Girl in which Holland will play Agnes, a 16-year-old model working for Eleanor Waldorf. She is to create havoc with Taylor Momsen's character Jenny Humphrey.

Filmography

*"Ordinary Madness" (2001), Young Faye
*"The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things" (2004), Milkshake
*"The Comeback" (2005), Kalla - TV series
*"The O.C." (2006–2007), Kaitlin Cooper - TV series
*"Chasing 3000" (2008), Jamie
*"Garden Party" (2008), April
*"Genova" (2008), Kelly
*"Middle of Nowhere" (2008), Taylor
*"Gossip Girl" (2008), Agnes - TV series
*"Legion" (2009), Audrey Anderson

References

External links

*imdb name|id=1473267|name=Willa Holland