Isabela Merced

Isabela Merced
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Name:
Isabela Merced
Real name:
Isabela Yolanda Moner
Who is:
,
Birth date:
(24 y.o.)
Place of birth:
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Height:
1'10 ft ()
Weight:
104 lb (47 kg)
Relationship:
single
Birth Sign:
(characteristic)
Chinese zodiac:

Biography of Isabela Moner

Isabela Moner, later known as Isabela Merced, is an actress and singer from the United States with Latin American roots. She's best known for the teen series "100 Things to Do Before High School", the blockbuster "Transformers: The Last Knight", the comedy "Instant Family" and the adventure film "Dora and the Lost City of Gold".
Actress Isabela Moner
Actress Isabela Moner

Childhood and Youth

Isabela Yolanda Moner was born in Cleveland in July 2001. Her father Patrick hails from Louisiana and has Polish roots, while her mother Katherine is Peruvian. She was the middle child and only daughter, with an older brother Jared and younger brother Giovanni.
Isabela Moner in childhood
Isabela Moner in childhood
Spanish was her first language. She felt more Peruvian than American. Her English was poor, which caused communication problems at school.

Since her first childhood trip to Peru with her parents, she tries to visit her ancestral homeland as often as possible, especially for New Year's. "This place is filled with history and wisdom. People come here to change their lives," the actress explained.
Little Isabela Moner in the play 'Les Misérables'
Little Isabela Moner in the play 'Les Misérables'
Moner's passion for performing emerged early. She hit the local theater stage at six, and by ten - after the family had moved to New York - she made her Broadway debut in the musical "Evita", singing in Spanish alongside Ricky Martin.
Ten-year-old Peruvian girl makes Broadway debut in Evita

Roles in Films

Isabela began her journey in cinema in 2013, with a small role in Henry Barrial's drama "The House that Jack Built", and soon joined the cast of the sitcom "Growing up Fisher" as Jenny.
Isabela Moner in the series Growing up Fisher
Isabela Moner in the series Growing up Fisher
From 2014, she voiced several characters in the popular Nickelodeon cartoon "Dora the Explorer".

That same year, she snagged her first leading role as CJ Martin in another Nickelodeon series, "100 Things to Do Before High School" – a teen comedy about three friends racing to complete an epic bucket list before graduating middle school.
Isabela Moner in the series 100 Things to Do Before High School
Isabela Moner in the series 100 Things to Do Before High School
The project lasted until 2016. Her performance earned her recognition from the Imagen Awards, which celebrates positive Latino representation in entertainment.
Isabela Moner Music Video, Dream About Me: 100 Things To Do Before High School
She also starred in the TV movies "Splitting Adam" – which won Best Children's Program at the 2016 Leo Awards – and "Legends of the Hidden Temple."
Isabela Moner in the movie Legends of the Hidden Temple
Isabela Moner in the movie Legends of the Hidden Temple
In 2016, she appeared in the comedy "Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life" as Jeanne Galleta, the smart girl who captures the main character's heart.
Isabela Moner in the movie Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
Isabela Moner in the movie Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
In 2017, Isabela joined the "Transformers" franchise, joining the cast of its fifth installment. She played Izabella, an orphaned girl who finds a new family with the Transformers Canopy and Sqweeks.
Isabela Moner on the set of the movie Transformers: The Last Knight
Isabela Moner on the set of the movie Transformers: The Last Knight
This marked her first big-budget blockbuster experience. On set, she worked with such celebrities as Anthony Hopkins and Mark Wahlberg, with whom she soon crossed paths again on the set of the comedy "Instant Family". Isabela played Lizzie, a teenager who enters foster care with Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne). Her performance earned her Best Young Actress honors at both the 2019 Young Entertainers Awards and Imagen Awards.
Isabela Moner in the movie Instant Family
Isabela Moner in the movie Instant Family
Next came the intense action thriller "Sicario: Day of the Soldado," exploring the brutal conflict between Mexican cartels and U.S. forces. She played the daughter of a cartel kingpin.
Isabela Moner in the movie Sicario: Day of the Soldado
Isabela Moner in the movie Sicario: Day of the Soldado
In 2019, the adventure film "Dora and the Lost City of Gold" was released. While she'd previously voiced the character in the animated series, this time Isabela got to bring the beloved explorer to life in live-action.
Isabela Moner in the movie Dora and the Lost City of Gold
Isabela Moner in the movie Dora and the Lost City of Gold
This marked the final project where Isabela would use the surname Moner. During this challenging time, Isabela and her brothers faced an incredibly difficult period as their mother battled breast cancer. The actress adopted the surname Merced to honor her maternal grandmother Yolanda Merced, who brought Isabela's mother to the USA but passed away when Katherine was just 15. Though Isabela never met her grandmother, she's always admired her spirit:
...I believe that some force has been giving my mom strength and determination throughout all these years; a force that has protected us in many journeys, trips, and experiences. I feel that if this guardian angel does exist, it must be my grandmother.
In 2019, Isabela made her debut under her new surname in the Christmas romantic comedy "Let It Snow," taking on one of the central roles as Julie.
Isabela Moner in the movie Let It Snow
Isabela Moner in the movie Let It Snow
In 2021, Isabela landed the leading role of Rachel in the crime thriller "Sweet Girl." A year later, she appeared in the romantic comedy "Father of the Bride," playing Sophie. She then took on the role of Juliet in "Rosaline," a fresh take on the classic Shakespearean story.
Isabela Moner in the movie Rosaline
Isabela Moner in the movie Rosaline

Music

Back in 2015, Isabela released her album "Stopping Time," featuring both popular song covers and original compositions.

In 2019, she continued her music career by recording the single "Papi," complete with a music video celebrating her Peruvian heritage, and also contributed a song to the movie "Instant Family."
Isabela Merced - PAPI
In 2020, following the release of her debut mini-album "The Better Half of Me," Billboard named Isabela Merced among the top fifteen Peruvian performers.

In 2022, she dropped her new single "Agonía."
Isabela Merced ft. Kayfex - Agonía

Personal Life of Isabela Moner

On the personal front, Isabela dated actor Jace Norman in 2016 after meeting him on the set of the TV movie "Splitting Adam."
Isabela Moner and Jace Norman
Isabela Moner and Jace Norman
Later, photos of Isabela with a young man named Kian surfaced on her social media. However, in January 2023, Isabela and Kian unfollowed each other on social media, prompting fans to speculate that they'd broken up.
Isabela Merced Talks PAPI, Dora The Explorer & Nickelodeon

Isabela Moner Now

In March 2023, it was announced that the actress would join the new installment of the horror franchise "Alien: Romulus". Additionally, Isabela will join the second season of the post-apocalyptic drama "The Last of Us". She's reportedly playing "smart and cheerful girl named Dina". The series is set to premiere in 2025.
Isabela Moner will play Dina in the TV series 'Last of Us'
Isabela Moner will play Dina in the TV series 'Last of Us'
February 2024 saw the premiere of the Spider-Man universe thriller "Madame Web", starring Dakota Johnson alongside Isabela, who joined the cast in summer 2022.

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