Sonya Balmores

Sonya Balmores is an American actress, model, and surfer whose career spans professional athletics, pageantry, and the entertainment industry. Raised on the island of Kauai, Balmores developed a foundation in surfing and modeling before transitioning to acting as a teenager. She earned the Miss Hawaii Teen USA title and placed first runner-up at the national Miss Teen USA pageant, marking Hawaii's highest placement in the competition since Kelly Hu. This national exposure led to a modeling career with print campaigns for brands such as Roxy, Rip Curl, Billabong, Hurley, and Nike, and cover features in Women's Health, Shape, Foam, and Outside magazines.

Balmores gained recognition in television with a starring role in the surf drama "Beyond the Break," portraying one of the four lead surfers in the NBC Universal series. She later made her feature film debut in "Soul Surfer," playing Malina Birch, the main antagonist to AnnaSophia Robb's portrayal of Bethany Hamilton, alongside Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid. The role leveraged her connection to surfing culture and showcased her ability to work alongside established actors.

Balmores expanded her range by entering the superhero genre as Auran in Marvel's "Inhumans" for ABC, playing the head of the royal guard in the hidden Inhuman city of Attilan. She also appeared in the independent crime thriller "Den of Thieves" with Gerard Butler and Curtis Jackson. In addition to her work in television and film, Balmores has contributed to the video game industry, performing motion capture and voice work as Division Agent Alani Kelso for Tom Clancy's: The Division 2 by Ubisoft.

Balmores has taken on recurring roles in projects such as the Amazon reboot of "I Know What You Did Last Summer," filmed in Honolulu, and the historical drama series "The Chosen," where she portrayed Fatiyah. She has trained at programs in Los Angeles, including The Groundlings, The Actors Gang, and Shakespeare with Diane Venora, and is a graduate of The Baron Brown Acting Studio's two-year Meisner program in Santa Monica. Balmores continues to be recognized for her work in film, television, and video games, drawing on her background in athletics and her commitment to growth as a performer.