Vanessa Elese Garcia

Mexican and Filipino. Vanessa Garcia, was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Vanessa is one of five children to Graceila and John Garcia, a dock-worker family from the South side of Los Angeles. She is a proud, first generation Mexican-American whose humble beginnings in South LA, as well as her vibrant cultural roots continuously inform the aesthetic and soul of her acting. Her mother immigrated from Mexico along with her 9 siblings, so Vanessa was continuously culturally enriched by her grandparents and extended family. Hailing from a family of five children, her childhood was bittersweet dichotomy of being surrounded by familial traditions and her father's love of music and art, while also watching her parents struggle to make ends meet and living in section 8 housing for some years. Growing up, she found refuge in self-expression through art, including the darkest of times when she watched her mother endure years of intense domestic violence. It is from this place of witnessing pain that Vanessa's resilience and creativity have manifested into the acting work she now births. Vanessa broke into the acting scene landing her first role in the Rob Reiner's star-studded 8, alongside Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Kevin Bacon.