Kristin Villanueva
Kristin Villanueva | |
|---|---|
| Born | City of Las Piñas Philippines |
| Citizenship | Philippines United States |
| Education | State University of New York at Purchase (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Known for | The Pitt |
Kristin Villanueva is a Filipino actress from Manila who is best known for her theatre career and her recurring role as Princess on the HBO Max medical drama The Pitt.
Personal life
Kristin Villanueva was born and raised in Las Piñas in the Philippines. She immigrated to the United States when she was 15 years old and settled in Virginia. She initially practiced ballet to accommodate her asthma, but began acting in a high school program.[1]
She attended SUNY Purchase, where she earned her Bachelor in Fine Arts and was awarded the Chair's Award for Achievement in Acting.[2]
Career
Villanueva took on various small acting and theatre roles throughout her high school and college years, a large number of which occurred during her time at SUNY Purchase, where she studied acting.[2]
In theatre, she has starred as Julia in Two Gentlemen of Verona at the Old Globe Theatre; Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice with the Playmakers Repertory; Helena in All's Well That Ends Well with Shakespeare & Company; and Dromio of Ephesus and Dromio of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors at Theatreworks Colorado.[2] She has also worked with NAATCO, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Resident Ensemble Theatre, The Public Theater, and acted at the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival and the Singapore Arts Festival.[2]
In 2025, Villanueva entered the role of Princess, a nurse, in the medical drama The Pitt. She praised the show and the production team for "having done their research" in writing her character. Filipinos make up 4% of the United States' nurses, the largest group of immigrant healthcare workers, while only making up 1% of the general population. Villanueva has several nurses in her extended family, and she mentions that they were "extremely impressed" with the show's attention to detail.[1][3][4]
Filmography
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Konstruksiyon | Lizabeth Boyd | In the Philippines | |
| 2011 | Gossip Girl | Natalie | Episode: "I Am Number Nine" | [5] |
| Merry Christmas, Eve | Eve | Short film | [6] | |
| 2014 | The Wordplay Shakespeare a Midsummer Night's Dream | Hermia/Flute/Peasblossom | [7] | |
| 2015 | Forever | Gaiya | Episode: "Hitler on the Half-Shell" | [6] |
| 2017 | First Reformed | Nurse | ||
| 2018 | Elementary | Maya | Episode: "Nobody Lives Forever" | [2] |
| Instinct | Woman at Apartment | Episode: "Tribal" | ||
| Viper Club | Camelyn | |||
| 2021 | Bonding | Sweet Charlotte | 5 episodes | |
| Search Party | Assistant | Episode: "The Imposter" | ||
| Younger | Alessia | 2 episodes: "Risky Business", "The F Word" | ||
| Someone Will Assist You Shortly | Bernice | Short film | ||
| 2022 | That Damn Michael Che | Party Planner #4 | Episode: "Black Mediocrity" | |
| The Courtroom | Elizabeth Keathley | [8] | ||
| Troy | Lou | Short film | [9] | |
| 2025–2026 | The Pitt | Princess Dela Cruz | Recurring role; 16 episodes | [10] |
| TBA | Caravan † | Andrea | Post-production | [11] |
Awards and honors
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Actor Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | The Pitt | Won | [12] |
External links
References
- 1 2 Chavez, Yong (15 April 2025). "In 'The Pitt,' Filipina nurses take center stage: Abellera, Villanueva bring representation to life". ABS-CBN. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Kristin Villanueva". The Actors Center. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ↑ DiNardo, Georgina (29 May 2025). "How 'The Pitt' Highlights the Importance of Filipino Nurses in the Emergency Department". Today. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ↑ Gonzales, Erica (12 June 2025). "Filipino Nurses and Health Care Workers Are Everywhere. Now, They are Finally on Screen Too". Yahoo! Entertainment. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ↑ "Press Release: The White Snake Cast Annoucement [sic]". The Old Globe. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- 1 2 "Kristin Villanueva". Goodman Theatre. August 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ↑ "Kristin Villanueva". Marin Theatre. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ↑ Okare, Fisayo (15 April 2024). "Actor Kristin Villanueva Cannot Tell a Lie". Documented. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ↑ "Troy". Tribeca Film Festival. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ↑ Roberts, Joe (20 May 2025). "The Pitt Cast Guide: Where You've Seen The Actors Before". /Film. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ↑ "Caravan". Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- ↑ "Complete Winners List: SAG Actor Awards 2026". The New York Times. 1 March 2026. Retrieved 1 March 2026.