Within a few years of making her professional screen debut, Kaitlyn Santa Juana has made a global impact with her talent. Santa Juana’s background and early life sparked her interest in the performing arts, and she has not stopped pursuing her dreams since then. Before her remarkably growing screen career, she honed her skills by performing in musical theater. Her stint in Dear Evan Hansen, where she performed eight shows a week, shaped her to face the demanding career path she has chosen.
While she credits the theater for teaching her lifelong lessons about the industry, Kaitlyn Santa Juana hit the jackpot with her role in Final Destination Bloodlines (2025). The career-defining role showcased her versatility as a lead in one of the most iconic horror franchises in cinematic history. Santa Juana also got to share the screen with the legendary Tony Todd in one of his final moments onscreen before he died in 2024. Being part of something this huge changed her life and career as she gained global prominence.
Kaitlyn Santa Juana Hails From a Mixed Ancestry
Born and raised in Langley, British Columbia, Canada, Kaitlyn Santa Juana’s father is from the Philippines, while her mother is of Czech-Slovak descent. Although she doesn’t visit the Philippines, Santa Juana holds her culture in high esteem. She was raised as a true Filipino, surrounded by a large extended family. Her mother has learned learned to cook Filipino dishes, which Santa Juana grew up eating. The family also owns a Filipino-inspired bakery in Langley known as JJ Bakes Company.
Santa Juana also cooks local dishes like sinigang and pancit, which have helped keep her close to her culture. In addition to local food and family values, her Filipino roots exposed the actress to karaoke and fashion. She began singing in karaoke sessions at the age of two. This influenced her career choice in the performing arts, which became obvious in high school.
Dissecting Her Background in Musical Theater
In high school, Kaitlyn Santa Juana saw acting as an opportunity to showcase her singing talent by performing in musical theater. She later moved to New York City to take on grand stages. After graduating from theatre school, Santa Juana focused on her acting career. The 5 feet 3 inches tall Filipina actress was an understudy for Zoe Murphy and Alana Beck in the Toronto company’s production of Dear Evan Hansen.
She later reprised the roles after transitioning to Broadway. While her career has blossomed, from TV shows to feature films, musical theatre will always feel like home to Santa Juana. She began her stint in Dear Evan Hansen early in her twenties and leveraged the experience to build her vocal skills. Again, the demanding nature of the show fortified her focus and confidence in pursuing a long-term career in the performing arts.
Kaitlyn Santa Juana’s Movies and TV Shows
While she gained her breakthrough playing Stefani Reyes in Final Destination Bloodlines, Kaitlyn Santa Juana has appeared in other movies and TV shows. Her earliest onscreen appearances were minor roles in 2016 and 2021. She upgraded her acting game in 2022 with back-to-back roles in movies and TV shows, including The Flash, He’s Not Worth Dying For, and We Need a Little Christmas.
Kaitlyn Santa Juana’s fame skyrocketed with her role as Stefani in Bloodlines, the sixth offering from the iconic Final Destination horror franchise. Stefani was propelled from being a studious college student, top of her class, to becoming the savior her family members look up to for survival as Death comes for them all. Santa Juana’s Filipino upbringing and family values are felt in her depiction of Stefani.
Kaitlyn Santa Juana Share Many Things in Common with Final Destination Bloodlines’ Stefani
It’s amazing how uncannily Kaitlyn Santa Juana relates to her Final Destination Bloodlines character. Her background as a Filipina emphasises the value of family, a trait she explored in her Final Destination Bloodlines role. As such, it was easy for her to flawlessly portray Stefani, leaning heavily into her love for her family. A typical Filipino family transcends beyond parents and their children to include strong bonds with uncles, aunts, and cousins.
Kaitly Santa Juana grew up watching the horror franchise, and being a part of it felt too real. It took an eerie turn when she began sharing the nightmares with her Bloodlines character during shooting. “When you’re surrounded by something so dark, it starts to leak into your subconscious,” she told Nylon Manila during an interview on Zoom. “I was starting to get back into the swing of things after we stopped filming this—and then BAM! We’re back in press for it, and I’m having these dreams again,” she added. The actress also grew up with some superstitious beliefs about the dead that resonate with her Bloodlines role.
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