Gabriela Lopez

Gabriela was born in Dothan, Alabama to Peruvian father, Dr. Fernando Lopez, one of the first psychiatrists in Alabama and to her beautiful late mother, Melinda, an Alabama native, who also worked in the mental health industry. True to southern tradition, she competed in a slue of local and international pageants. The confidence she gained performing on stages landed her the coveted title of Miss Teen International. However, the same industry that provided exciting new opportunities was also the industry that pushed her to rebel against the perfectionism that so often crept into the psyche of beauty queens. It was exactly this stage and being raised by two parents dedicated to mental health, that helped her to discover her true passion in the craft of acting-exposing the grit and authenticity inherent to the human experience. Acting allowed Gabriela to navigate and represent characters that better mirrored the sometimes darker experiences she had growing up in a climate of school bullying and cultural oppression. On the outside, this former pageant queen represents all facets of grace and beauty, but on the inside, this young Peruvian- American actress tackles her acting craft with a decisive purpose only found in those who have experienced the countless layers of life. Her dedication to her craft at an early age began to shed its light when she booked one of the lead roles as Carlita in the ABC Family movie Teen Spirit. Since she can be seen in UPtv movie Coffee Shop alongside Laura Vandervoort, recurring on FOX series Rosewood and stars in feature film The Browsing Effect on Amazon Prime. She is best known for her role as Lizbeth, the best friend of Cassie Sullivan (Chloe Grace Moretz) in Columbia Pictures' The 5th Wave, a bestselling YA novel. Gabriela also has her foot in producing. In 2015, she produced, wrote and starred in short film. Unrelated, with actress Taylor Kalupa (The Fix, Law & Order) which had success in the festival circuit and is a producer on the feature film titled Better Get Lit alongside Academy Award winner, Sam Rockwell that she is set to star in as well.