Donna Benedicto is a singer, model, and actress best known for her work in Hallmark films. A Wish For Christmas, Operation Christmas, Four Christmas, And A Wedding, Forever Christmas, Christmas On My Mind, Farmer Seeking Love, and others are among her films.
For the past few years, she has been a big name in Vancouver’s cover band scene as a singer.
Many people recognize Benedicto’s face because she lights up stages across the city with her soulful vocals. Her vocal work encompasses all musical genres. Donna Benedicto has been working on Hallmark movies since 2016, and while that may seem like a short time, she has appeared in dozens of them. Benedicto has appeared in a surprising number of Hallmark movies. The Brunette celebrity says she enjoys highlighting the supporting cast.
And the audience adores her, and her fans believe she is well on her way to becoming a much-coveted “star.” Her other notable appearances include Supergirl, Almost Human, and The Main Event on television. Take a long look with Donna to trace the exciting journey that led her to her current position, which appears to be as promising as it could be.
Donna Benedicto’s Nationality; Is She Filipino?
While Benedicto is a Canadian by nationality, she has admitted to being born in Vancouver and raised in Richmond by a Filipino family. Her parents were Filipinos of the first generation. She is also frequently cast in television roles as a Filipino.
The recurring character attended Hugh Boyd Secondary School in Richmond. Although Benedicto celebrates her birthday in October, the year she was born is unknown. Despite this, she is thought to be in her late twenties.
Donna Benedicto Fought Throughout Her School Years
Benedicto admits she struggled socially at her school. Her elementary school was mostly white, so she struggled to fit in. Her schoolwork suffered as a result of this. She would only do what was required to pass tests.
Donna Benedicto is a Canadian actress best known for her roles in Hallmark movies.
Donna Benedicto is the star of A Christmas Wish.
The Forever Christmas star previously stated that she would never do homework. She also claims that people who went to Hugh Boyd with her do not remember her.
This, she claims, is due in part to the fact that she never attended school regularly in grades 10, 11, and 12. Donna would constantly skip. She’d call in and pretend to be her mother (in an impeccable Filipina accent). She also admits to feeling constantly insecure at school.
Benedicto began his career as a singer.
Donna’s Filipino parents initially desired that she become a nurse, dental assistant, or hygienist. But after she did a show, they were very supportive.
Her singing career began when she was very young; she sang her first song at the age of four in church. Donna sang in the church until she was about 11 years old.
Benedicto credits her interest in music to Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, and Whitney Houston. She once stated that she grew up listening to mostly R&B and soul. Benedicto was also managing a busy bar where she was leaving at the time.
In an interview about those times, the Christmas On My Mind star stated,
I didn’t have a specific goal or passion for anything. My boyfriend at the time told me I was a pretty good singer and encouraged me to take some lessons.
She eventually enrolled in lessons for a year. Benedicto had been working at this bar for about six years when her boss discovered her singing lessons. He made her sing for the first time at a staff party.
Benedicto claims she was fine back then; she wasn’t a particularly good singer, but her employers knew that if she put on a show, everyone would show up because she had been working at the bar for six years. Every month, Donna got a show. She improved with practice and enjoyed the performance aspect of it.
Benedicto then tried out for a cover band. She didn’t have any creative control once she got in, so the Hallmark actress didn’t get to choose any of the songs they sang.
She didn’t write music or do anything else besides practice 8 hours a day, every day, beginning a few months before the show. Singing was more of a hobby for her.
Why Did Donna Benedicto Make the Transition to Acting?
While Donna was pursuing her childhood dream, her job as a singer in the band required her to perform a lot of songs she didn’t particularly enjoy or find appealing. The now-famous TV star eventually stopped singing and began taking acting classes, and she claims she was hooked.
Benedicto stated when asked what she liked about her second career interest,
I’m not particularly enthusiastic about the writing part. I enjoy singing and all that, but it’s the performance aspect of acting and singing that I find most enjoyable. So that’s how it all began for me. And, like anything else, you improve over time.
Donna believes that actors should begin their careers as musicians. She claims the latter has greatly aided her current career.
Donna’s Career as an Actress
Donna’s acting career began with a cameo appearance as Cindy in the 2013 documentary series Untold Stories Of The ER. She then appeared in the 2014 short film regardless before landing another one-time role in the TV series Almost Human.
Her subsequent projects included the short film I’m Just Saying (2015), the mini-series Minority Report, the 2016 television show iZombie, and Heartbeat (also a tv show).
Her first film role was in The Real MVP: The Wanda Durant Story, a 2016 television film. Donna landed her first Hallmark movie role the same year, playing Megan in the 2016 film A Wish For Christmas.
Benedicto has worked on over 40 projects, including films and television shows, since then. Her notable television show appearances thus far include Mandy in the CW’s Supernatural, Doctor in UnReal, Kendra in A Million Little Things, and Agent Reiff in Supergirl.
Donna Benedicto is she married?
Even though Donna is open about her life on social media, she has yet to reveal anything about her love life. According to her Instagram feeds, the former iZombie actress appears to be single, much less married.
Benedicto, while not shy about sharing her hangouts and girls’ night/day outs, is not shy about mentioning whether or not she has a boyfriend.
While Benedicto has revealed that her ex-partner encouraged her to pursue singing, she has not revealed who he was or whether things are still going well with him. Though the latter seems less likely given Donna’s long journey away from her singing career.
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