# Kaitlyn Santa Juana
**Kaitlyn Santa Juana** (born 1997) is a Canadian actress and singer of Filipino and Czech-Slovak descent, known for playing Stefani Reyes, the lead role in the 2025 horror film *Final Destination: Bloodlines*.[1](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/kaitlyn-santa-juana/109711/) Trained in musical theater in New York, she worked as an understudy and replacement in *Dear Evan Hansen* on Broadway before moving into television and film, where her breakout came as the first lead of Filipino heritage in the *Final Destination* franchise.[1](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/kaitlyn-santa-juana/109711/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1997, Langley, British Columbia, Canada; Filipino and Czech-Slovak descent[1](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/kaitlyn-santa-juana/109711/) |
| Training | American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), Musical Theatre Conservatory, New York[2](https://www.backstage.com/u/kaitlyn-santa-juana/) |
| Stage credits | *Dear Evan Hansen*: Toronto original Canadian production, 2019, understudy; Broadway, Alana Beck and Zoe Murphy replacement[3](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Kaitlyn-Santa-Juana/) |
| Breakout role | Stefani Reyes in *Final Destination: Bloodlines* (2025), the franchise's first lead of Filipino heritage[1](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/kaitlyn-santa-juana/109711/) |
| Box office result | *Bloodlines* grossed $318 million globally for Warner Bros. as reported by one trade account; other reports give $314.6 million and $285.3 million[4](https://www.thebrief.news/en/standard/article/11907/kaitlyn-santa-juana-hits-the-road-final-destination-star-leads-pop-punk-dramedy-the-jam-van) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/fr-ca/name/nm8766941/news/) |
| Upcoming | Leads the pop-punk road-trip dramedy *The Jam Van*, her first feature since *Bloodlines*; production begins in Winnipeg at the end of August 2026[4](https://www.thebrief.news/en/standard/article/11907/kaitlyn-santa-juana-hits-the-road-final-destination-star-leads-pop-punk-dramedy-the-jam-van) |
## Early life and training
Santa Juana was born in [Langley, British Columbia](https://www.edgepedia.org/langley-british-columbia), to a father from the Philippines and a mother from [Czechoslovakia](https://www.edgepedia.org/czechoslovakia), and she has credited family traditions such as karaoke with fueling her interest in performance.[1](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/kaitlyn-santa-juana/109711/) She began her screen career in 2016 at age 19, playing Shauna in an episode of the series *#STI*.[1](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/kaitlyn-santa-juana/109711/) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8766941/) She trained at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy's Musical Theatre Conservatory in New York, and her professional profile has been based in Manhattan.[2](https://www.backstage.com/u/kaitlyn-santa-juana/)
## Stage career
**Dear Evan Hansen.** In 2019 Santa Juana joined the original Canadian production of *Dear Evan Hansen* in Toronto as an understudy for the roles of Zoe Murphy and Alana Beck, and later moved with the roles to the Broadway company.[1](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/kaitlyn-santa-juana/109711/) Playbill lists her Broadway run in those two replacement roles from August 13, 2019 to March 11, 2020.[7](https://m.playbill.com/person/kaitlyn-santa-juana) She also appeared in [Stratford Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/stratford-festival)-related work, including the 2021 production *Play On! A Shakespeare-Inspired Mixtape*, in which she played Julia.[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8766941/)
## Screen work and Final Destination: Bloodlines
In 2022 she appeared in four screen projects: as Lydia Sánchez in two episodes of the series *The Flash*, as Cotton Allen in the sci-fi horror feature *The Friendship Game*, and in the television movies *We Need a Little Christmas* (as Nadine) and *He's Not Worth Dying For* (as Ari).[1](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/kaitlyn-santa-juana/109711/) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8766941/)
**Bloodlines.** In May 2025 she took the lead role of Stefani Reyes, a college student plagued by a recurring nightmare of a 1960s tower collapse that killed her grandmother's generation, in *Final Destination: Bloodlines*, the sixth film in the franchise and the first in fourteen years, directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein.[1](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/kaitlyn-santa-juana/109711/) • [8](https://time.com/7285162/final-destination-bloodlines-directors-interview/) She was the first lead of Filipino heritage in the franchise's history.[1](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/kaitlyn-santa-juana/109711/) In interviews she described the character as moving through three phases, detective, protector of her family, and survivor, and noted that unlike earlier films' single premonitions, her character's vision is a recurring nightmare of an event that happened decades earlier.[9](https://www.wheninmanila.com/kaitlyn-santa-juana-and-teo-briones-final-destination-bloodlines/)
The film became the highest-grossing entry in the franchise. Reported totals differ across outlets: $318 million globally in the trade report announcing her next film, $314.6 million worldwide in an IMDb-linked news item, and $285.3 million globally against a $50 million budget in a July 2025 report on the sequel's development.[4](https://www.thebrief.news/en/standard/article/11907/kaitlyn-santa-juana-hits-the-road-final-destination-star-leads-pop-punk-dramedy-the-jam-van) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/fr-ca/name/nm8766941/news/) On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 92% critic score and an 86% audience score, though one outlet reported 93% and 87% respectively.[10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kaitlyn_santa_juana) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/fr-ca/name/nm8766941/news/) The film debuted on [HBO Max](https://www.edgepedia.org/hbo-max) on August 1, 2025.[5](https://www.imdb.com/fr-ca/name/nm8766941/news/) A seventh *Final Destination* film, with *Bloodlines* co-writer Lori Evans Taylor writing the screenplay, was subsequently announced.[5](https://www.imdb.com/fr-ca/name/nm8766941/news/)
## The Jam Van
Santa Juana's first feature since *Bloodlines* is *The Jam Van*, a pop-punk road-trip dramedy in which she plays Monica, described by one listing, leading a cast that includes Maclean Fish and [Nikki Roumel](https://www.edgepedia.org/nikki-roumel), with Madison MacIsaac, Cassandra Potenza, and Dom Bergeron rounding out the lead ensemble.[4](https://www.thebrief.news/en/standard/article/11907/kaitlyn-santa-juana-hits-the-road-final-destination-star-leads-pop-punk-dramedy-the-jam-van) • [11](https://diziyoo.com/kaitlyn-santa-juana-filmleri-dizileri) The story follows a dysfunctional pop-punk band traveling toward a performance that could be their big break or their last show.[4](https://www.thebrief.news/en/standard/article/11907/kaitlyn-santa-juana-hits-the-road-final-destination-star-leads-pop-punk-dramedy-the-jam-van)
The film marks Alec Carlos's first directing job, and he wrote the screenplay together with producer Peter Roumeliotis; among the producers are Inventive Entertainment's Jordan Connor and Kyle Guerrero, Helen Roumeliotis, and Santa Juana herself, with Blitz//Berlin set to compose the score.[4](https://www.thebrief.news/en/standard/article/11907/kaitlyn-santa-juana-hits-the-road-final-destination-star-leads-pop-punk-dramedy-the-jam-van) It is the fifth feature under the Popternative Pictures banner, whose slate includes *[The Cure](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-cure-2026-film)* starring [David Dastmalchian](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-dastmalchian) and the Bigfoot thriller *Sawtooth Mountain*.[4](https://www.thebrief.news/en/standard/article/11907/kaitlyn-santa-juana-hits-the-road-final-destination-star-leads-pop-punk-dramedy-the-jam-van) Production begins in Winnipeg, Manitoba, at the end of August 2026.[4](https://www.thebrief.news/en/standard/article/11907/kaitlyn-santa-juana-hits-the-road-final-destination-star-leads-pop-punk-dramedy-the-jam-van)
## References
1. [Kaitlyn Santa Juana Biography, Tribute.ca](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/kaitlyn-santa-juana/109711/)
2. [Kaitlyn Santa Juana Professional Profile, Backstage](https://www.backstage.com/u/kaitlyn-santa-juana/)
3. [Kaitlyn Santa Juana Stage Credits, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Kaitlyn-Santa-Juana/)
4. [Kaitlyn Santa Juana Hits the Road: 'Final Destination' Star Leads Pop-Punk Dramedy 'The Jam Van', The Brief](https://www.thebrief.news/en/standard/article/11907/kaitlyn-santa-juana-hits-the-road-final-destination-star-leads-pop-punk-dramedy-the-jam-van)
5. [Kaitlyn Santa Juana News, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/fr-ca/name/nm8766941/news/)
6. [Kaitlyn Santa Juana, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8766941/)
7. [Kaitlyn Santa Juana (Performer), Playbill](https://m.playbill.com/person/kaitlyn-santa-juana)
8. [The Directors of 'Final Destination: Bloodlines' Want to Ruin More Everyday Experiences for You, Time](https://time.com/7285162/final-destination-bloodlines-directors-interview/)
9. [Kaitlyn Santa Juana and Teo Briones Open Up About Their Roles in "Final Destination: Bloodlines", When In Manila](https://www.wheninmanila.com/kaitlyn-santa-juana-and-teo-briones-final-destination-bloodlines/)
10. [Kaitlyn Santa Juana Movies List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/kaitlyn_santa_juana)
11. [Kaitlyn Santa Juana Filmleri ve Dizileri, Diziyoo](https://diziyoo.com/kaitlyn-santa-juana-filmleri-dizileri)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › Canadian actors › Surnames J to L*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license