# Leona Lishoy (ലിഷോയ്)
**Leona Lishoy** (ലിയോണ ലിഷോയ്; born 1991) is an Indian actress and model who works primarily in [Malayalam cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/malayalam-cinema). She is the daughter of the Malayalam film and television actor Lishoy, and is known for roles including Sameera in *Mayaanadhi* (2017), Mariya in *Ishq* (2019), ACP Latha in *Anveshanam* (2020), and Fida in *12th Man* (2022).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5159909/) • [2](https://www.fandango.com/people/leona-lishoy-1421950/film-credits)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1991, Thrissur, Kerala, India[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5159909/) |
| Debut | *Kalikaalam* (2012), directed by Regi Nair; the film was never released[3](https://www.onmanorama.com/travel/celebrity-travel/2022/06/24/leona-lishoy-about-her-love-for-travel.amp.html) |
| Breakout roles | Sameera in *Mayaanadhi* (2017); Mariya in *Ishq* (2019)[2](https://www.fandango.com/people/leona-lishoy-1421950/film-credits) |
| Notable later work | ACP Latha in *Anveshanam* (2020); Fida in *12th Man* (2022)[4](https://vramonline.wordpress.com/tag/leona-lishoy/) • [5](https://filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/12th-man/cast-crew.html) |
| Upcoming | Lead role Mariya in the JioHotstar web series *Anali*, written and directed by Midhun Manuel Thomas[6](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/malayalam/news/2026/Aug/06/anali-makers-reveal-leona-lishoys-creepy-first-look-ahead-of-jiohotstar-premiere) |
## Early life and entry into film
Leona Lishoy was born in Thrissur, Kerala.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5159909/) She studied at [Christ University](https://www.edgepedia.org/christ-university) in [Bangalore](https://www.edgepedia.org/bangalore), and received film offers while still an undergraduate; she took up her first one soon after graduating.[7](https://keralainsider.com/leona-lishoy-an-actor-model-dancer-and-painter/) She has described her entry into the industry as unexpected: offers came because her father was a known Malayalam actor, and she had no prior experience in theater or cinema.[7](https://keralainsider.com/leona-lishoy-an-actor-model-dancer-and-painter/) In interviews she has said her father never pushed her toward acting and that she came to love cinema only after working in it.[8](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/features/actress-leona-lishoy-reveales-that-she-was-not-interested-in-movies-and-acting-details-inside-079161.html)
Her first film was *Kalikaalam* (2012), directed by Regi Nair, in which she played Ananya, the daughter of the character played by Sharada.[8](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/features/actress-leona-lishoy-reveales-that-she-was-not-interested-in-movies-and-acting-details-inside-079161.html) The film was never released, though she has said its forest locations in Kerala remain among her favorite shooting memories.[3](https://www.onmanorama.com/travel/celebrity-travel/2022/06/24/leona-lishoy-about-her-love-for-travel.amp.html)
## Career
**Early roles.** In 2013 she played the lead, Neha, in the science-fiction film *Red Rain*, which had an international cast and crew.[9](https://elcinema.com/en/person/2126701/) In *Annmariya Kalippilanu* (2016) she played Dr. Teresa Roy, the mother of the child protagonist [Sara Arjun](https://www.edgepedia.org/sara-arjun); she has said she chose the role for the character's importance in the film rather than its size, and that the part led directly to her later roles in *Mayaanadhi* and *Queen*.[7](https://keralainsider.com/leona-lishoy-an-actor-model-dancer-and-painter/) • [8](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/features/actress-leona-lishoy-reveales-that-she-was-not-interested-in-movies-and-acting-details-inside-079161.html)
**Recognition.** Her role as Sameera, a film actress, in *Mayaanadhi* (2017) received wide acknowledgment, and she played Mariya in the thriller-drama *[Ishq](https://www.edgepedia.org/ishq-2019-film)* (2019) alongside [Shane Nigam](https://www.edgepedia.org/shane-nigam), Shine Tom Chacko, and Ann Sheetal.[8](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/features/actress-leona-lishoy-reveales-that-she-was-not-interested-in-movies-and-acting-details-inside-079161.html) • [2](https://www.fandango.com/people/leona-lishoy-1421950/film-credits) Reviewers writing at the end of 2019 described her Mariya as a character with more substance than the film's heroine, noting that she conveyed fear and hesitation through most of the film before making her position clear at the end.[10](https://malayalam.indianexpress.com/entertainment/rewind-2019-malayalam-films-2019-the-girls-who-won-our-hearts-329922/)
**2020s.** In *Anveshanam* (2020), directed by Prasobh Vijayan, she played ACP Latha Siddharth, a pregnant police officer investigating an injured child; a retrospective review singled out her restrained performance, noting that she conveyed suspicion through pauses and changes of expression rather than theatrical gestures.[4](https://vramonline.wordpress.com/tag/leona-lishoy/) In Jeethu Joseph's mystery thriller *12th Man* (2022), released on Disney Plus Hotstar on 20 May 2022, she played Fida, one of the central characters among eleven friends gathered at a resort.[5](https://filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/12th-man/cast-crew.html) • [11](https://www.doolnews.com/leona-lishoy-about-jeethu-joseph-and-12th-man-movie-64-113.html) She has said Joseph cast her after working with her on the film *Ram*, whose shooting had been suspended, telling her that her smile suited the character.[12](https://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/interview/2022/05/27/interview-with-leona-lishoy.html) In the same year she appeared in *Twenty One Grams* as Gouri, the wife of [Anoop Menon](https://www.edgepedia.org/anoop-menon)'s investigator character.[13](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/interviews/2022/Mar/28/an-emotional-core-is-essential-for-suspense-thrillers-30528.html)
**Upcoming work.** She plays the lead character Mariya in *Anali*, a Malayalam web series written and directed by Midhun Manuel Thomas for JioHotstar, reportedly inspired by the [Koodathayi cyanide killings](https://www.edgepedia.org/koodathayi-cyanide-killings), the Kerala case in which Jolly Joseph was accused of murdering six members of her family over 14 years.[6](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/malayalam/news/2026/Aug/06/anali-makers-reveal-leona-lishoys-creepy-first-look-ahead-of-jiohotstar-premiere)
## Approach to roles
Lishoy has said she selects characters not by how much importance the role gives her, but by how important the character is to the film; her roles as a mother in *Annmariya Kalippilanu*, a rape victim in *[Queen](https://www.edgepedia.org/queen-2018-film)*, and a troubled actress in *Mayanadhi* are cited as examples.[7](https://keralainsider.com/leona-lishoy-an-actor-model-dancer-and-painter/) She is also a trained classical dancer and works as a model and painter.[7](https://keralainsider.com/leona-lishoy-an-actor-model-dancer-and-painter/)
## References
1. [Leona Lishoy, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5159909/)
2. [Leona Lishoy Filmography, Fandango](https://www.fandango.com/people/leona-lishoy-1421950/film-credits)
3. [Leona Lishoy on what it takes to be a woman travel junkie, Onmanorama](https://www.onmanorama.com/travel/celebrity-travel/2022/06/24/leona-lishoy-about-her-love-for-travel.amp.html)
4. [Anveshanam (2020): An Investigation into the Unreliability of Human Judgement, vramonline](https://vramonline.wordpress.com/tag/leona-lishoy/)
5. [12th Man Cast & Crew, FilmiBeat](https://filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/12th-man/cast-crew.html)
6. [Anali makers reveal Leona Lishoy's creepy first look ahead of JioHotstar premiere, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/amp/story/malayalam/news/2026/Aug/06/anali-makers-reveal-leona-lishoys-creepy-first-look-ahead-of-jiohotstar-premiere)
7. [Leona Lishoy: An actor, model, dancer and painter, Kerala Insider](https://keralainsider.com/leona-lishoy-an-actor-model-dancer-and-painter/)
8. [Actress Leona Lishoy reveals that she was not interested in movies and acting, FilmiBeat Malayalam](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/features/actress-leona-lishoy-reveales-that-she-was-not-interested-in-movies-and-acting-details-inside-079161.html)
9. [Leona Lishoy, ElCinema](https://elcinema.com/en/person/2126701/)
10. [Rewind 2019: The girls who won our hearts, Indian Express Malayalam](https://malayalam.indianexpress.com/entertainment/rewind-2019-malayalam-films-2019-the-girls-who-won-our-hearts-329922/)
11. [Leona Lishoy about Jeethu Joseph and 12th Man movie, DoolNews](https://www.doolnews.com/leona-lishoy-about-jeethu-joseph-and-12th-man-movie-64-113.html)
12. [Interview with Leona Lishoy, Manorama Online](https://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/interview/2022/05/27/interview-with-leona-lishoy.html)
13. [An emotional core is essential for suspense thrillers, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/interviews/2022/Mar/28/an-emotional-core-is-essential-for-suspense-thrillers-30528.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Indian and South Asian film actors by industry and language › Malayalam film actors › Surnames L to R*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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