Bria Vinaite (; born Barbora Bulvinaitė on June 10, 1993) is a Lithuanian-born American actress, known for her role as Halley in
Sean Baker's 2017 film ''
The Florida Project
''The Florida Project'' is a 2017 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Sean Baker and written by Baker and Chris Bergoch. It stars Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite, Valeria Cotto, Christopher Rivera, and Caleb Landry Jon ...
'', which was her first acting role. She received critical acclaim for her performance.
Early life
Vinaite was born in
Alytus, Lithuania and moved to
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York City at age 6.
Career
''The Florida Project'' was Vinaite's acting debut, where she played the lead role of Halley, a former stripper and single mother living at a budget motel close to
Walt Disney World
The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...
. Baker contacted Vinaite after seeing her in an
Instagram post, where she documented her life so she could stay in contact with friends in New York City while living in Miami. Vinaite had three weeks of acting classes from acting teacher Samantha Quan before filming began. Production wrapped in September 2016.
She made a cameo in
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
's music video for "
Nice for What
"Nice for What" is a song recorded by Canadian rapper Drake from his fifth studio album ''Scorpion'' (2018). It was released by Young Money Entertainment and Cash Money Records as the second single from the album on April 6, 2018, along with its ...
," released in April 2018. She also had a recurring role on the second season of ''
The OA
''The OA'' is an American mystery drama television series with science fiction, supernatural, and fantasy elements. ''The OA'' debuted on Netflix on December 16, 2016. Created and executive produced by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, the serie ...
''. Vinaite will next appear in ''Violent Delights'' directed by Taylor DeVoe.
Personal life
Vinaite has many tattoos; she got her first at the age of 14. She was sent to boarding school around this time. She left home at 18, choosing to develop her own career rather than attend college. At 19, she started a clothing line called ChroniCal Designs, selling marijuana-themed bikinis and baseball caps.
Vinaite married chef
Michael Voltaggio on November 18, 2022 in Hawaii.
Filmography
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vinaite, Bria
1993 births
Living people
21st-century Lithuanian actresses
Lithuanian film actresses
Lithuanian television actresses
People from Alytus
Lithuanian emigrants to the United States