Maia Reficco

Maia Reficco celebrated her 24th birthday on July 14, and it was a great day for her. The actress and singer, who was born in the United States but raised in Argentina by her Latino parents, spent the day working and was excited about the premiere of the film "One Fast Move" on Prime Video. In addition to this project, she is also rehearsing for the play "Hadestown," in which she stars on Broadway, and is a part of the drama and mystery series "Pretty Little Liars: Summer School" on Max.

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Maia first gained attention at 17 when she debuted in the Nickelodeon series "Kally's Mashup," portraying a young musical prodigy. She got the role due to her natural talent, which she developed from a young age with her mother, Katie Viqueira, a renowned tango singer and vocal coach. From a young age, Maia showed a keen interest in music and studied various musical instruments such as the piano, ukulele, saxophone, and guitar. She also had a passion for sports and was a gymnast for 11 years, a skill that has proven valuable in her career. While she was always drawn to acting, her mother initially prohibited her from auditioning for roles, a decision Maia is now grateful for. This led her to miss the casting for "Soy Luna," but ultimately worked out for her.

At 15, Maia moved to Los Angeles to continue her musical studies with the Argentine composer Claudia Brant. She also took classes with Eric Vetro, a vocal coach known for training artists such as Ariana Grande and Camila Cabello. Before being selected for Kelly's Mashup, Maia started gaining attention on social media because of her exceptional voice. With the guidance of her mentor, she secured a spot in the casting, astonishing everyone with her rendition of "Dangerous Woman" by one of her inspirations, Ariana Grande.

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"I started working there because I went to an audition for a movie, went through stages and a casting director met me. I didn't get the part, but a year later they called me to audition for something else because they needed a Latin American, preferably Argentine, to play Evita," she told Clarín. Her talent shone on stage, and in 2019, she became the youngest actress to play Eva Perón on Broadway.

In 2021, she bid farewell to the project to make way for new experiences in front of the cameras, now as a young adult. She passionately pursues her musical career and has been releasing songs in Spanish. Apart from singing the songs from the soundtrack of the youth series, Maia has released the singles "Tuya," "De Ti," "Tanto Calor," and "Rápido y Furioso."

Her musical influences include classical music, similar to her character Kally Ponce, although she is also inspired by pop, jazz, and R&B. Argentine at heart, she supports the world champion soccer team, and being able to meet Lionel Messi was a dream come true. Mia sang at the party Sofi and Luis Suárez held to renew their vows. 

There, she met some of the team's greats, including Messi, who excitedly shared how their meeting went, a moment in which she was paralyzed by seeing the world champion in front of her.