Isabela Merced is a prominent American actress known for her leading role in the Nickelodeon series 100 Things to Do Before High School, which aired from 2014 to 2016. She subsequently appeared in notable films such as Transformers: The Last Knight (2017), Instant Family (2018), and Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018).
Early Life & Education
Isabela Merced, originally named Isabela Moner, was born on July 10, 2001, in Cleveland, Ohio, to parents Katherine and Patrick. Her mother hails from Peru, while her father is from Louisiana. She has two siblings.
Merced’s journey into acting began after her family’s home was lost to a fire, prompting her parents to encourage her to audition for a local rendition of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ as a means of distraction.
Subsequently, she enrolled at the Fairmount Performing Arts Conservatory, where Broadway producer Fred Sternfeld advised her parents to take her to New York for auditions for Broadway productions. At the age of ten, Merced made her debut on Broadway in the show ‘Evita.’
Isabela Merced Career
Isabela Merced began her film career in 2013 with a brief appearance in ‘The House That Jack Built.’ She then took part in the 2016 family comedy ‘Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life,’ inspired by the book of the same title.
The subsequent year, she depicted the street-smart orphan Izabella in the science-fiction action movie ‘Transformers: The Last Knight,’ which is the fifth film in the ‘Transformers’ franchise. Furthermore, she provided the voice for Heather Muldoon in the animated comedy ‘The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature.’
In 2018, Isabela Merced portrayed Isabel Reyes, the daughter of a drug cartel leader, in the action thriller ‘Sicario: Day of the Soldado.’ That same year, she also played the eldest child of characters portrayed by Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne in the family dramedy ‘Instant Family.’
Merced secured her first leading role in a film in 2019, taking on the character of Dora in the adventure comedy ‘Dora and the Lost City of Gold,’ which is inspired by the animated series ‘Dora the Explorer’ and features co-stars Eugenio Derbez, Michael Peña, and Eva Longoria.
Later in 2019, she appeared in the Netflix holiday romantic comedy ‘Let it Snow,’ adapted from the young adult novel of the same title.
In 2021, Merced provided the voice for the lead character Lucky Prescott in the animated adventure film “Spirit Untamed.” Additionally, she portrayed the daughter of Jason Momoa’s character in the Netflix action thriller “Sweet Girl.”
Subsequently, in 2022, Isabela Merced took on the role of the defiant daughter of Andy García and Gloria Estefan’s characters in a reimagined version of the romantic comedy “Father of the Bride,” and she also played Juliet in the romantic comedy “Rosaline,” which is inspired by the young adult novel “When You Were Mine.”
In 2024, Merced experienced a significant year, featuring in three films. Initially, she portrayed Anya Corazón in the Marvel Comics superhero movie ‘Madame Web.’
Subsequently, she took on the role of Aza Holmes in the film adaptation of John Green’s young adult novel ‘Turtles All the Way Down.’
Lastly, she played Kay Harrison in the science-fiction horror film ‘Alien: Romulus,’ which is part of the ‘Alien’ franchise. Merced’s upcoming role will be as Hawkgirl in James Gunn’s 2025 reboot of ‘Superman.’
Isabela Merced appeared in two Nickelodeon television films, namely “Splitting Adam” and “Legends of the Hidden Temple.”
Later, she lent her voice to the Netflix animated miniseries “Maya and the Three,” which debuted in 2021. In 2024, she was selected to portray Dina in the second season of the HBO series “The Last of Us,” scheduled for release in 2025.
Net Worth
Isabela Merced is a talented American actress and singer with an estimated net worth of $3 million. She has featured in films including ‘Transformers: The Last Knight,’ ‘Instant Family,’ ‘Dora and the Lost City of Gold,’ ‘Rosaline,’ and ‘Alien: Romulus.’ In the realm of television, her performances include roles in series such as ‘Growing Up Fisher,’ ‘100 Things to Do Before High School,’ and ‘The Last of Us.’
