Genre:
Pop
Hometown: Santa Monica, CA
Ren was born in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois. She began her young career as a musician; competing and performing as a pianist since age 5, violin since age 7, and voice since age 14. These years in music performance led her to her love of acting. Booking her first role as a young violinist in a nationally aired Samsung Galaxy SIII TV Commercial.
Since then, she has been featured in numerous short films, commercials, live concerts, and plays. Ren recently graduated from the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California with a double B.A. in dramatic arts. She received ‘Outstanding B.A.’ for writing, directing, and starring in an experimental ‘Romeo and Juliet’ theatre piece done through solo piano pieces and vignettes of the Shakespeare play.
As a survivor from addiction and eating disorders, Ren is passionate about recovery, spreading mental health awareness and progressing the body positivity movement. She hopes to be a role model for young girls, women, and future generations of Asian-Americans. Read Ren’s interview with Skye Swimwear on body image, mental health, and practicing gratitude here: https://skyeswimwear.com/blogs/blog/myskyebody-conversations-ren-holly-liu
Ren has recently booked and worked on several festival shorts. 2019 films currently in post-production include: Odyssey Omega (dir. Ian Asbjornsen), The Origin Story of Gerald the Lemon (dir. Taylor Bakken), Inheritance (dir. Brian M Tang), and Fine China (dir. Tiffany So). She has also dubbed several Netflix international shows; you can watch out for her voice in ‘Spectros’, ‘El Silencio’, and ‘The Woods’.
Returning to her roots in music, Ren has begun songwriting and producing original music. Her first single, ‘Endless’ is out now on all streaming platforms. Her debut EP ‘Prayer for a Stranger’, which will be released later this year, is a collection of deeply intimate songs inspired by the growth and relationships that have come with recovery from addiction and an eating disorder.
Photo by Jorden Keith