Thirteen-year-old Jojo Regina and her sister, fifteen-year-old Stella Rose, have already made their mark on the big and small screen.
The two started acting in commercials at the ages of five and seven, but have since moved on to bigger opportunities – from The Chosen to Where The Crawdads Sing.
In her first feature film, Jojo played the younger Kya in 2022’s Where the Crawdads Sing, an adaptation of the bestselling novel by Delia Owens that also starred Daisy Edgar-Jones and was produced by Reese Witherspoon.
Although she had to navigate Covid restrictions during filming, Jojo had plenty of memorable moments on set, including learning how to drive a boat through the Louisiana swamps at only 10 years old.
“I was actually in a swamp, and so it was just super pretty out there in Louisiana,” she said. “I got to learn how to drive a boat, which was also a lot of fun. That was the first time I got to do that. And I performed my first stunt.”
Jojo’s most recent movie role is Rachel Holliday in Festival of Trees that first aired in November. It is a heartwarming Christmas special also starring Kate Miner and Josie Davis.
She will also star in an upcoming drama called Spider and Jessie with Mckenna Grace and Jesse Williams, which is scheduled to premiere in the spring or summer of 2025.
“I love the experience of getting to go new places, playing with different characters, and being able to be whoever,” JoJo said.
As for Stella, she starred in the 2017 limited television series The Long Road Home as Mina Aguero and has been involved in several commercials, including for Lemi Shine and Essential Oils. She is currently working on auditions for different projects.
Both Stella and Jojo also starred together on the popular Christian television series The Chosen.
“It was so pretty out there, and we did the scene with Jesus and all the kids were sitting around,” Stella said.
As growing actors, Jojo and Stella say they are inspired by performers like Reese Witherspoon and Millie Bobbie Brown. Jojo had the opportunity to meet Reese while working on the set of Where The Crawdads Sing.
“Reese was super-duper sweet, and we did a lot of talking, and then we sang a song together, which was a lot of fun,” she said.
The sisters were first inspired to act after overhearing their dad, who is also an actor, doing an audition for a voiceover in his office.
“He let us come in to watch, and we thought it was so much fun,” Stella said.
Jojo and Stella started acting when they were five and seven years old, and their little sister, June Grace, does not seem far behind them at three years old.
“June is not quite there yet, but she's definitely a drama queen,” said Charlie Lee, the girls’ father. “She might end up being a director because she's pretty bossy, but for now she enjoys following her sisters around and watching them.”
Besides acting, Stella and Jojo enjoy different creative and athletic hobbies. JoJo enjoys rock climbing, horseback riding, and making paper dragon puppets, while Stella likes to write, hang out with friends, and play basketball.
Growing up in Cypress, their favorite spots include Boba and frozen yogurt shops, the Towne Lake Boardwalk, and going out for sushi, especially after an audition or for a celebration.
When it comes to traveling for different auditions and acting opportunities, the two rising stars enjoy meeting new people wherever they go.
“The people are what make the trip awesome, because everybody's so sweet, and getting to work with them on set is awesome,” Stella said.