Ysa Penarejo is a gifted actress best known for starring in the Netflix hit show Project Mc2. The Emmy-nominated show follows a group of four extremely intelligent girls who join a secret spy organization called NOV8. Renewed for a second and third season, Ysa will reprise her role as Camryn Coyle, the hyper-analytical “MacGyver” of the group, as the girls solve crimes and complete covert missions. The Filipino-American actress describes the show as an inspiration for its positive depictions of smart young girls, sisterhood and how embracing one’s quirks makes all girls stronger.
When not acting or dancing, Ysa can often be found at home with her parents and younger brother AJ, taking naps, exploring new places and binge watching on Netflix. She looks up to actresses Chloe Grace Moretz, Dakota Fanning and Shay Mitchell. In the future, Ysa would like to work with charities that deal with cancer victims. In the past she’s worked with the charity Kourts Krew, which helps children of multi-organ transplants and their families.
Art Eddy: You star on the Netflix hit show Project Mc2. You play Camryn Coyle. For those who haven’t seen the show tell me about the show and your role.
Ysa Penarejo: Project MC2 is about four intelligent girls who are a part of a secret organization of super smart women called NOV8. The show follows the girls on their crazy adventures to protect the world. Out of the four girls, I play Camryn Coyle. She is the “MacGyver” out of the group. She is a smart mechanical engineer who loves creating gadgets out of whatever she can find!
AE: It looks like you guys got approved for Season 2 and Season 3. How good did it feel to get that news?
YP: Oh man it felt amazing! Hearing the news filled me with excitement. I couldn’t stop smiling the whole day!
AE: This show highlights girls using smarts and skill to solve problems. Do you feel that this show is great for girls to encourage them to follow their passions?
YP: Definitely! The show having four completely different girls who are brilliant really shows girls that it’s okay to be different because that’s what makes you unique. Project MC2 is here to inspire young girls to follow their heart!
AE: What do you hope happens for your character in the upcoming seasons?
YP: I hope to see Cam really get pushed out of her comfort zone and see how she handles the situation. One thing I’m really excited to see is what Cam builds next! Who knows what she’s going to build next!
AE: Your show also has a set of toys to go along with the series. How cool is it to now have your own doll?
YP: It’s really cool! It was a little weird at first because I was still breaking down the idea that I had my own doll but now, I’m kind of use to it and I think it’s pretty awesome!
AE: Danica McKellar also stars in the series. She started her acting career on The Wonder Years. Did you ask her about acting since she started acting when she was young?
YP: Most of the scenes I had with her were when she was on a monitor so I didn’t really get to ask but I’ve seen a few clips of her on The Wonder Years. I loved her as Winnie Cooper, her acting was fantastic!
AE: How did you get into acting?
YP: I first started out as a dancer in the business. After doing a few commercials and some print jobs, I wanted to try acting out and see what would happen. My mom got me into some acting classes and then I started auditioning!
AE: Who would you love to work with on your next project?
YP: I would LOVE to work with Chloe Grace Moretz on my next project! She is a wonderful actress and she’s so beautiful! It would be an honor to work with her!
AE: What advice would you give to kids who are looking to get into acting?
YP: I would tell kids to always do their best and to not give up. The business is very hard and there’ll be times where you won’t book the job. Just know that one door might close but another one is going to open!