About Marisa Loren

I’ve been performing for pretty much as long as I can remember—which sounds very glamorous until I admit that, for a good chunk of my childhood, I also had terrible stage fright.

I grew up singing, acting, and dancing, starting dance at four years old and eventually training across multiple styles. Performing was always the thing I loved most, even during the years when actually getting onstage scared me. Somewhere along the way, though, I stopped worrying so much about being the “right” kind of performer and started figuring out what kind of artist I actually wanted to be.

Then 2020 happened.

Like everyone else, I suddenly had a lot of time on my hands. I started writing music more seriously, posting covers, sharing pieces of myself online, and creating simply because there wasn’t much else to do. What began as me making music from home somehow turned into people actually listening.

One of those people was Niall Horan.

After I posted a cover of one of his songs, Niall found the video, followed me, and dueted it on TikTok. I’m pretty sure my brain stopped working for a little while after that. My music and videos also began receiving recognition from artists including Ashe, Forrest Blakk, and members of Harry Styles’ Love On Tour band.

Then came one of the most surreal chapters of my life: my journey with The Voice. After being invited to audition, I made it far enough in the process to fly out for Season 24. My journey ultimately wasn’t part of what aired on television, but getting that far—and getting to experience even a small piece of that world firsthand—completely changed the way I saw what might actually be possible for me.

And somewhere in the middle of all of that, I realized I didn't want to choose just one thing.

Music is a huge part of who I am, but so is acting. And writing. And film. And dance. And choreography. And creating slightly overambitious projects because apparently I enjoy giving myself things to do.

As a songwriter, I love writing music that feels conversational and honest—the kind of songs that sound like thoughts you probably weren't supposed to say out loud. As an actor, I'm especially drawn to character-driven stories and projects that let me dig into complicated people. Behind the camera, I've fallen in love with screenwriting, filmmaking, directing, developing characters, and taking an idea that existed only in my head and figuring out how to make it real.

Dance has been the constant running through all of it.

I grew up training at Lopez Studios, Inc., the performing arts school founded by my father, and eventually went from being a student there to becoming part of the creative team. I began choreographing productions professionally in my late teens and now serve as Resident Choreographer, with credits including Once on This Island Jr., Legally Blonde Jr., Beauty and the Beast Jr., Newsies Jr., Mean Girls Jr., Shrek Jr., The Little Mermaid Jr., and many more. I also teach and mentor young performers, which has given me the chance to pass along the same love of performing that shaped so much of my own life.

I earned my B.A. in English from George Mason University, which probably explains at least part of my obsession with storytelling. Whether I'm writing a screenplay, developing a character, writing a song at an unreasonable hour, choreographing a number, stepping in front of a camera, or sitting behind one, storytelling is usually at the center of it.

These days, I create under the name Marisa Loren, and I'm building a career that doesn't fit neatly into one box.

Actor. Singer-songwriter. Screenwriter. Filmmaker. Dancer. Choreographer. Creative.

I spent a long time thinking I eventually had to pick one.

Turns out, I don't really want to.

And honestly, I think that's where things get interesting.