Rene Aranda

Rene Michelle Aranda, sometimes credited as Ren Aranda, (born December 6, 1990) is an American actress and singer, best known for Searching and Midnight in the Switchgrass. She has won Best Actress (Silverstate Film Festival, 2018), Best Supporting Actress (LA Edge Film Awards, 2018) and Outstanding Performance by an Actress (Kennedy Center ACT Festival) and finished as a semifinalist in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Center's Irene Ryan scholarship program.

Early life and family Aranda was born in Whittier, California, to Frank and Cheryl Aranda. She was raised in the nearby city of Chino Hills, where Aranda grew up with older brother Michael Aranda (YouTube creator and musician), older sister Sara Ann Aranda and younger brother Frank Nathan Aranda. Her mother was a self produced singer/songwriter through CD Baby and secretary to the college dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Cal State Fullerton until she died June 27, 2009, after a seven-year battle with breast cancer.

Career

2009–2012: Vocational training Aranda is an alumnus of the Los Angeles City College Theater Academy, a three-year, audition-only acting conservatory at which Morgan Freeman, Mark Hamill, Cindy Williams and Bette Davis studied. Just before graduating in 2012, she won the national award "Outstanding Performance by an Actress" in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival for her role as Willy the Space Freak in a gender-bent adaptation of Sam Shepard's The Unseen Hand. on May 1 and 2 2013, donning a Jenny Erin Davis (Black Lightning) design of a Bram Stoker's Dracula inspired Elisabeta (Transylvania 1462), wearing Stila makeup.

2018: Music In addition to her film and television career, Aranda debuted as a musical artist in 2018, releasing two pop singles a few months apart on Spotify, iTunes, iHeartRadio and other online streaming platforms.

Health In February 2024, Aranda was diagnosed with a BRCA1 mutation, which affects the tumor suppressor gene and increases the risk of certain cancers. Later that year, she was also diagnosed with high-grade Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), an aggressive type of breast cancer. She has since undergone multiple surgeries to remove and prevent cancer growth, and has shared her & her sister's experiences publicly on social media, advocating for awareness about genetic testing of hereditary cancers.

Youth programs and education Aranda is a regular volunteer reader and occasional coordinator for Reading to Kids, and ran on the foundation's charity relay team in the Los Angeles Marathon in 2016.

She also participates as a volunteer actor in Young Storytellers "Big Show" productions.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 2011 For a Reason Eva Short 2012 Wake-up Call Iris Short Sin_Eater Rebeka Short 2013 Smile Now Cry Later - Fellatio Is Fo Suckas Rene the Sweet Short The Pain Killers Elise It's Dark Here Funeral Mourner The Mountain - Short 2014 The Unexpected Guest Amy Flint Short Cutting Corners 2 - Short Fatty Student Short The Tragedy of Petey Pompeii Kate Short Contest Melanie Short Expelled Police Officer Frankenchick Mad Scientist Short Sins of a Call Girl Diner Patron Fighting Chance Sabrina Cherry Red Kiss Eva Alvarez 2015 A Family Affair Paula Short Suckas Fo Fellatio Rene The Sweet Short Violet Femke Klebb Short Faraar SWAT Relentless Rachel Short A Lesson in Love - Short D.O.P: The Director of Photography Mad Scientist Short Performance Art Lana Short 2016 Until the Day I Die: Part 1 Officer Bracamontes The Fertile Fiend from Outer Space Rachel Short Until the Day I Die: Part 2 Cholita Stories for the Fire Kitty Short I Know Where Lizzie Is EMT TV movie A Killer Walks Amongst Us - 2 Lava 2 Lantula! S.W.A.T. Black Flag S.W.A.T. Short Shadows of the Dead Police Officer Like the First Time Elle Short Inspired to Kill Inmate TV movie Christmas with the Andersons Police Officer TV movie The Green Fairy Mrs. Ferrer Selfish Party Guest Short 2017 Try Hard Veronica Short Open Mic - Short Destruction: Los Angeles Police Officer A View from the Mountain Lucy Short UniversitE DEA Agent Short 2018 Eruption: LA Army Soldlier Frankie Skater Girl Short Searching Emergency Medical Technician Papa Robin When You Lose Someone - Short Woman on the Edge Police Officer 2019 The Final Journey of Hartwick Stance Hartwick's Wife Short Debbie & Doug Drop Acid in the Desert Bunny Short The Fanatic Tourist Intolerance: No More 9-11 Operator (voice) Boris and the Bomb Sonia 12 Pups of Christmas Alex's Mom 2020 Sinister Savior Izzie's House Medic Cops Like Us LAPD Officer Ronnie Aranda Short The Undead of the Z West Undead Farm Girl Short Mommy is a Murderer EMT One of These Days Police Officer #6 Short Dusters The Retriever Short Open Mic Couple in Audience Short Happy Horror Days Party Guest Peek Det. Liza Sepps Short 2021 86 Melrose Ave Co-Worker in Background Blursday Nurse Rene Midnight in the Switchgrass Prostitute 2022 Emily or Oscar Lawyer Laura Lizard Brain Sandy Short In Love with My Partner's Wife Police Officer TV movie Tavern Tony Returns Margarita Girl Short Four Hour Layover in Juarez Valeria Short My Nightmare Office Affair Business Woman TV movie The Stepmother 2 Hostess 2023 Imani Paramedic The Assistant Couple at Restaurant City of Dreams Girl in Pedicab No Way Out Paramedic The Stepmother 3 Paramedic Proof Sheet Female Police Officer/Brothel Worker F.L.Y. Postal Worker (mid credit scene)TV movie Night Mistress Shelly Steele In Deep S.W.A.T Short Still Here Fan Girl Mystery Incorporated and the Threshold of Chaos Thorn (voice) Falaq S.W.A.T. Our Broken Family Amy 2024 Upon Waking Paramedic The Disinvited Sarah Somnium Victim #3 Holy Cash Sinner2025The Demon DetectiveThe Reader OfrendaSelfDocumentary short

Television

Music videos Year Song Artist Role 2014 All About You Ray Castle Interviewer 2016 JoHn Muir ScHoolboy Q Police Officer One Time Comin''' YG Police Officer Let You Go| Bobo Norco feat. The Promise Police Officer

High Spirits| Pierre Lead Math| Quin EMT

Need You Anymore Patrick Nuo Dancer Evidence|Bashrock Girlfriend

Stay Broke|Tokyo Yens Inmate No Sudden Moves|Julia Nunes Hand Dancer 2020 We Can Make Up|Guy Tang LGBTQ+ Couple

Rap Demigod|Dax Police Officer Suffocating|Dax Rapper Entourage

I Dance''YG feat. "Duki" & "Cuco"Guest

Awards and nominations