Willa Holland

Willa Joanna Chance Holland (born June 18, 1991) is an American actress and model. She is known for her roles as Kaitlin Cooper in the Fox teen drama The O.C., Aqua in Kingdom Hearts, and Thea Queen in the CW series Arrow and its spin-off, The Flash.

Early life Holland grew up with two sisters: Brianna Holland and Piper De Palma, from her mother Darnell Gregorio's then-marriage to film director Brian De Palma. She briefly attended Palisades Charter High School before leaving to focus on her acting career.

Career At age seven, while visiting her stepfather's neighbor in The Hamptons, New York, Holland was noticed by film director, Steven Spielberg. He advised Holland's parents "to put her in front of a camera."

Upon returning to Los Angeles that September, Holland signed with Ford Modeling Agency, and immediately booked a shoot for Burberry.

In December 2007, Holland was cast in the independent drama film Garden Party, as April, a troubled teenage aspiring model who tries to make it in Los Angeles. In September 2008, The CW announced Holland would appear in three episodes of the second season of the teen-drama television series Gossip Girl, created by The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz. Holland played the role of a rebellious 16-year-old model who befriends and creates havoc for Jenny Humphrey (Taylor Momsen). That same year, Holland starred in her first major studio film, the apocalyptic thriller film Legion, playing the role of a bratty teenager. She played Janice Heddon in the film Straw Dogs (2011), a remake of the 1971 film of the same name.

In February 2012, Holland was cast in The CW action-adventure series Arrow as Thea Queen / Speedy, the sister of Oliver Queen / Green Arrow. She remained a regular cast member in the series until leaving during the sixth season episode "The Thanatos Guild". Holland returned for a cameo in the season seven episode "Emerald Archer". She returned twice during the eight and final season, first in the episode "Leap of Faith", then in the series finale "Fadeout".

In the 2012 film Tiger Eyes, Holland played Davey Wexler. The film was based on the 1981 novel of the same name written by Judy Blume.

Filmography + Film roles Year Title Role Notes 2001 Ordinary Madness Young Faye 2007 Chasing 3000 Jamie 2008 Garden Party April Genova Kelly Middle of Nowhere Taylor Elizabeth Berry 2010 Legion Audrey Anderson Humanity's Last Line of Defense Herself Documentary 2011 Straw Dogs Janice Heddon 2012 Tiger Eyes Davey Wexler 2016 Blood in the Water Veronica 2023 The Dirty South Sue Parker 2026 The Mortuary Assistant Rebecca Owens

+ Television roles Year Title Role Notes 2005 Kalla Episode: "Valerie Hangs with the Cool Kids" 2006–2007 Kaitlin Cooper Recurring role (season 3); main role (season 4) 2008–2012 Gossip Girl Agnes Andrews Recurring role 2012–2020 ArrowThea Queen Main role (seasons 1–6); special guest star (season 7); recurring role (season 8) 2015–2016 Special guest star; 2 episodes 2024 Based on a True Story Stepmother Episode: "Based on a Drew Story"

+ Video game roles Year Title Voice role Notes 2006 Scarface: The World Is Yours Assassin Uncredited 2010 Kingdom Hearts Birth by SleepAqua 2012 Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance