Karenssa LeGear
American actress
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Karenssa LeGear is an American actress, filmmaker and SAG/AFTRA member who appeared in musical theatre plays including Les Misérables (2014) as Cosette and Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream (2007). She has Best Actress nominations at Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema for Carving a Life (2017) and at GI Film Festival San Diego for Refuge (2017).
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Karenssa LeGear | |
|---|---|
LeGear in 2019 | |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Known for | Musical theatre performances throughout California, Arkansas, Arizona and film roles for television network Lifetime |
| Notable credits | |
Early life
LeGear grew up in Oceanside, California, starting her career as a singer at age 13. She graduated from Vista High School and holds a bachelor of arts degree in music-voice at University of California, Los Angeles. In 2015, LeGear graduated from Ruskin School of Acting where she studied Meisner technique. She is a member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors' Equity Association and has dual citizenship in the United States and Australia.[1]
Career
In 2004, LeGear portrayed Margarita Fischer for a recreation of the historical past at Rancho Buena Vista Adobe.[2] She has performed in several musicals and plays including The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Les Misérables[1] and has conducted interviews with Geena Davis, Adrien Brody and John Boyega for That's My Entertainment at the San Diego International Film Festival.[1] In 2017, LeGear starred as Lauren in Carving a Life. The film was not well received but Adam Keller at Film Threat said her performance was "solid"[3] and Katie Walsh at Los Angeles Times called her presence "empathetic".[4] LeGear has supporting roles in the Lifetime films Killer Caregiver and Killer Contractor, guest starred in Veronica Mars[5] and co-directed a short film called Capture.[6]
Stage credits
| Year | Title | Role | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling | N/a | Vista High School, Vista, California | High school performance[7] |
| The Legend of Sleepy Hollow | Woman in White | Encore Youth Theater, Vista, California | [1] | |
| 2003 | Annie | Lily | Moonlight Youth Theatre, Vista, California | [8] |
| 2007 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Puck | Schoenberg Hall, Los Angeles, California | [9] |
| 2008 | The Medium | Mrs. Nolan | Schoenberg Hall, Los Angeles, California | |
| The Legend of Sleepy Hollow | Encore Youth Theater, Vista, California | Director[10] | ||
| The Threepenny Opera | Lucy (matinee) / Whore | Los Angeles Theater Center, Los Angeles, California | [11] | |
| 2009 | Music and Memories | Angel | Welk Resorts Theatre, Escondido, California | [12] |
| 2010 | The Pirates of Penzance | Mabel | Welk Resorts Theatre, Escondido, California | [13] |
| The House of Yes | Lesly | Compass Theatre, San Diego, California | [14] | |
| Into the Woods | Rapunzel | New Village Arts Theatre, Carlsbad, California | [15] | |
| 2011 | The Phantom of the Opera | Christine Daaé | McKinney Theatre, Mission Viejo, California | |
| Phantom | Carlotta | Candlelight Pavilion, Claremont, California | ||
| Man of La Mancha | Antonia | Welk Resorts Theatre, Escondido, California | [16] | |
| 2012 | Man of La Mancha | Antonia | Carpenter Performing Arts Center, Long Beach, California | Musical Theatre West[17] |
| 2014 | Les Misérables | Cosette | Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Little Rock, Arkansas | [1][18][19] |
| Les Misérables | Cosette | The Phoenix Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona | [1] | |
| 2015 | Gianni Schicchi | Nella | Cowell Theater, San Francisco, California | Merola Opera Program |
| 2016 | On The Twentieth Century | Imelda Thornton | Los Angeles Theatre, Los Angeles, California |
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The Kult | Natasha Snow | |
| 2017 | Carving a Life | Lauren | [20] |
| 2018 | Killer Caregiver | Patty | Lifetime TV Movie |
| The Calling | Holly Jensen | ||
| Christmas Harmony | Pamela | Lifetime TV Movie | |
| 2019 | Killer Contractor | Claire | Lifetime TV Movie |
| 2022 | Starf*cker | Karen |
| Year | Title | Role | Actor | Director | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | The Recency Effect | Trixy | Yes | No | Yes |
| 2016 | Remember Me | Leslie | Yes | No | Co-producer |
| Valhalla | Naomi King | Yes | No | No | |
| 2017 | Refuge | Diane | Yes | No | No |
| Jordan Hates the Writing | Marilyn Monroe | Yes | No | No | |
| One Good Day | Diana | Yes | No | No | |
| 2019 | Capture | Dana | Co-director | Yes | Co-producer |
| In the Absence of Eden | Kalissa 'Lissy' | Co-director | Yes | Yes | |
| 2021 | Moving Out[21] | Joanne | Yes | No | Executive |
Accolades
| Event | Year | Award | Title | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GI Film Festival San Diego | 2017 | Best Actress | Refuge | Nominated | [22] |
| Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema | 2018 | Best Actress Feature Film | Carving a Life | Nominated | |
| Best Ensemble Cast Feature Film | Carving a Life | Nominated | |||
| Horrible Imaginings Film Festival | 2020 | Best Home Grown Local Film | Capture | Won |