About

A Filipina-Canadian multidisciplinary actor, Marissa Orjalo is based in Toronto, Canada and has been acting in film, television, and theatre since the age of five, appearing in ReGenesis, The Smart Woman Survival Guide, and Going Up. Through an array of versatile training and invaluable experiences, Marissa is highly respected as an actor, composer, singer, and playwright in the Toronto theatre community. She is of Scottish, Irish, French and Filipino descent and passionately advocates for ethnic inclusion within the arts industry.

 

Marissa holds a Level 10 Certification from the Royal Conservatory for Voice as well as a Level 8 in Piano Performance, and graduated from Sheridan College and The University of Toronto, earning an Advanced Diploma in Acting Technique and an Honours Bachelor's Degree of Arts in Theatre and Drama respectively. She graduated with High Distinction, and went on to foster her artistic endeavours through academic research with her pursuit of her Master of Arts at her alma mater. She was graciously awarded the Joseph Armand Bombardier 2021 SSHRC award to fund her research in the history of Filipinx beauty on Canadian stages. She now holds a Master of Arts from the University of Toronto.

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Alongside her acting and scholastic pursuits, Marissa is an Artistic Educator with Studio 180 Theatre, and the Head of Outreach and Development with fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Company. She was invited in 2019 to participate in the year-long actor enhancement program with Factory Theatre under the guidance of Nina Lee Aquino and Natasha Mumba.

 

Marissa is thrilled to be doing a second season at the Stratford Festival as Grace Harkaway in London Assurance, appearing in Twelfth Night, and understudying Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. Past seasons, she has played Lise Paquette in Les Belles Soeurs, and the understudy for Cordelia in King Lear. Recent film and television credits include Roxy in Be Mine (2023), Shay J. in Titans: Season 2 (2022), Penelope in UnPerfect Christmas Wish (2021), and Abby in Remember Me, Mommy (2020). Recent theatre credits include Nina in Lucky (2022 rEvolver Festival) Hermia/Snug in A (Musical) Midsummer Night's Dream (2019 Driftwood Theatre), Lucky in FEARLESS (2019 fu-GEN Theatre), Kumustahan 2020 (Carlos Bulosan Theatre), The Trick to Walking Backwards (2021 Project Immortelle), MH370 ( 2021 fu-GEN Theatre). 

 

In her spare time, Marissa enjoys attempting to play the violin, knitting, snuggling her two cats, writing scripts, listening to Celtic music, and helping her sister Christina with self-tapes (which is in itself a full time job). She also has a strong affinity for whales.