Often times we daydream about our perfect Latina. You know, someone who’s attractive, someone who’s smart and someone who truly has a heart of gold (just like our dear old mami). After speaking with actress Maiara (pronounced MA-Y-DA) Walsh, we can assure you that she is the “real deal.” Not only is this Brazilian and American beauty an incredible talent, she’s making the world a better place. Walsh is currently in the midst of launching her own charity which benefits children with life-threatening illnesses. Not bad for a 24-year-old actress-singer-philanthropist. It’s actually just a fraction of what she’s got in store for the world.
You might recognize the Washington-born beauty from her turn as Eva Longoria’s niece on Desperate Housewives. But her show biz life has taken flight since then in reoccurring roles on teen and family fare like ABC’s The Secret Life of the American Teenager and CW’s The Vampire Diaries. Aside from shooting television shows, her next major role will be the female lead in the coming of age indie film, General Education. “This past year, I’ve been working really hard on my [ABC Family] series, Switched At Birth,” she told us in an exclusive interview. “But I’m actually transitioning into music as well. I’ve been singing in the studio a lot. It’s something I’m very excited about.”
But what Walsh is most excited about is the “Enchanted Weekend,” which takes place July 22. She explains that she’s been involved in charity work her entire life and came up with the “Weekend” idea on a recent trip to Florida. “Last summer, I went to Give Kids The World Village in Orlando,” she explains. “It’s a 70-acre non-profit park where children with life-threatening illnesses can go with their families for a weeklong vacation. It was a magical experience and inspired me to launch ‘Enchanted Weekend’.”
So Walsh gathered a few famous friends and organized her own event which will take place at the same location. And you can bet her fans will be listening; 25,000 of them to be exact. In case you were unaware, Ms. Walsh has a massively popular Twitter account, where she sends updates on all of her daily happenings. The trilingual creative soul, who honed her Portuguese growing up in Brazil as a child, also keeps a blog where she regularly keeps fans abreast of her adventures and whatever else she learns and loves from Malcolm X to Brazilian history.
“I’ve worked with so many great people. Playing Eva Longoria’s niece on Desperate Housewives, I got to spend a lot of time with her. She is incredible. She works on shows, movies and does great charitable things. That’s what I aspire to do.”
Part of what makes Walsh so attractive isn’t just her baby blue eyes or bronze beauty; it’s the fact that she’s built her career from the ground up. There are no Hilton hotels or Kardashian lawyers in her family. Walsh simply had a dream and worked hard to pursue it. “I come from a multicultural background,” she explains. “No one in my family is in the entertainment business. I’ve had to work my way up and I’ve been doing this for 10 years.”
Judging from her ambition and work ethic, you can bet that we’ll be hearing a lot more about Maiara in the months to come. Walsh can currently be seen on the ABC Family hit Switched At Birth. To learn more about her charity, check out enchantedweekend.org.