Ana Brenda Contreras

Contreras was born in McAllen, Texas, on December 24, 1986,[3] to Blanca Pérez and Efrain Contreras Puente.[4] Contreras is of Mexican descent and speaks both English and Spanish.[5] She moved to Mexico City in 2002 at age 15 to join the reality show Pop Stars,[6] in which she was a finalist and member of a group, T'detila, who released an album with the same name. In 2003, she took acting classes in the Televisa's Centro de Educación Artística (CEA) in Mexico City.[7]

In 2005, Contreras portrayed Juanita Sánchez in her debut telenovela, Barrera de amor.[6][8] In 2006, she participated in a production of Grease. That same year, Contreras played Claudia in the telenovela Duelo de Pasiones.[6] In 2008, she starred in the film Divina Confusion, directed by Salvador Garcini.[9] From 2008 to 2009, Ana also starred as Violeta Madrigal in the telenovela Juro que te amo.[6] In 2009, she played Maura Albarrán in the telenovela Sortilegio.[6] That same year, she appeared as Marcela Garrido in an episode of the TV series Mujeres asesinas and had a special participation in the original Fox series, Tiempo final.[10]

From 2010 to 2011, Contreras played the lead role of Aurora Alcázar on Teresa.[6][11] She also played Carol in the musical Timbiriche.[12] Contreras later starred in the telenovela La que no podía amar as Ana Paula Carmona from 2011 to 2012.[13]

In 2013, she portrayed Maricruz Olivarez in the telenovela Corazón indomable, a remake of Marimar which achieved international success.[14][15] In 2014, Contreras appeared in the Mexican film Volando bajo, directed by Beto Gómez.[16] That same year, she was host of the Premios Juventud.[17] In 2015, Contreras played the lead role of Verónica Prado Castelo in the telenovela Lo imperdonable.[18] She sang "Como perdonar", the telenovela's theme, on the soundtrack.[19]

In 2015, she also starred in the movie Tunnel 19.[20] Contreras starred as Goyita Vera in Blue Demon in 2016,[21] and as Alejandra Ponce in Por amar sin ley in 2018.[22]

From 2018 to 2019, Contreras starred as Cristal Jennings in the second season of The CW's prime time soap opera reboot, Dynasty, in her first English language role.[23][24][25]