Francia Raisa(1988 — ?)

Francia Raisa

États-Unis

6 min read

Performing Arts21st CenturyHollywood and American television series culture in the early 21st century

Francia Raisa is an American actress of Honduran and Mexican descent, known for her roles in television series such as “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.” She became widely known to the public after donating a kidney to her friend, the singer Selena Gomez, in 2017.

Frequently asked questions

Francia Raisa is an American actress born in 1988 in Los Angeles, of Honduran and Mexican descent. The key thing to remember is that she became known to the general public both for her role as Adrian Lee in the series The Secret Life of the American Teenager (2008-2013) and, above all, for her highly publicized gesture of donating a kidney to her friend Selena Gomez in 2017. This act transformed her fame: less a simple actress than a figure who raises awareness about living organ donation, a subject still little known to young audiences.

Key Facts

  • Born on July 26, 1988, in Los Angeles, California
  • Lands a leading role in the series “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” (2008-2013)
  • Donates one of her kidneys to the singer Selena Gomez in 2017

Works & Achievements

Bring It On: All or Nothing (2006)

Cheerleading film that marks her true cinematic debut thanks to her dancing talents.

The Secret Life of the American Teenager (2008-2013)

Hit television series about the lives of American teenagers; her role as Adrian Lee brings her to the attention of the general public.

CSI: Miami (2009)

Appearance in one of the most popular crime series of the 2000s.

The Sisterhood of the Night (2015)

Drama film adapted from a short story, showcasing her transition toward more mature roles.

Grown-ish (2018-2022)

Spin-off of “Black-ish” in which she plays Ana Torres, a Latin American student, tackling questions of identity and youth.

Kidney donation to Selena Gomez (2017)

A personal act that became a genuine effort to raise awareness about living organ donation, reaching beyond her artistic career.

Anecdotes

In 2017, Francia Raisa donated one of her kidneys to her friend, the singer Selena Gomez, who suffered from lupus that was destroying her kidneys. This transplant between friends, made public on social media, raised awareness about organ donation among millions of young people.

Her father, Renán Almendárez Coello, nicknamed “El Cucuy,” is one of the most famous Spanish-language radio hosts in the United States. Francia thus grew up in a Latin American media world before becoming an actress herself.

Before making her breakthrough as an actress, Francia Raisa was a dancer. In fact, it was thanks to dance that she landed a role in 2006 in *Bring It On: All or Nothing*, a film about cheerleaders.

Her stage name “Raisa” actually comes from her full name, Francia Raísa Almendárez. She chose to shorten her surname to make her career easier in Hollywood, a common practice among actors of foreign origin.

After her transplant, Francia experienced serious complications: her body nearly rejected the kidney and she had to undergo emergency surgery again. She has since spoken openly about the physical and psychological ordeal that living organ donation represents.

Primary Sources

Selena Gomez's Instagram post announcing the transplant (September 13, 2017)
“I'm aware my fans noticed I wasn't very present this summer... the reason is that I had a kidney transplant because of my lupus... There aren't words to describe how much I can thank my beautiful friend Francia Raisa. She gave me the ultimate gift.”
Interview with Francia Raisa and Selena Gomez on the Today show (NBC) (October 30, 2017)
“When I saw her suffering so much, I just wanted to help her. I said: if you need it, I'm here.” In it, Francia recounts the post-operative complications she went through after the donation.
Francia Raisa's interview with Self magazine about organ donation (2018)
In it she describes the pain of recovery and explains that she wants to encourage other people to consider donating a kidney while alive, while stressing the need for medical follow-up.

Key Places

Los Angeles, California

Birthplace of Francia Raisa and the world capital of film and television. This is where she grew up and built her career.

Hollywood

Iconic district of Los Angeles and the heart of the entertainment industry, where the series that made her famous are produced.

ABC Family Studios

The network that aired “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” the series that launched her to fame between 2008 and 2013.

Los Angeles Medical Center

The place where the 2017 kidney transplant took place, a defining moment in her life and public career.

See also