Netflix's Back in Action gives young actress Leela Owen the opportunity to introduce herself to the world.
Back in Action, behind a cast led by Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx, highlights two former secret agents who eventually get married and start a family after getting away from the spy world. Played by Diaz and Foxx, they are dragged back in by an old friend as they try to keep their past a secret from their two kids.
Hailing from Georgia and standing 5'2", 21-year-old Leela Owen (born on June 30, 2003) joins this star-studded cast in a small supporting role. The film features her as a young girl named Annalise, who is best friends with Diaz and Foxx's on-screen daughter, McKenna Roberts' Alice.
Leela Owen Biography Details
Leela Started Acting in the MCU
While she is not officially credited, Owen's career began by doing background work on Marvel Studios' first Spider-Man movie, 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming (a film whose place in the MCU timeline caused major debate amongst fans).
Speaking with Canvas Rebel, she explained how this experience got her into acting in the first place, giving her "a new sense of purpose [she] had never felt:"
"My name is Leela Owen. I am an actress signed in Atlanta (where I live) and LA. I got into acting when I was 15 years old after doing background work on 'Spider-Man: Homecoming.' Being on set gave me a new sense of purpose I had never felt. Especially watching the actors and just knowing right then and there that was what I wanted to do."
Owen also has more extensive experience on the DC side of the fence with three episodes of work in the first two seasons of Doom Patrol, which was canceled in 2023 (see more on other DC shows canceled in 2023 here).
Leela Found Empathy Through Her Acting Experience
Owen also shared with Canvas Rebel what the most rewarding part of being an actor was for her.
She pointed to the empathy she now has thanks to years of leaving her reality and "[getting] in the head and feeling" of whichever role she is taking at any time. It has helped make her "so much more aware of how people perceive every situation [differently]" and view the whole world differently:
"I think the most rewarding aspect of being an actress for me has been how empathetic it has made me. When you act, you are removing your mind from your body and putting in the mind of someone totally new (whoever you’re playing). I make myself get in the head and feeling of whoever I am playing and because this is my job I do it a lot. Over the years it has made me so much more aware of how people perceive every situation different and have different thoughts about everything even if the same exact thing is happening to two different people. It has changed the whole way I look at life and at people in a way that I wish everyone could experience. It has made me far less likely to judge and much more loving of everyone and all their differences and quirks. We are all just little kids grown up and trying to figure it out. This new perspective has been extremely rewarding and refreshing."
Leela’s First Lead Role Was in It's Christmas Again
As recalled in one of Owen's Instagram posts, the biggest role of her career to date came in It's Christmas Again, which was released in November 2022.
Sharing lead billing with Lawson Touliatos, Owen played Abbey Walker, the girlfriend of Touliatos' Jake Young. Abbey volunteers for her church's Christmas party while Jake is ready to skip the holiday — that is until he is transported to the night of Jesus' birth and learns the true meaning of Christmas.
Owen celebrated her first lead role in a movie on Instagram, hyping its November 29, 2022 release and remembering how much "hard work was put into this film:"
"excited to announce my new movie called 'It’s Christmas Again!' It’s my first lead role in a film and it will be in theaters all across the US for the night of November 29th! I play the role of Abby, the love interest. So many laughs and memories, and so much hard work was put into this film.
Thank you so much to the makers of this film for everything."
Leela Credits Her Mom for Helping With Her Career
In an interview with Bold Journey, Owen credited her mother for being the biggest source of support in her acting career.
Explaining how much her mom does for her, Owen described her as "the reason [she's] been able to stay at peace" working in an industry like the entertainment world:
"The most helpful person for me with my entire job has been my mom. She does so so much for me. From filming my auditions to editing them and sending them in for me, she’s basically the reason I’ve been able to stay at peace in this crazy industry. Having someone in your corner who is proud of your every accomplishment is life-changing and I could never thank her enough for her raw and pure belief in me."
How To Follow Leela Owen Online
Those looking to follow Leela Owen on social media can do so on Instagram (@leelaowen).
Back in Action is now streaming on Netflix.
