Mariana Kaniho
- Actress
- Writer
Mariana Kaleialohalani Kaniho is a mixed-race Indigenous actress, singer, & writer. Born and raised on the islands of Hawai'i and Maui, she attended the prestigious Kamehameha Schools, a private school for Hawaiian children, and is the only student to have ever attended all three campuses. After graduating, Mariana attended Theatre of Arts in Hollywood, California to study and pursue a career in Film & Television. Mariana can most recently be seen guest starring as Maya Holt on the critically acclaimed CBS/NBC Universal Television show FBI: Most Wanted.
Growing up, Mariana had her sights set on becoming a singer, training extensively in different styles of vocal performance such as Musical Theater, Pop, Country, Folk, and Hawaiian. Subsequently, she also spent many years training to become an accomplished pianist and flautist. She most notably went on to perform as first flute in the 2016 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade as part of the Hawai'i All-State Marching Band. While Mariana has won several awards for vocal performance and musical composition, she hopes to one day add voice-over to that list.
Early on, Mariana's athletic abilities came as no surprise, given her family lineage of former athletes. Cultivating her athleticism since age 5, Mariana has won dozens of awards for her prowess in Soccer, Tennis, Track, and Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe. These include competing nationally in championship circuits as a defender and forward for Soccer, competing individually in state tournaments for Tennis and Track (sprint), and competing as a steersman nationally and internationally in championships for Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe. Most notably, she has completed multiple open ocean voyages across the islands of Hawai'i, showcasing her skill as both a leader and a steersman.
While not a dancer, Mariana spent 10+ years dancing Hula for her uncle's Hula Halau, also mastering other styles of dance seen throughout the Polynesian triangle such as Tahitian, Maori, and Samoan. Though merely for fun, she has since taken an interest in learning other styles of dance like Contemporary, Ballroom, and Latin. Her other hobbies include reading, writing, and photography, for which she has also won several awards, and Mariana is currently working on a dystopian YA novel she hopes to publish one day.
Growing up, Mariana had her sights set on becoming a singer, training extensively in different styles of vocal performance such as Musical Theater, Pop, Country, Folk, and Hawaiian. Subsequently, she also spent many years training to become an accomplished pianist and flautist. She most notably went on to perform as first flute in the 2016 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade as part of the Hawai'i All-State Marching Band. While Mariana has won several awards for vocal performance and musical composition, she hopes to one day add voice-over to that list.
Early on, Mariana's athletic abilities came as no surprise, given her family lineage of former athletes. Cultivating her athleticism since age 5, Mariana has won dozens of awards for her prowess in Soccer, Tennis, Track, and Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe. These include competing nationally in championship circuits as a defender and forward for Soccer, competing individually in state tournaments for Tennis and Track (sprint), and competing as a steersman nationally and internationally in championships for Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe. Most notably, she has completed multiple open ocean voyages across the islands of Hawai'i, showcasing her skill as both a leader and a steersman.
While not a dancer, Mariana spent 10+ years dancing Hula for her uncle's Hula Halau, also mastering other styles of dance seen throughout the Polynesian triangle such as Tahitian, Maori, and Samoan. Though merely for fun, she has since taken an interest in learning other styles of dance like Contemporary, Ballroom, and Latin. Her other hobbies include reading, writing, and photography, for which she has also won several awards, and Mariana is currently working on a dystopian YA novel she hopes to publish one day.