| Sonya Balmores | |
| Miss Hawaii Teen USA 2004 | |
| Nationalcompetition: | Miss Teen USA 2004 (1st runner-up) |
| Birth Date: | June 23, 1986 |
| Birth Place: | Kalaheo, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Years Active: | 2003–present |
| Spouse: | Kanoa Chung |
Sonya Balmores (born June 23, 1986) is an American actress, model, and surfer from Kalaheo, Hawaii who also competed in the Miss Teen USA pageant.[1]
Balmores was born to a Filipino father and a mother of Irish and Native American descent.[2] She attended Kalaheo Elementary School and graduated from Kauai High School.[3] She was a visual communications student at Hawaii Pacific University.
Balmores won the Miss Hawaii Teen USA title on May 16, 2004 at the Waikiki Sheraton Resort.[4] Balmores represented Hawaii in the Miss Teen USA 2004 pageant held in Palm Springs, California on August 6, 2004. She placed first runner-up in the pageant, which was won by Miss Louisiana Teen USA Shelley Hennig.[5] This was Hawaii's highest placement in the pageant since Kelly Hu won in 1985.
In 2005, Balmores appeared on the covers of Women's Health, Outside and Foam magazines.[1]
Balmores played the series regular role of Kai Kealoha in Beyond the Break on The N, a series that was initially given the tentative title Boarding School.[6]
In 2011, she portrayed the main antagonist, Malina Birch, in the biographical drama film Soul Surfer.[7] In 2014, Balmores guest-starred in an episode of Hawaii Five-0 titled "Kanalu Hope Loa" ("The Last Break") as Alana Duncan, a tour bus robber. She joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2017, playing Auran in the television series Inhumans.[8]
In 2022, Balmores appeared in the historical drama series The Chosen portraying the character Fatiyah.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Ride the Wake | Katelynn | Short film | |
| 2011 | Soul Surfer | Malina Birch | ||
| 2017 | Kuleana | Kimberly Coyle | ||
| 2018 | Den of Thieves | Malia | ||
| 2020 | Sidewinder | Maggie | Short film |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | The Break | Nani | TV movie | |
| 2005 | Rocky Point | Tattooed Girl | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 2006–2009 | Beyond the Break | Lanikai 'Kai' Kealoha | Main role | |
| 2014 | Hawaii Five-0 | Alana Duncan | Episode: "Kanalu Hope Loa" | |
| 2016 | A Midsummer's Hawaiian Dream | Tanya McQueen | TV movie | |
| 2016 | NCIS | Metro PD Officer Sandra Cornell | Episode: "Home of the Brave" | |
| 2016 | Option Zero | Emily | TV movie | |
| 2017 | Ballers | Arielle | 2 episodes | |
| 2017 | Inhumans | Auran | Recurring role, 8 episodes | |
| 2018 | Lucifer | Wild Child | Episode: "All About Her" | |
| 2019 | Roswell, New Mexico | Arizona | Season 1 Episode 9: "Songs About Texas" | |
| 2019 | Magnum P.I. | Leanna Owens | Season 2 Episode 1: "Payback for Beginners" | |
| 2019 | Breckman Rodeo | Kirby White | TV movie | |
| 2020 | Angelyne LaCroix | Season 1 Episode 4: "Caesar" | ||
| 2021 | I Know What You Did Last Summer | Mel Gilbert | Recurring role | |
| 2022 | The Chosen | Fatiyah | 2 episodes |