Reyna Raquel Maeda Bledsoe (born July 29, 1987) is a Canadian actress and musician. She is best known for playing Corrine Baxter in the television series Strange Days at Blake Holsey High, Nebula Wade in Disney's popular Zenon films, and Jess Merriweather in television series Friday Night Lights. In 2014, she released her debut album Thesis for free on Soundcloud.

Early Life    Bledsoe was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario to plumber James Bledsoe and physical therapist Amaya Maeda-Bledsoe. She is of mixed race background—her mother is of Japanese and African American descent, while her father is of Afro-Spanish descent. She has described her upbringing as "comfortable", citing the fact that her parents were happily married and able to provide she and her siblings with a hardship-free upper middle class upbringing in a nice Toronto suburb. She has been acting since she was eight years old, starting out with summer drama camps and "bit parts for kids" in local productions. From the age of twelve, she attended a private performing arts academy in the greater Toronto area.

Career    ✰ television
   Bledsoe made her professional debut in 1999's Disney television film Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, winning the role after responding to a large and competitive casting call in Ontario. It turned out to be just the beginning in a string of supporting roles in some of the many television films Disney filmed in Canada at the time. She went on to appear in the two Zenon sequels in 2001 and 2004, Alley Cats Strike! (2000), The Color of Friendship (2000), and Cadet Kelly (2002).
   In 2002, she was cast as Corrine Baxter in Global TV's Strange Days at Blake Holsey High. The series ran for four years and Bledsoe appeared in all but four of its episodes.
   In 2009, she joined the cast of Friday Night Lights as Jess Merriweather -- a well-received character who challenged gender roles and aspired to be a football coach -- and remained on the show for the rest of its run.
   She returned briefly to television in 2012, playing Alma Walker in six episodes of American Horror Story: Asylum.
   In 2014, she played Maggie in Adult Swim comedy Black Jesus and it marked a more steady return to television for the actress. The series was renewed for a second season in mid-2015, shortly before Bledsoe was confirmed for the rule of Tulip in AMC's secretive and anticipated adaptation of Preacher.

   ✰ film
   Her first feature film appearance was in 2006, playing Sylvia in Fast Food Nation. In 2007, she played a teenaged prostitute in The Brave One. Her next role was in 2008's box office hit Cloverfield; she played Lily Ford as part of an ensemble cast.
   She had a small role in 2010's Get Him to the Greek, followed by a more visible supporting role in the 2011 drama Shame and an appearance in independent comedy 50/50. She appeared as Rose in 2012's Damsels in Distress.
   In 2013, she appeared as Olivia in the well-received horror reboot Evil Dead. Continuing to vary her work between big budget projects and more understated indie fare, Bledsoe had another supporting role in indie movie Short Term 12.
   Dear White People, released in 2014, marked her first truly leading role. After premiering at Sundance, the film was met with critical acclaim and heated debate over its content. For her role, she was awarded the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performance.
   Her most recent work included appearances in the long-awaited franchise reboot Mad Max: Fury Road and NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton. She is slated to appear in the indie crime comedy War on Everything and in early 2015 was confirmed to play Mildred Loving in a 2016 film based on a landmark civil rights case.

   ✰ music
   (section being rewritten!)

Personal Life    Bledsoe has one older brother, Roman, and two older sisters, Hana and Teresa. Her father was raised Baptist Christian and her mother Buddhist; she is knowledgeable about both belief systems while not strictly following either. She describes herself as ambiguously “spiritual”. While she avoids espousing political beliefs in interviews or any official capacity, she has said she considers herself “fiscally conservative but socially liberal” and is very vocal about the racial and gender inequalities she has experienced within the confines of the entertainment industry.
   Since reportedly meeting him as a teenager, she has been in an on/off relationship with rapper and fellow Canadian, Raphael Hurst. It's no secret that two are dating, but both are tight-lipped about the relationship to the press.