Willa’s interesting story begins at the age of just seven, when she was at her stepfather’s house in New York. None other than Steven Spielberg happened to be the neighbour and was shooting some home videos nearby.
When he set eyes on Willa, he told her parents that she was destined to be in front of the camera. Indeed, when Willa got back to LA, she was swiftly signed to a modeling agency and got booked for a big Burberry shoot.
However, modelling was not enough as she started to get older. Eventually, Willa starred as Kaitlin Cooper on The O.C. and became a recurring character by the fourth series. In 2007, Willa was cast in the a movie called Garden Party, where she played a budding model trying to hit the big time in LA. The following year it was announced that Willa would be cast in 3 episodes of Gossip Girl, also created by Josh Schwartz – writer of the O.C. She played a rebellious model who befriends Taylor Momsen’s character.
By 2010, Willa caught her first huge break and got offered a role in the major blockbuster, Legion. A gripping thriller set in a post-apocalypse world, Willa’s acting skills shone through and helped to make the film a roaring success.
In 2012, Holland joined the hugely popular series called Arrow. Here, she played Thea Queen, sister of Oliver Queen. Her character proved so successful that she remained until 2018.