Lacey Katena

Lacey Katena, formerly Lacey Caroline, enjoyed several years in dance and competitive cheerleading before focusing solely on acting. She flourished in Charlotte community theater before her big screen break as Mariah in Hallmark's 2019 Hall of Fame movie "A Christmas Love Story," starring Kristin Chenoweth. She soon after was named the NASCAR on NBC Kid Reporter, with guest host and reporter stints for the NBA, NBC, NASCAR, and Supercross.

Lacey's many film honors include becoming the first youth to win best actress at both the 2021 Made in Carolinas Film Contest and the LA Under the Stars Film Festival. She also received the 2021 Blaine Miller Filmmaker of the Year award for her contributions to the Carolina Film Community. Lacey's performance as Phoebe in the highly lauded independent feature film "Sugarcane" is unforgettable and she continues to receive praise from 2022's short film "Worm Radio."

Before moving to LA in late 2024, Lacey traveled to Japan to experience her father's Japanese culture and met several members of the Katena family, her grandmother's relatives. It was at this time that she decided to change her stage name to reflect her Japanese heritage. This story of self-discovery is documented in the Daytime Emmy-nominated series "How I Got Here" that premiered in February 2026.