Biography
When Ashlyn Sanchez was six years old she attended a production of the off-Broadway show The Lion King and got inspired to pursue an acting career herself. Sanchez obtained an agent and was soon booking commercials for big-name corporations like Cannon, GMC, McDonald’s, and others.
In 2004 Sanchez booked her first major motion picture role, and it was a major one. In the Oscar-winning film Crash, Sanchez played Lara, a young girl whose locksmith father is struggling to provide for his family. Ashlyn’s performance earned her praised from many critics, especially considering her age.
In 2005, Ashlyn was featured in a small guest spot on the secret agent series Alias, and again later that year appeared on CSI.
In 2006, Ashlyn worked on two independent films. In Marrying God, Ashlyn played the lead role of Lola, a young Hispanic girl preparing for her first communion. In Kill Your Darlings, Sanchez played Meadow, the daughter of a member of the Lebanese mob. Sanchez’s star began to rise, and she earned two recurring roles on acclaimed television series. On The West Wing, Sanchez played Miranda Santos, the daughter to President-elect Santos (Jimmy Smits), and on Vanished she portrayed the daughter of FBI agent.
Ashlyn booked another recurring role in 2007 on Without A Trace, a role for which she earned a Young Artist Award nomination.
2008 brought about more big-name films for Ashlyn Sanchez. She portrays a young girl on the run in M Night Shyamalyn’s 2008 thriller The Happening, starring Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel.
