Dedicated to acting as a craft, driven by a passion for artistry, Najarra Townsend is on a career path that couldn't be further from Hollywood starlets that are the stuff of tawdry tabloids. Natural, gifted and most of all, very real, Najarra aspires to greatness on film, the stage or in the recording studio.

This young woman from Southern California is making her mark with every challenge and will soon be seen in a number of fall releases, including a lead role in "Strange Angel," which will premiere at the Ojai Film Festival in October, 2007; she'll star in this fall's family drama "Dawning," and can currently be seen in "Have Love Will Travel" for which she contributed a song to the soundtrack.

Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Najarra was a child model as a toddler, also performing on stage in local productions,  and before her teens was earning acclaim for a sophistication beyond her years.  At ten, she made her big screen debut in the suspense/horror film "Menace" followed by other movies, including the probing drama "Cut."

In her early teens, Najarra appeared in various stage productions as well, from musicals to dramas while studying with the LA Talent Academy at the Musicians Institute,  performing with "LA Hip Kids" production company and also pursuing her musical heart with her own group, Flavor. 

Najarra's performance in the Sundance and Cannes-winning "Me and You and Everyone We Know" in 2005 drew international acclaim. The LA Weekly named her role as one of the Top 10 Great Small Performances for "frankness, innocence, snarky humor, vulnerability and girl-power defiance"

Najarra has also appeared in many notable short films, including "Secrets," which recently won best drama at the Hollywood Digital Film Festival and Antonio Rivero's  "Electronica," screened at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

Upcoming projects for Najarra include lead roles in "Tru Loved" as the title character, the mystical adventure "Dreams Awake," the stark social commentary of "Life Without a Modem" and the ensemble piece "President's Hotel."   She's currently filming the thriller "Darkness Visible" opposite Sean Young while also looking ahead to 2008.

Clearly, Najarra Townsend's star is on the rise as an actor's actor, with the will, perseverance and talent to take her to the top.