Isabela Merced
From a Broadway stage at ten to two of the biggest franchises on earth — in two languages.
| Full name | Isabela Yolanda Moner (professionally Isabela Merced since 2019) |
| Born | July 10, 2001, Cleveland, Ohio, USA |
| Age | 25 (as of 2026) |
| Height | 5 ft 1 in (155 cm) |
| Nationality | American (also Peruvian citizenship) |
| Occupation | Actress, singer |
| Parents | Patrick Moner (firefighter), Katerine Moner (nurse, born in Lima, Peru) |
| Known for | Superman, The Last of Us, Dora and the Lost City of Gold |
Summary
Isabela Merced is an American actress and singer who has worked professionally since childhood — first on Broadway at ten, then on Nickelodeon, then as a film lead while still a teenager. Born Isabela Yolanda Moner in Cleveland, she took the stage name Merced in 2019 in memory of her late grandmother. Her career since has run on two tracks at once: screen acting, from Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019) to Superman (2025) and The Last of Us (2025), and bilingual pop music in English and Spanish.
Early life and education
Merced grew up in a bilingual household: her mother was born in Lima, Peru, and Spanish was her first language — she has said she struggled with English when she started grade school. She was homeschooled through Ohio Virtual Academy and trained at the Fairmount Performing Arts Conservatory, making her Broadway debut at ten in a production of Evita. She is the middle child of three; her older brother is Jared and her younger brother is Gyovanni.
Career
Television came first: the Nickelodeon series 100 Things to Do Before High School (2014–2016) as CJ Martin. Film followed quickly — Transformers: The Last Knight (2017), Sicario: Day of the Soldado and Instant Family (both 2018) — before the title role in Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019) made her famous worldwide. The 2020s stacked franchise on franchise: Alien: Romulus, Madame Web and Turtles All the Way Down (all 2024), then in a single year, 2025, Hawkgirl in James Gunn's Superman and Dina in HBO's The Last of Us season 2. The full list is on the filmography page; what comes next is on the upcoming page.
Personal life
Merced has spoken publicly about identifying as queer. Multiple outlets describe her as single as of 2026 and focused on her career. She changed her professional surname from Moner to Merced in October 2019 to honour her grandmother, Yolanda Merced Salazar Pittman — a decision she announced herself, and one that explains why her early credits read “Isabela Moner.”
Facts
- She made her Broadway debut at age ten, years before her first television series.
- Her first language was Spanish, not English.
- She sings in both English and Spanish — see the music page.
- She won an Imagen Award in 2016 for her Nickelodeon work — see the awards page.
Frequently asked questions
How old is Isabela Merced?
She was born on July 10, 2001, in Cleveland, Ohio — 25 years old as of 2026.
Why did she change her name from Moner to Merced?
In October 2019 she adopted her late grandmother's name, Merced, as her stage surname. Earlier credits use her birth name, Isabela Moner.
What is Isabela Merced best known for?
Most recently: Hawkgirl in Superman and Dina in The Last of Us. Her breakthrough was the title role in Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019).
Does Isabela Merced sing?
Yes — dance-oriented pop in English and Spanish, including the single “Papi” (2019) and the EP The Better Half of Me (2020).