Briana Starks was born April 23rd, 1987 in Sacramento, California. Performing has always been in Briana's heart. As a child Briana was always into performing for family members. Her family nicked named her Penny, after Janet Jacksons character in Good Times. Not only because Briana resembled Penny at the time but because she was always the showstopper. When she was about 6yrs old she walked in her grandmother's fashion shows, participated in elementary and middle school talent shows, as well as performed in local shows in the community with her friends and family. It was something about being on stage in front of an audience that sparked this want to continue to perform as she grew older. Throughout high school Briana was a part of her school's speech and debate team, cheerleading squad as well as Dance team. As a young girl Briana always wanted to be an actress. It was in high school where the bug really hit her. Briana auditioned for a role in her school's production of Grease. Briana did not book the role, she is not a great singer, lol, however that audition made it clear to her of what she wanted to do in the entertainment industry. After 2yrs in college Briana moved to Atlanta, Ga and that is where she began her acting career in 2012. In her first acting class she had Déjà vu and knew at that moment that was not only the class for her but the career for her. Over the years she studied at Nick Conti Professional Acting Studio, Dwayne Boyd Premiere Acting Network, Drama Inc with Alex Collins, and The Robert Mello Studio where she studied The Meisner Technique. Briana also reads acting books, studies movies and television shows, and listens to interviews to stay sharp in her craft. In 2014 Briana booked her first network role on HBO in Bessie starring Queen Latifah. Since then she can be seen on BET in Bigger, Netflix in Slutty Teenage Bounty Hunter and a Netflix Film called Holidate starring Emma Roberts. Briana recently relocated from Atlanta to New York City where she is expanding her training and career. Briana's down to earth personality, amazing work ethic, and supportive nature are qualities that will take her far in this industry. Briana wants to inspire people, especially women, with her work the way that some of her favorite actresses inspire her. Not just in front of the camera but behind as well.
