Born Maia Reficco Viqueira under the sign of Cancer on 14 July 2000, in Boston, Massachusetts USA, Maia is an actress and singer of Hispanic descent, with Argentinian citizenship. She is probably known best around the planet thanks to her various involvements with the TV industry, most notably the comedy musical TV series entitled “Kally’s Mashup.” She’s enjoyed moderate success over the course of her career in entertainment since 2017.
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Early life & education: Who are her parents?
Maia was raised alongside her younger brother Joaquin Reficco, by their father Ezequiel Reficco and mother Katie Viqueira. The family ended up relocating to Buenos Aires, Argentina, when Maia was only six years of age. It was there that her passion for the performing arts began to develop, surrounded by the vibrant culture of this South American capital.
Her actress’ mother is also a seasoned singer and vocal coach who served as the wellspring of her children’s subsequent vocal prowess, helping her mature into an enviable performer with undeniable skill; she earns her livelihood by managing her own vocal art center. It was also Katie’s influence that would shape Maia’s very first inclinations, as she frequently enjoyed working from home and teaching her children the craft. Her father, on the other hand, is of a much less artistic nature, having earned his doctorate at the prestigious Harvard University. He spent seven years in a post-doctorate position at Harvard Business School, from 2001 to 2008, another nine at the Los Andes University in Bogotá, Colombia, four at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico, and he’s been working for the ESCP Business School in Madrid, Spain as an associate professor since February 2022.
Reficco also started her musical education early on, undertaking lessons in a diverse array of instruments, including the ukulele, guitar, piano and saxophone. Unsurprisingly, her younger brother also displayed a musical inclination, having become a practiced singer in his own right by the time the family reached the limelight.
Maia’s early interests extended beyond just acting and singing, as she showcased a flair for acrobatics that was diligently pursued for an impressive 11 years, attending classes whenever she could, and exercising regularly to remain competitive in the field. Unlike acting, however, she didn’t have great aspirations as an acrobat, so it could be seen as more of a passion project that kept going for a long while.
Maia attended high school in Buenos Aires, excelling at everything to do with creativity, while balancing her extracurricular activities with educational obligations. She matriculated from there in 2018, and immediately turned to acting right afterwards, having already begun to develop her career. It certainly helped that she took the Youth Musical Theater Summer Program at Boston Conservatory at Berklee between the ages of 12 and 14, which allowed her to eventually find the guidance of the renowned vocal coach Eric Vetro. His illustrious resume includes collaborations with industry heavyweights such as Camila Cabello, Ariana Grande, and Shawn Mendes, providing the actress with an unquestionably solid foundation to hone her vocal skills.
Career: Best of both worlds
Reficco’s career in the entertainment industry commenced through her association with the Nickelodeon Latin America project “Kally’s Mashup.” Introduced to the title by Argentinian producer Claudia Brant and discovered on Instagram, the aspiring artist’s diverse song covers showcased significant talent. She successfully auditioned for the series, earning the lead part of Kally Ponce. Premiering in 2017, the series also displayed Maia’s acting talent across an impressive 113 episodes of the show’s total 120, helping establish her as a notable figure in the television landscape. She later obtained the titular role of Lucky in the short film entitled “Sometimes I Feel Like Dying” in 2019, though that failed to materialize any subsequent project involvement. The aforementioned series was immortalized in the full-length film “Kally’s Mashup ¡Un cumpleaños muy Kally!”, which follows the well-established character on a journey to Colombia. It was released in 202,1 and garnered moderate success, as the hype over “Kally’s Mashup” had fizzled out by that time.
Her next important portrayal was of Noa Olivar in 10 out of 11 episodes of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s mystery romance drama series entitled “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin,” which had her back on screen in 2022. The show won the ReFrame Award in the ReFrame Stamp category in 2023, though it’s yet to achieve any significant recognition. It’s set to expand into “Pretty Little Liars: Summer School,” where Maia’s character will be featured as well. Since playing Montana in Netflix’s comedy film entitled “Do Revenge” in 2022, Maia hasn’t popped up on the screen. Loyal fans are excited for 2023/24, since they’ll get to see her in another two titles – Lila Reyes in “A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow,” and an as-of-yet unspecified character in “One Fast Move,” both of which are in production.
A blooming singing career
The actress’ signature with Deep Well Records had her venture to Miami and contribute her vocal talents to her debut title, in which the series’ theme song, “Key of Life” was presented. Her musical conquests subsequently extended to international platforms, including the Kids’ Choice Awards (KCA) Mexico and KCA Argentina in 2018, where she performed alongside the rest of the show’s cast, singing “Unisono” and “World’s Collide.”
In August 2018 she hinted at solo endeavors in an interview with Billboard Argentina, revealing plans for a debut album in the pop and R&B genres, entirely in English. Without wanting to give up too many details about what exactly was in the works, Maia made sure to point out that whatever she was producing is intended to be different, citing Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, The Jackson 5 and Stevie Wonder as the celebrities whose work she grew up listening to, and from which she drew inspiration for the album.
Her single “Yours” came out in 2020 as one of the first realizations of the project, which had apparently been split into single releases instead of a whole album. It was followed up by “Of You” and “So Much Heat” in 2021, while “Fast and Furious” came out in 2022. She is yet to release even an EP, but fans remain hopeful that she will embark on a more significant vocal undertaking in the years to come.
A life-changing project
Reficco sat down with Vogue on 28 July 2022 to discuss her thoughts on being part of “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.” She also took the opportunity to inform the world about her past, delving into the intricate facets of her personal and professional journey with heartfelt sincerity. In navigating the challenges of fame, particularly as a woman, young Latina, and someone extremely sensitive, she revealed the constant struggle to define her true self amidst societal expectations. The process of explaining her background, language and style became a significant part of her growth, emphasizing the complexities of finding an authentic identity in the public eye.
She touched upon the ideological challenges she faced, especially given her role as an artist with a substantial young audience, which made her feel responsible for communicating leftist values that she deems to be of great importance, such as diversity, freedom, feminism, and individual worth. The self-imposed pressure weighed heavily on her, reflecting her profound commitment to social issues beyond the realms of entertainment and her professional scope.
Maia also confessed a deep admiration for Lucy Hale, one of the original series’ protagonists, recounting how that period shaped her aspirations and sense of self. Her perceived absence of representation akin to her own identity in mainstream entertainment fueled her motivation to become an inspiring figure for individuals from Argentina and Latin America.
Looking ahead, the actress expressed anticipation for upcoming projects, notably the release of “Do Revenge,” as well as some other titles that she could also potentially be involved in. What stood out most poignantly in the interview’s entirety was the singer’s all-too-common justice warrior mindset that, in her mind, lends credence to the idea that she could be saving the world from discrimination and prejudice, one Hollywood line at a time.
Love life: Does she have a boyfriend?
Maia’s romantic involvements remain mostly undisclosed to the public, as she has never been known to date anyone. She is a self-professed bisexual, however, and an ardent supporter of the LGBT community, often taking the time to engage in virtue signaling, and draw in a little bit more of an audience. There have been rumors that actor Kit Connor could be in a secret relationship with her, as they’re both set to feature in “A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow,” but this is yet to be confirmed by either celebrity.
Notably, Kit himself had to come out as bisexual, due to being called out as a ‘queerbaiter’ by the LGBT community. According to their arbitrary rules, it’s socially unacceptable for a straight male to portray the role of a queer or gay one on the TV screen, as if they aren’t in fact who they represent, they are manipulating queer and gay audiences and appropriating their culture for the benefit of their own career progression. The logic in this definition is yet to be explained, and its lack may why youthful celebrities such as Maia adorn the savior complex mask.
How rich is she? What is her net worth?
Maia Reficco’s total accumulated wealth is estimated by most reputable sources to be around $2 million. She has made this considerable sum through a number of involvements with successful projects, starting out with a lead character in a TV series and eventually graduating to more popular shows and feature films. The actress’ work in “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin” arguably made the greatest contribution to her bank account, while “A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow” is believed to add substantially more.
Body measurements: What is her height?
The singer is 5ft 4ins (162cms) tall, weighs approximately 102lbs (46kgs), with vital statistics of 32-24-33, bra size 32A, and her build is often described as slim. She wears size 6 shoes. She has hair of varying colors, depending on the season, though her natural is dark brown. Her complexion is light brown,
