From Manila to the Spotlight:

The Many Lives of Sarah Grace Lee

Actress, ballerina, model, and advocate — how one Filipina-American built a career on grit, grace, and the refusal to stay in one lane.

Interview · May 2026

Before she ever set foot on a Hollywood set, Sarah Grace Lee was already performing. Born in the Philippines, she began modeling at age three — not chasing fame, but following the fearless curiosity that defines extraordinary people. By six, she was competing with the Philippine Ice Skating team, training with the discipline of a seasoned athlete. By eleven, classical ballet had replaced the ice as her calling.

Her mother, a lawyer who gave up her career to homeschool Sarah, taught her English as a first language — a quiet decision that shaped the global communicator she would become. "I always say that I am so lucky to have an amazing family," Sarah told us during the live interview.

Age she first modeled in the Philippines

Age she joined the Philippine Ice Skating team

Age she transitioned to classical ballet

A Family's Sacrifice, a New World

At fifteen, a series of tragic events changed everything. The family lost their home in the Philippines, and Sarah's father made a decision many immigrant parents know deeply: to seek a better life abroad. They emigrated to the United States.

What followed was not a fairy tale arrival. At seventeen, Sarah moved out on her own, auditioning relentlessly and navigating an industry that offered little mercy to those without working papers. She spent a full year training and performing with the Pennsylvania Ballet — without pay — in a bid to prove her value and secure her green card.

"I worked a whole year without pay just to try to secure a job, just to try to secure my green card. And at the end of that year — I got denied."

— Sarah Grace Lee

Ten days after the denial, the phone rang. The family's green card had come through — all of them, together. Sarah secured her spot in the company and began climbing the ranks in earnest.

Bleeding Toes and Beautiful Stages

For years, Sarah inhabited some of ballet's most iconic roles — Swan Lake, Giselle, The Nutcracker — with companies in the United States and the Philippines. But behind the beautiful performances was a harder story. Ballet's culture of relentless physical scrutiny took a real toll.

"I unfortunately struggled with eating disorders and finding my self-worth," she said openly. "I was young and I wanted to be perfect. I really had to learn that perfection wasn't what was important — I needed to base my self-worth in something deeper."

Her departure from ballet wasn't due to injury. It came after a new artistic director sidelined her from performing, and the joy that had made every sacrifice worthwhile drained away. Facing the choice of starting over at another company or beginning a new adventure entirely, Sarah chose the adventure.

From the Silent Stage to the Screen

After enrolling at Playhouse West to study the Meisner technique, Sarah discovered what years of silent, physical storytelling had been building toward. She earned Best Actress recognition on the independent film circuit, landed a co-starring role in Netflix's Saturday Morning All Star Hits, and kept pushing.

Her most recent film, Frankie Maniac Woman, is a labor of love — a comedic horror created by a close friend who wrote, directed, shot, and costumed the entire project. The film follows a plus-size singer dismissed by beauty standards who ultimately breaks apart in darkly comic fashion. "It's funny, it's scary, it's gory," Sarah said, laughing. "A lot of film festivals were afraid to show it because it talks about really hard subjects."

"There's a lot in common between the film and your life — it speaks about the struggle of an artist, and the suffering that comes from being judged by how you look."

— From the live interview

Mrs. California, Author, and Nonprofit Founder

In 2023, a fellow actress mentioned a pageant. Instead of saying no, Sarah decided that year would be her year of yes. Her platform — children's education and vocational training — reflected over a decade of personally sponsoring a child through an international charity. She entered, built her platform from scratch, and won. The title of Mrs. California 2023 became a microphone for the causes she already championed.

She has since written a children's book, Life Lessons with Lily, now available on Amazon, launched a nonprofit, and is writing original screenplays — including a Filipino-American romantic comedy she is determined to bring to the screen.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• Professional ballerina — Pennsylvania Ballet and international stages

• Actress — Netflix, independent films, theater (Playhouse West trained)

• Mrs. California 2023 — platform: children's education and vocational training

• Author — Life Lessons with Lily, available on Amazon

• Nonprofit founder and children's advocate

A Message for Young Dreamers

When asked what she would say to young people struggling with the pressures of perfectionism and the cruelty that sometimes comes from others, Sarah's answer was immediate and personal.

"First of all, I want them to know that they're not alone. Every single person faces those negative forces — from the outside and from our own minds. Just because you don't feel your worth does not mean that you don't have purpose."

Her advice was not to push harder or achieve more, but to look outward. "Use your life to bless someone else. When you're focusing on giving, you dull the voices in your mind. When you're with friends and family and showing love to people — you stop listening to the bad voices in your head."

For Sarah Grace Lee, the spotlight has always been a means, not an end. What matters is what you do with it.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW

Twenty minutes of candid conversation — the ice rinks, the bleeding toes, the green card denial, and what keeps her going.

Watch now: https://youtu.be/pMNcDJTaIvQ

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Sarah Grace: From Manila to the Spotlight