Camille Mana is best known to her fans as Lisa from UPN’s sitcom hit One on One, which is now in syndication on Noggin, but with a couple of big movies coming out early next year, odds are good that Camille’s star will shine even more brightly.

First up is the Lionsgate teen comedy, College, due in theaters in April 2008. Camille described it as a sexy comedy in the vein of Superbad, where three high school seniors (led by Drake Bell from TV’s Drake and Josh) go to the university and pretend to be college freshmen. It is from the producers of the comedy Waiting.

“I play the love interest of one of the boys, played by Kevin Covais, who was a contestant on American Idol better known as Chicken Little,’” Camille said.

“It’s funny that when we were shooting in New Orleans, people were more excited about seeing the people who were on reality TV shows than the film and TV actors.”

Camille, 24, will also star in the upcoming Miramax Films dramedy Smart People playing Missy Chin. She once again stars as a college student who antagonises a widowed professor played by Dennis Quaid. Her character dates his character’s son.

The film, which comes from the Academy-award winning producer of Sideways, also stars Thomas Haden Church and Sarah Jessica Parker. Look for it to be released April 11.

“I was intimidated on set in Pittsburgh,” Camille admitted. “I’ve watched Dennis Quaid onscreen from a young man to a grown man. I felt like he was definitely waiting to see if I could pull my weight in the beginning, but I did the work I was supposed to do. He provided the kind of set environment that I was lucky to work on. I’m extremely fortunate that I got parts in two major motion pictures as my first movie roles. There aren’t that many roles for Asian-American actresses. At the time, I felt devastated because the TV show was supposed to go on for two more seasons but somehow got taken off the roster. I was very fortunate to have gotten one of the best jobs I could have gotten.”

She’s felt the pressures of Hollywood to stay beautiful and show skin.

“I do have love scenes in both movies. There were all of these new issues to deal with like whether I would get naked. Love scenes in movies are not anything like how it feels in real life. There’s a room full of men watching and cameras in your face and people watching your every move on a monitor.

“There’s tonnes of pressure in L.A. It’s so intimidating to go to an audition room trying to get your big break and see these gorgeous girls who weigh under 50 kilos, but I think I’m more normal and grounded than most. I’ve been fortunate to work more than girls who are prettier than me, so I think that means I have talent and believe in that. Being thinner or prettier is definitely not going to hurt you in this town.”

Camille’s talent isn’t limited to acting. She’s also a screenwriter and producer. She produced a short film, Equal Opportunity, which won NBC’s First Annual Comedy Shortcuts Festival and earned Camille a development deal with the network. The film is an official selection in the 2007 HBO/U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, South by Southwest (SXSW), and more.

She’s not only beautiful and talented but super intelligent as well, graduating from the University of California, Berkley in six semesters with a degree in economics. When she isn’t doing something related to her career, you can usually find her listening to music, her other great passion.

“I love music,” she said. “I’m really into independent rock music and have seen about 400 bands perform. I love movies. I love travelling too. I just got back from London. I love to get out of L.A.”

When asked about her alluring Filipino/Chinese looks, Camille is shy.

“If I was ‘hot’ growing up, I didn’t know it. I was quite insecure, and I think it still creeps into my work. My character on One on One was written for a ‘hot Asian girl’. The writers were confused how to develop my character because I brought an awkward quirk to her.”

In five years, expect to see this young lady continuing to make her mark on Hollywood. With her combination of looks, brains and talent, she’d better start rehearsing her first Oscar acceptance speech.

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On the Web:

http://www.camillemana.com/ (Her Official Site)

http://www.myspace.com/camillemana