Geraldine Viswanathan
Comedy has always come easy to Newcastle local Geraldine Viswanathan. It was obvious way back in her performing arts school plays and even more so while playing John Cena’s prankster daughter in the 2018 hit movie Blockers. While her newest film Hala—where she plays the titular character—is the polar opposite of funny, her performance has dazzled critics.
Executive produced by Jada Pinkett Smith tells the tale of a 17-year-old Pakistani-American teenager (Viswanathan) struggling to mesh her passion for typical Western teenage pursuits (boys, skateboarding, friends) with her serious cultural and religious obligations. A series of shocking family secrets provide plot twists along the way, too.
