Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty
We are bewitched to introduce you to Whitney Peak!
The breakout actress stars as Becca inHocus Pocus 2, a young girl who turns sixteen on Halloween and accidentally revives the Sanderson sisters.
After moving to North America, the Ugandan-Canadian actress was inspired to pursue a career in entertainment full-time, talking with PEOPLE in June 2021 about her personal background and how she was first introduced to acting.
Since then, she’s landed roles on hit series for mega streamers like Netflix andHBO Max. In addition, she’s ventured into the fashion space having partnered with mega designers — in addition to gracing magazine covers.
From her early beginnings in acting to the strides she’s made in fashion, here’s everything to know about Peak.
She was born in Uganda
Whitney Peak/Instagram
Peak was born in Uganda and was raised there until she was 10 years old before moving to Canada in 2012. For the young actress, it was a “big culture shock” due to the many differences between the countries.
Particularly, the educational systems were notably different for Peak. “It was definitely weird adjusting to the school curriculum,” she told PEOPLE, adding, “And how much more free it was in North America.”
She explained, “I went to boarding school in Uganda. So I hadn’t really gotten the public school experience.” An aspect that took adjusting for Peak? Not having to wear a uniform, noting “it was just kind of weird.”
Now, Peak lives in a loft apartment in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. She oftenposts pictures on her Instagramenjoying the city lifestyle.
She didn’t initially plan on becoming an actress
It wasn’t until Peak moved to North America that she realized acting could even be a possibility for herself.
“It was kind of ingrained in me that you go to school, you get a college education, and then you do whatever job you studied for — so in my head, I was either going to be a doctor or a lawyer,” she said.
She noted that she didn’t have much access to television growing up until her move to North America where she started “immersing [herself] in it.” But in 2015, she got her big break.
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She’s no stranger to witch roles
Dia Dipasupil/Getty
The role of Becca inHocus Pocus 2isn’t the only witch credit Peak has to her name! Prior to her casting in the Halloween cult classic, the actress played Judith Blackwood in Netflix’sChilling Adventures of Sabrina.
She stars in theGossip Girlreboot
Karolina Wojtasik/HBO Max/Courtesy Everett Collection
In addition to landing parts inMolly’s Game,Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and more, Peak nabbed a starring role in HBO Max’sGossip Girlreboot, in which she plays Zoya Lott.
While the actress described her character as “very young and naive” she made sure to tell PEOPLE that “she has a really good head on her shoulders with really good intentions.” Peak added, “She doesn’t like to see the people around her in pain or unhappy.”
She has created a name for herself in the fashion industry
Taylor Hill/Getty
Given all the fun outfits Peak gets to wear on set, it’s no wonder the actress has an interest in fashion herself. In fact, she’s made a name for herself off-set as well!
Between being namedChanel’s brand ambassadorin March 2021 and having graced magazine covers likeHarper’s Bazaar’s youth issue in June, Peak is only getting started in the sartorial scene.
She attended the Met Gala in 2021
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
We told you she’s taking over the sartorial scene! In 2021, Peak attended theMet Gala—donning none other than Chanel, of course!
source: people.com
