Eléa Rochera, born 9 October 2002 in Valencia, Spain, is the breakout star of Netflix’s 2025 teen thriller Bad Influence (Mala influencia). A trained ballerina, multi-instrumentalist and graduate of Central de Cine, Rochera landed her first film role opposite Alberto Olmo and now has 51 million Wattpad readers—and Hollywood scouts—watching her next move.
If you binged Netflix’s latest Spanish-language hit Bad Influence over the weekend, you’re not alone. The romantic thriller skyrocketed to #1 in 22 countries within 48 hours, and its fresh-faced heroine, Eléa Rochera, is suddenly the most-searched Spanish actress on Google.
With just one film credit to her name, the 22-year-old Valencian has turned a Wattpad phenomenon into a global streaming sensation—and insiders say she’s only getting started.
Quick Bio
- Full name: Eléa Rochera Puchol
- Born: 9 October 2002, Valencia, Spain
- Languages: Spanish (native), Catalan (native), English (fluent)
- Skills: Classical ballet, piano, violin, drums, field hockey
- Training: Central de Cine Madrid, Estudio Corazza, Thais Curia Meisner Method
- Film debut: Bad Influence (2025) as Reese Russell
- Up next: Untitled Amazon teen series (pre-production)
From Dance Floors to Film Sets
Rochera grew up in the coastal town of Gandia, where she began ballet at age four and added piano, violin and drums before turning twelve. “I was either rehearsing or filming DIY horror shorts on my phone,” she told Spanish magazine Acero.
Between 2018-2020 she studied screen acting at Film and TV Classroom Castellón, then moved to Madrid to train at Central de Cine and Estudio Corazza, schools known for producing talents like Ana de Armas and Miguel Herrán.
Landing Bad Influence
Director Chloé Wallace auditioned more than 800 actresses for Reese, a privileged teen ballerina stalked by an anonymous tormentor. Rochera sent a self-tape performing the film’s pivotal rooftop monologue in three languages and booked the role within a week. “Eléa had this mix of vulnerability and steel that the character needed,” Wallace told Netflix Tudum.
reads), was The movie, adapted from Teensspirit’s Wattpad novel (51 million reads), shot in Valencia and Madrid in early 2024 and premiered theatrically in Spain on 24 January 2025 before dropping globally on Netflix on 9 May 2025.
Performance Reception
Critics were divided on the script but unanimous on Rochera. Cinemanía wrote: “Rochera’s Reese is the film’s heartbeat—fragile yet defiant, she sells every melodramatic twist.” Decider praised her “magnetic screen presence” that “elevates the forbidden-romance clichés”.
On social media, #EléaRochera surged past 280 million TikTok views in 72 hours, largely driven by her dance-studio confrontation scene.
Life Off-Screen
When not filming, Rochera volunteers with València Basket’s youth program teaching street-dance to under-12s and records piano covers for her 800 K-follower Instagram. She’s also an ambassador for Fundación Juegaterapia, donating consoles to children’s cancer wards.
Next Chapter
Sources confirm Rochera has signed with CAA and is circling two projects: an Amazon teen sci-fi series shooting in Barcelona next spring and a Leonardo Barbieri indie drama set during Spain’s 1992 Olympics. She’s also developing a short film about female skateboarders, which she plans to direct.
5 Fun Facts
- Plays field hockey centre-forward for a local Madrid club.
- Perfect pitch—can tune a violin by ear.
- Learned English watching Stranger Things with subtitles.
- Favourite snack on set: Venezuelan arepas from a food truck near Ciudad de la Luz studios.
- Keeps every call sheet in a scrapbook: “My mum says it’s nerdy; I call it history.”
FAQ — Eléa Rochera
Q: Is Bad Influence her first professional job?
A: Yes, the Netflix film marks her feature debut; her only previous credit is a 2025 interview on Spanish TV series Caiga quien caiga.
Q: Does she really dance in the movie?
A: Absolutely. Rochera performed 90% of the ballet sequences herself; a double was used only for the most advanced pointe work.
Q: Where can I follow her?
A: Instagram @elearochera and Threads @elearochera—she posts BTS clips, piano covers and hockey bloopers.
With a breakout performance that turned a Wattpad page-turner into global streaming gold, Eléa Rochera has leap-frogged from unknown drama student to Hollywood’s newest watch-list name in under a year. If her upcoming slate matches the buzz, the Valencia ballerina may soon be dancing straight onto awards-season stages.
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