Francia Raisa's parents and siblings: meet the family behind the actress

Francia Raisa's parents and siblings: meet the family behind the actress

Francia Raisa's parents, Renan and Virginia Almendarez, have been a constant source of support and inspiration, contributing to her successful career. The American actress is best known for her roles in Bring It On: All or Nothing, Grown-ish, and How I Met Your Father. Raisa has three sisters, Irlanda, Italia Almendarez, and Cynthia Benson.

Virginia Almendarez, leaning on a sofa (L). Renan Almendarez poses at the Latino Mex Radio (R)
Virginia Almendarez, leaning on a sofa (L). Renan Almendarez poses at the Latino Mex Radio (R). Photo: @pelusa_3, @elcucuydelamanana on Instagram (modified by author)
Source: UGC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key takeaways

  • Francia Raisa's parents are Renan and Virginia Almendarez.
  • Francia's father, also known as El Cucuy, is a radio presenter in Los Angeles.
  • El Cucuy has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
  • She has two biological sisters and a half sister from her father's side.

Profile summary

Real nameFrancia Raisa Almendarez
GenderFemale
Date of birth26 July 1988
Age36 years old (as of May 2025)
Zodiac signLeo
Place of birthLos Angeles, California, United States
Current residenceLos Angeles, California, United States
NationalityAmerican
EthnicityHispanic
ReligionChristianity
SexualityStraight
Height in feet5'3"
Height in centimetres160
Weight in pounds119
Weight in kilograms54
Hair colourBlack
Eye colourBrown
MotherVirginia Almendarez
FatherRenan Almendarez Coello
Siblings3
Relationship statusSingle
SchoolBishop Alemany High School
ProfessionActress
Net worth$3 million
Instagram@franciaraisa

Francia Raisa's parents: The support system behind the Star

The American actress was born in Los Angeles, California, United States, to Renan Coello and Virginia Almendarez. Her parents have been supportive of her throughout her acting career. Here is a closer look at her parents and their influence on her life.

Renan Almendarez Coello

Radio personality Renan Almendarez Coello in studio hosting
Radio personality Renan Almendarez Coello in studio at La Raza station, May 22, 2006 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Bob Riha, Jr.
Source: Getty Images

Francia Raisa's father, Renan Almendarez Coello, famously known as El Cucuy, is a renowned radio personality and author. He was born on 18 November 1953 in Honduras. The radio personality started his career at the age of 15 in Honduras.

Coello once interviewed John Negroponte, the then-US Ambassador to Honduras, who later arranged for his US relocation. Renan immigrated to the United States and became a citizen in 2000.

El Cucuy rose to become the most-listened-to voice on L.A. radio, at one point surpassing the ratings of famous radio hosts Rick Dees and Howard Stern. He has worked as a morning show host on KLAX-FM in Los Angeles, California. Coello also worked at La Raza station and Latino Mix Radio.

Besides radio, El Cucuy is an author. His autobiography, El Cucuy de la Mañana: My Life in Radio's Fast Lane, was published on 30 September 2004.

Renan Almendarez Coello (pointing) and actress Francia Raisa (to his right)
Renan Almendarez Coello (pointing) and actress Francia Raisa (to his right) attend Coello being honoured with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 25, 2014. Photo: David Livingston
Source: Getty Images

Almendarez is also a philanthropist. His El Cucuy Foundation serves individuals with financial, legal, and medical help in the United States, Mexico, and South America. Renan was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 25 November 2014.

Renan Almendarez is a father of five children, but only four are known. He shares three daughters with his wife, Virginia Almendarez, and the other two are from his other relationships.

Francia Raisa’s father has been vocal about her daughter's fallout with American singer and songwriter Selena Gomez. According to TMZ, the two disagreed after Raisa donated a kidney to Gomez back in 2017, and she didn't stop drinking. Speaking in Spanish during an interview with Primer Impacto, he said:

It was no secret what happened between them...that's just what happens with love, money, and fame.

Virginia Almendarez

Virginia Almendarez posing for a photo indoor (L). Francia Raisa's mother standing outdoors (R)
Virginia Almendarez posing for a photo indoors (L). Francia Raisa mother standing outdoors (R). Photo: @pelusa_ on Instagram (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Francia's mother, Virginia Almendarez, is from Mexico. She is married to Renan Almendarez Coello. Not much is known about Virginia, but she is active on Instagram, often posting about her family.

Get to know Francia Raisa's siblings

The Hollywood actress has two biological sisters, Irlanda, Italia and one half sister, Cynthia Benson. Not much is known about Cynthia, but she is an actress who has appeared in the film Silent Cry.

Italia Almendarez is Raisa's younger sister. She was born on 26 March 1990 in Los Angeles, California, United States. Italia has followed in her sister's footsteps in acting. The actress is known for appearing in the films Little Boy and Little Hercules. Italia got married to Paul Pridgeon on 22 October 2023.

Irlanda is the youngest of Almendarez and Virginia's children. She was born on 20 September 1993 in Los Angeles, California, United States. Like her two older sisters, Irlanda is also an actress who appeared in Little Hercules.

FAQs

  1. Who is Francia Raisa? She is a renowned actress from the United States, best known for her role in Bring It On: All or Nothing.
  2. Is Francia Raisa a Nepo baby? Francia Raisa is considered partly a “nepo baby” due to her father’s fame as a radio host. However, she has stated that her success comes from hard work, not connections.
  3. What is Francia Raisa's background? Francia is an American with Mexican and Honduran roots.
  4. How old is Francia Raisa? She is 36 years old as of May 2025. Raisa was born on 26 July 1988 in Los Angeles, California, United States.
  5. Who is Francia Raisa's father? Francia's father is Renan Almendariz Coello, also known as El Cucuy.
  6. Who is Francia Raisa's mother? Francia's mother is Virginia Almendariz.
  7. Does Francia Raisa have a sister? Yes, Raisa has two biological sisters, Irlanda and Italia, and one half sister, Cynthia Benson.

Francia Raisa's parents have been instrumental in her success as an actress. Although they are not actors, they have supported her career. Her three siblings are also in the acting world.

Legit.ng published an article about Karol G's parents and siblings. Karol G is a renowned American singer and songwriter. Her parents, Martha Navarro and Guillermo Giraldo, have played a significant role in her personal and career life.

Karol G's parents and siblings have been a constant source of unwavering support in her career. Although her father wanted to be a singer, he did not achieve his dream. Learn more about Karol G's family and the role they have played in her life.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Naomi Karina avatar

Naomi Karina (Lifestyle writer) Naomi Karina has been a digital content writer for more than two years. She joined the Legit team in August 2022. She graduated Bachelor of Commerce from KCA University in 2012. She also holds a Higher Diploma in Human Resources from the IHRM and a Diploma in Marketing from Kenyatta University. She is a content creator who enjoys writing about various topics such as biographies, entertainment and business. In 2023, Naomi finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. She expanded her skills in 2024 by undertaking the Google News Initiative course.