Actress | Producer | Model | Former Miss Hawaii USA & Part-time Lawmaker
Samantha Neyland was the first Black woman to be crowned Miss Hawaii USA. In 2020 she represented the Aloha State at the Miss USA pageant where she placed Top 10. Neyland used her historic pageant win to launch "Hawaii for Juneteenth", a coalition which successfully lobbied the Hawaii State Government to propose and pass legislation recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday.
Less than 24 hours before President Biden signed the federal bill to recognize Juneteenth, Neyland spoke at the Hawaii Governor's Mansion as he signed her bill into law.
Having worked as an actress in Los Angeles for over nine years, Neyland has appeared in over 25 national commercials, hit television shows like Mixed-ish (ABC), Magnum P.I. (CBS) and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (CBS), and Feature Films by Sony, Lionsgate and Hulu.