{{short description|Canadian actress (born 2001)|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Notability|Biography|date=November 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = Aryana Engineer | image = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|03|06}} | birth_place = Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada | occupation = Actress | years_active = 2009–2015 }} '''Aryana Engineer''' (born March 6, 2001)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aryana-engineer.com/aryana_bio.php|title=Aryana Engineer Official Site|accessdate=13 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091022101153/http://aryana-engineer.com/aryana_bio.php|archive-date=22 October 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> is a Canadian former actress who made her debut in the 2009 horror film ''Orphan'', as a little girl named Max, alongside Vera Farmiga. In 2012 she starred, alongside Milla Jovovich, as Becky in ''Resident Evil: Retribution'', the fifth film in the franchise.

==Life and career== Engineer was born partially deaf on March 6, 2001, in British Columbia, Canada.

In 2007, she was discovered when she was spotted using sign language with her mother. The neighbour (Brenda Campbell) who discovered her was an agent, who suggested Aryana for the role of five-year-old Maxine "Max" Coleman in the film ''Orphan'' (2009). The neighbour knew the producers were searching for a blond-haired girl who knew how to sign, and decided to take action.<ref>{{cite news |title=Agent neighbour knew it was a sign |newspaper=Vancouver Province|date=May 25, 2008 |url=http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/etoday/story.html?id=79f4ddc1-ae71-4044-a1ad-cc298aa73016}}</ref> In the Orphan script, Max Coleman was described as "unimaginably cute". When director Jaume Collet-Serra saw that Aryana had the ability "while crying, to perform a scene -- to immediately go from there still keeping this emotion", he knew she was the one for the part.<ref>{{cite news |title=To play a deaf child, cast a deaf child|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen |date=August 6, 2009 |url=http://www2.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=d3e51f96-6c56-4733-89a2-7a4ebc4189fd}}</ref> According to Collet-Serra, Aryana didn't understand what was going on during the making of ''Orphan'' and thought it was all a game.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emirates247.com/eb247/the-business-of-life/entertainment/why-children-are-great-horror-movie-stars-2009-08-08-1.29488 |title=Why children are great horror movie stars |publisher=Emirates 24/7 |date=August 8, 2009 |accessdate=April 19, 2013}}</ref>

After the release of ''Orphan'', Aryana took part in a commercial for the 2010 Winter Olympics that was being held in Canada. She also represented Canada with her brother at the 2010 Winter Paralympics opening ceremony, welcoming viewers using sign language.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/596635/one-inspires-many-a-celebration-of-ability-courage-and-the-human-spirit-at-opening-ceremony-for-the-2010-paralympic-winter-games |title=One Inspires Many: a celebration of ability, courage and the human spirit at Opening Ceremony for the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games |publisher=VANOC |date=March 12, 2010 |accessdate=April 19, 2013 |archive-date=October 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005151523/http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/596635/one-inspires-many-a-celebration-of-ability-courage-and-the-human-spirit-at-opening-ceremony-for-the-2010-paralympic-winter-games |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In September 2012, ''Resident Evil: Retribution'' was released to the public. In the film, Aryana plays a deaf girl named Becky who builds a mother-daughter relationship with the main character Alice (Milla Jovovich).

==Filmography==

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 2009 || ''Orphan'' || Maxine "Max" Coleman || |- | 2012 || ''Resident Evil: Retribution'' || Becky || |- | 2015 || ''Dreaming of Peggy Lee'' || Belinda || Short movie |}

===Self=== {| class="wikitable sortable"

|- ! Year ! Title ! Character ! Notes |- | 2010 || ''Winter Olympics'' || Herself || With Glowing Hearts Dance |- | 2010 || || Herself || Paralympics Opening Ceremony |- | 2012 || ''Back From the Afterlife: Making Resident Evil: Retribution'' || Herself || Behind the Scenes Documentary about ''Resident Evil: Retribution'' |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{IMDb name|2954597}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Engineer, Aryana}} Category:2001 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century Canadian actresses Category:Actresses from British Columbia Category:Canadian child actresses Category:Canadian deaf actresses Category:Canadian film actresses Category:Canadian people of Indian descent Category:Canadian people of Scottish descent Category:People from Port Moody