Alexandra Chando Bio
Alexandra Chando (born July 28, 1986) is an American actress and director known for her dual role as Emma Becker and Sutton Mercer in the ABC Family series The Lying Game and for her portrayal of Maddie Coleman on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns. A Bethlehem, Pennsylvania native, she graduated from Liberty High School and studied at Manhattan College before pursuing acting. In 2018, she made her directorial debut with the short film LPM, Likes Per Minute, which screened at the Mammoth Film Festival, where she also serves as Festival Manager. Her career spans television, film, and independent projects across more than two decades.
Early Life and Background
Alexandra Chando was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a city in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, where she spent her formative years. She is the daughter of Steve Chando, who operates a commercial roofing company in Bethlehem called CHM Contracting, and Rebecca Chando, who worked as a homemaker. Chando has two older brothers, growing up in a close family environment that supported her early interest in performance. She attended Liberty High School in Bethlehem, graduating before setting her sights on higher education and a career in entertainment.
After high school, Chando enrolled at Manhattan College in Riverdale, New York, a private institution in the Bronx, taking coursework that would prepare her for a professional life beyond her hometown. Her time in New York City placed her at the center of the entertainment industry, and she soon transitioned from college student to working actress. Chando originated the role of Maddie Coleman on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, which she played from 2005 to 2007 and again for several months beginning in late 2009 through early 2010. Her experience of being cast on the series was chronicled in the episode I’m Getting My Big Break from the MTV documentary series True Life.
Chando was born on July 28, 1986, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA, and holds American nationality. Her early training included the foundational education provided by Liberty High School and her enrollment at Manhattan College, where she studied before fully committing to her acting career. The combination of her small-town upbringing and urban education gave her a diverse perspective that she brought to her early professional roles.
Path to Actress
Alexandra Chando began her professional acting career in 2002, launching into a field that would occupy her for more than two decades. Her first major break came when she was cast as Maddie Coleman on the long-running CBS daytime drama As the World Turns, a role that placed her on a nationally broadcast soap opera alongside experienced television actors. The series ran from April 2, 1956, through September 17, 2010, making it one of the longest-running American soap operas. Her casting on the show marked her entry into professional screen acting at a young age.
Following her departure from As the World Turns in 2007, Chando explored a variety of projects that expanded her range beyond daytime television. In 2009, she was cast as Deb in the web series Rockville CA, a production from acclaimed television producer Josh Schwartz, creator of The O.C. That same year, she screen-tested with Robert Pattinson for the leading role in the 2010 romantic drama Remember Me and auditioned for the role of Elena Gilbert in The CW series The Vampire Diaries. In 2011, she appeared as Danielle Anderson in the web series Talent, based on the novel series by Zoey Dean, further demonstrating her willingness to pursue diverse and unconventional projects.
Alexandra Chando Career
Early Career (2002-2011)
Alexandra Chando began acting professionally in 2002, setting the foundation for what would become a varied career across multiple entertainment mediums. Her first significant role came in 2005 when she was cast as Maddie Coleman on As the World Turns, a part she held until 2007 and then reprised for several months starting in late 2009. This soap opera tenure gave her valuable on-set experience and national exposure. Her performance earned a 2007 Daytime Emmy Award nomination in the Younger Actress category, a significant early-career recognition that validated her talent within the competitive landscape of daytime television.
Between her stints on As the World Turns, Chando continued building her resume. She appeared in the 2009 web series Rockville CA from Josh Schwartz and tested for major film and television roles, including a screen test alongside Robert Pattinson for Remember Me and an audition for Elena Gilbert in The Vampire Diaries. These opportunities demonstrated industry confidence in her abilities even outside of her confirmed roles. In 2011, she played Danielle Anderson in the web series Talent, an adaptation of Zoey Dean’s novel series, showcasing her range in online drama formats before landing her next major role.
Breakthrough (2011-2013)
Alexandra Chando achieved her career-defining breakthrough in 2011 when she was cast in the dual lead role of identical twins Emma Becker and Sutton Mercer in the ABC Family drama series The Lying Game. The series followed two long-lost identical twins who had been separated at birth and were raised in very different circumstances, one affluent and one working-class, before reuniting and navigating a web of secrets and deception. Chando’s ability to convincingly portray two distinct characters, each with their own personality, mannerisms, and storylines, was widely praised as a central strength of the series.
The Lying Game ran for two seasons on ABC Family, premiering in 2011 and running through 2013 before the network cancelled the series. During its run, the show built a dedicated audience and solidified Chando’s reputation as a talented dramatic performer capable of carrying a series. Following the conclusion of The Lying Game, she appeared in an episode of the ABC series Castle, playing a character described as a Lindsay Lohan and Miley Cyrus composite type, demonstrating her range and willingness to tackle unconventional roles. In 2018, Chando made her directorial debut with the short film LPM, Likes Per Minute, which screened at the inaugural Mammoth Film Festival, where she also serves as Festival Manager, marking a significant new chapter in her creative career.
Notable Works and Milestones
Alexandra Chando is best known for her dual role as identical twins Emma Becker and Sutton Mercer in The Lying Game, which ran for two seasons on ABC Family from 2011 to 2013 and became her signature performance. Her portrayal of Maddie Coleman on As the World Turns, which she played from 2005 to 2007 and again from late 2009 to early 2010, earned her a 2007 Daytime Emmy Award nomination in the Younger Actress category and remains a foundational credit in her career. In 2018, she made a successful transition behind the camera, directing her first short film LPM, Likes Per Minute, which screened at the inaugural Mammoth Film Festival, where she also serves as Festival Manager.
Alexandra Chando Award Nominations
Alexandra Chando received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination in the Younger Actress category in 2007 for her portrayal of Maddie Coleman on As the World Turns. The nomination recognized her performance during her initial run on the CBS soap opera and placed her among a competitive field of young daytime television performers. This early-career nomination acknowledged her talent and the impact she made in her first major television role.
Alexandra Chando Awards Won
No verified award wins were found for Alexandra Chando based on available information. She has received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination, as detailed above.
Alexandra Chando Family
Alexandra Chando is the daughter of Steve Chando and Rebecca Chando. Her father operates CHM Contracting, a commercial roofing company based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and her mother, Rebecca, worked as a homemaker. Chando has two older brothers, though their names are not publicly documented. She is a native of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and her family has maintained its roots in the Lehigh Valley community throughout her entertainment career.
Personal Life
Alexandra Chando is a Bethlehem, Pennsylvania native who attended Liberty High School in her hometown before moving to New York to study at Manhattan College. She launched her acting career in 2002 at the age of sixteen, moving from small-town Pennsylvania into professional roles on national television. In addition to her on-screen work, Chando has established herself in the independent film community as a director and as Festival Manager at the Mammoth Film Festival, roles that reflect her broader commitment to filmmaking beyond acting. She currently divides her professional time between performing, directing, and festival management.