Aliyah Mastin is an American actress and singer best known for playing Presley Collins, the daughter of Sterling K. Brown’s character, in Hulu’s political thriller Paradise. Born on April 11, 2005, the 21-year-old performer began her professional career on Broadway before moving into film and television. Her early credits include Disney’s stage production of The Lion King and the 2021 musical film Honey Girls.
What distinguishes Mastin’s career is the combination of professional stage training, musical performance, and increasingly prominent television work. By 2026, she had returned for the second season of Paradise, establishing herself as a recognizable member of the drama’s central cast.
Aliyah Mastin Quick Facts
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Aliyah Mastin |
| Date of birth | April 11, 2005 |
| Age in October 2026 | 21 years old |
| Birthplace | Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Actress and singer |
| Broadway role | Young Nala in The Lion King |
| Film role | Maya in Honey Girls (2021) |
| Television role | Presley Collins in Paradise (2025–2026) |
| Other screen work | Stamped From the Beginning (2023) |
How Aliyah Mastin Started Her Career on Broadway
Long before appearing alongside established Hollywood actors, Aliyah Mastin developed her performance skills through musical theater.
Her interest in performing began during childhood. In a March 2025 interview with Numéro Netherlands, Mastin explained that her parents influenced her early exposure to music and entertainment. Her mother introduced her to musical films, while watching Michael Jackson performances helped shape her enthusiasm for singing and dancing.
That early interest eventually became professional experience.
In September 2016, Mastin was among the young performers making their Broadway debuts. Theater publication Playbill identified her as Young Nala in Disney’s long-running Broadway production of The Lion King.
The role placed her in a demanding theatrical environment while she was still a child.
Young Nala requires acting, singing, movement, and precise coordination with an established ensemble. Performing in such a production gave Mastin experience in disciplines that would remain relevant as she moved between music and screen acting.
Her Broadway background also explains why singing has continued to feature in her professional work.
Her involvement in an anti-bullying recording
In December 2016, Playbill included Mastin among the Broadway performers participating in the charitable recording I Have a Voice.
The project brought together more than 75 young performers from Broadway productions and supported the anti-bullying organization No Bully.
This credit provides another documented example of Mastin’s professional activity at a young age. It also connects her theatrical background with a collaborative musical project outside a traditional stage production.
Honey Girls: Her First Major Screen Role
Aliyah Mastin made an important transition from stage to screen with the 2021 musical family film Honey Girls.
She portrayed Maya, one of three young musicians participating in a talent competition organized by a fictional pop superstar named Fancy G, played by Ashanti.
The film follows contestants who discover that collaboration might offer something more valuable than individual fame. Instead of competing against one another, they form a secret musical group while navigating the rules of the competition.
Mastin starred alongside Ava Grace, who played Charlie, and Frankie McNellis, who portrayed Alex.
The film, directed by Trey Fanjoy, was released digitally and on DVD on October 19, 2021, through Build-A-Bear Entertainment and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
For Mastin, Honey Girls represented more than another opportunity to sing.
In an April 2025 interview with TresA Magazine, she described Maya as her first on-screen role and discussed filming in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She also explained that working on the production helped her recognize the contributions of crew members, including technicians, editors, and other professionals whose work remains largely invisible to audiences.
That experience marked a meaningful shift in her career. Unlike Broadway, where performers deliver a continuous live performance, filmmaking involves repeated takes, camera placement, editing, and collaboration across different departments.
Honey Girls provided Mastin with professional experience in that environment before she secured a more dramatic television role.
Why Paradise Became Aliyah Mastin’s Breakthrough
The most significant television credit of Aliyah Mastin’s career is Paradise, created by Dan Fogelman.
The series premiered in January 2025 and stars Sterling K. Brown as Xavier Collins, a Secret Service agent investigating a murder in a seemingly secure community.
Mastin plays his teenage daughter, Presley Collins, while Percy Daggs IV portrays her younger brother, James Collins.
Although the series incorporates political intrigue, suspense, and an extraordinary survival scenario, its central family relationships provide an emotional foundation for the story.
Presley becomes particularly important because her experiences reveal the personal consequences of the circumstances surrounding her family.
Who is Presley Collins in Paradise?
According to Disney+’s official February 2026 character guide, Presley Collins is Xavier’s intelligent and quick-witted daughter.
She assumes responsibilities within her family while trying to support her father and younger brother. Her dry sense of humor also provides a contrast to the more serious circumstances surrounding them.
This creates an acting challenge that differs considerably from Mastin’s earlier musical performances.
Rather than relying primarily on songs and choreographed movement, she must communicate family tension, uncertainty, affection, and resilience through dramatic scenes.
The difference illustrates the range of performance styles Mastin has explored during her career.
Working alongside Sterling K. Brown
One of the defining professional relationships within the series is the fictional father-daughter dynamic between Xavier and Presley Collins.
Sterling K. Brown had already established an extensive television career before Paradise, including his Emmy-winning work on This Is Us.
Mastin’s scenes with Brown place her within the main dramatic storyline rather than limiting her to a peripheral appearance.
The show’s creator, Dan Fogelman, also created This Is Us, a series widely associated with its focus on family relationships and emotionally complicated characters.
That storytelling approach is visible in Paradise, even though the newer series uses a different genre and setting.
What changed in Season 2?
The second season of Paradise premiered on February 23, 2026.
Disney confirmed Mastin’s return as Presley Collins, alongside Brown, Percy Daggs IV, Julianne Nicholson, Sarah Shahi, and other members of the ensemble.
Season 2 expanded the story beyond the community introduced in the first season while continuing to develop the relationships among its central characters.
In a March 2026 interview with Numéro Netherlands, Mastin discussed how returning to the series had strengthened her confidence and helped her grow as an actor.
Her continued involvement matters because it demonstrates that Paradise was not simply a brief guest appearance. It became an ongoing television commitment across multiple seasons.
Disney announced a third-season renewal in March 2026. However, that announcement alone does not establish every cast member’s participation in the next season.
Beyond Paradise: Music and Historical Storytelling
Although Paradise has increased Aliyah Mastin’s television visibility, her interests extend beyond contemporary drama.
She appeared in the 2023 Netflix documentary Stamped From the Beginning, a production examining the historical development of racist ideas in the United States.
In the documentary, Mastin portrayed Phillis Wheatley, the influential 18th-century poet recognized as the first African American woman to publish a book of poetry.
During her April 2025 conversation with Our Era Magazine, Mastin discussed the significance of representing Wheatley and the responsibility involved in portraying a historical figure.
The project offered a different form of acting experience from her fictional roles, requiring her to contribute to a documentary built around historical scholarship.
Music has remained another consistent element of her work.
Mastin was previously associated with the young vocal ensemble Acapop! KIDS. Her experience with the group connects her early musical development with the collaborative performances seen in Honey Girls.
In her March 2026 interview with Numéro Netherlands, she expressed an interest in pursuing music, screenwriting, and directing alongside acting.
These are creative ambitions she has discussed publicly, rather than confirmed announcements of specific upcoming releases.
Aliyah Mastin’s Age, Education and Personal Life
Aliyah Mastin was born on April 11, 2005, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, according to biographical information published by TV Insider. As of October 2026, she is 21 years old.
Her career began considerably earlier than her recent television recognition might suggest. By age 11, she had already appeared on Broadway, and she subsequently developed experience in film, music, and television.
Mastin has also discussed balancing acting with higher education.
In a 2026 interview with REVAMP Magazine, she recalled auditioning for Paradise while attending university. Her audition process involved recorded performances, a virtual meeting with Dan Fogelman, and an in-person chemistry read in Los Angeles.
The experience illustrates how she was managing academic responsibilities while pursuing professional acting opportunities.
Is Aliyah Mastin married or does she have children?
There is no reliable public confirmation that Aliyah Mastin is married or has children.
Her documented interviews focus primarily on her career, education, creative influences, and professional experiences. They do not establish a marriage, divorce, remarriage, or parenthood.
The same caution applies to claims about her romantic relationships and finances. No reliable public financial documentation establishes her personal net worth.
What Is Aliyah Mastin Doing in 2026?
In 2026, Aliyah Mastin remains professionally active, with her role in the second season of Paradise representing her most prominent recent screen work.
The series has also received industry recognition. Its first season earned four Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, according to Disney’s March 2026 press announcement.
Those nominations belong to the production and its nominated contributors; they should not be mistaken for individual Emmy nominations for Mastin.
Her continued presence in a major streaming drama represents a notable development for a performer whose career began in children’s musical theater.
At the same time, Mastin has made clear through interviews that she does not intend to restrict her interests to acting alone. Music, writing, and directing remain areas she hopes to explore.
The strongest evidence of her career development lies in her completed work: Broadway’s The Lion King, the musical film Honey Girls, the historical documentary Stamped From the Beginning, and two seasons of Paradise.
Together, these credits establish Aliyah Mastin as a young performer with experience across theater, music, film, and television. Her portrayal of Presley Collins is currently her most visible role, while her earlier work shows that her professional experience predates the television breakthrough.
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