Meet the newest ‘it’ girl in town
If you’ve been anywhere near social media this past week, chances are you’ve already fallen down the Off Campus rabbit hole—and right at the centre of it all is Mika Abdalla. The 25-year-old Texas native has officially arrived, and Hollywood is paying attention, especially after watching her dance to JLO’s “On The Floor”. Just like the irresistible Allie Hayes in Prime Video’s hotly anticipated adaptation of Elle Kennedy’s beloved book series, Abdalla is magnetic, funny and impossible to look away from— he kind of screen presence that makes you wonder how she wasn’t already everywhere. But beyond the Briar University hallways and stolen glances with Dean, there’s a lot more to this actress than meets the eye.
Here’s everything you need to know about the woman behind the role everyone is talking about.
All you need to know about Mika Abdalla from “Off Campus”:
(Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Amazon)
Her real name isn’t actually Mika
Mika is a nickname for Mikayla.
She is a Taurus
Her birthday is 13 May 2000.
(Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Prime Video)
She was born and raised in Texas, USA
She was born and raised in Plano—located 19 miles north of downtown Dallas, one of the largest city in Texas.
She has a few tattoos
She has a pomegranate, a type of bird, and a bee tattooed on her body.
Photo: Liane Hentscher/ Prime
She is engaged
Mika found her off-screen love interest, Jake Short, in 2021 on the set of Hulu’s Sex Appeal, and it was confirmed by Short’s manager, Brian Medavoy, that the couple is engaged.
She plays Allie Hayes in Prime Video’s “Off Campus”
She first caught audiences’ attention with her role as Avery Hansen-White in Hulu’s Sex Appeal. Now, she’s catapulted to stardom with her portrayal of Allie Hayes in Prime Video’s Off Campus, based on Elle Kennedy’s book series of the same title. She brings to Allie a magnetic push-and-pull energy: disarming and guarded, romantic and razor-sharp all at once. It is the kind of role that doesn’t just launch careers; it defines them. And Mika Abdalla, it turns out, was always ready for it.
Allie becomes the lead character in The Score (Book 3)., but she first appears in The Deal and in the show as Hannah Wells’ outgoing, loyal best friend and roommate at Briar University. She’s a drama major with big dreams of becoming an actress. She’s had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Briar frat boy named Sean since freshman year, repeatedly breaking up with him until she breaks up with Sean for the final time—he wants her to give up her acting dream and move with him to Vermont. When she crashes at Garrett’s house to avoid Sean, she crosses paths with his roommate and fellow hockey player, Dean. They start casually sleeping together, and Dean—known for being a ladies’ man—pursues Allie after she tries to cut it off. Season 1 of the show ends on a major cliffhanger involving Allie, Dean, and the mysterious Carter St. James (Hunter), a character introduced dramatically at the very end. So while Season 1 lets her shine as the vivacious best friend, her story is really just getting started.
“Off Campus” isn’t her acting debut
Allie Hayes may be the role that’s putting her name in lights, but Abdalla has been stacking her résumé for years. From the halls of Project Mc² on Netflix to guest appearances on CW’s The Flash and HBO’s The Pitt, she has been doing the work—learning, observing, refining—long before the world was ready to pay attention.
She’s attended UCLA
Because being a working actress apparently wasn’t enough of a challenge, Abdalla pursued academia with the same quiet ambition she brings to every role—graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in Philosophy and a minor in Film. The combination feels fitting for someone who clearly thinks deeply about the characters she inhabits.
Photo: Liane Hentscher / Prime
She loves animals
It’s no surprise that a girl who grew up in the saddle never lost her love for horses—Abdalla has carried that bond with animals throughout her life. When she’s not on set, she can be found in the company of her black and white cat, or back where it all began: around horses, grounded.
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She loves sports
An avid golfer with a natural athleticism that extends to the equestrian world, she’s proof that her competitive spirit didn’t begin and end with acting.
She’s a Barney alumni
Long before her Netflix and Hulu days, she made an appearance on the classic children’s television show Barney & Friends.
