After a day playing at Steven Spielberg's home, the seed was planted that Willa Holland should spend her life in front of the camera. Spielberg told her mother "You've got to put her in front of a camera!" In 1999, De Palma took Holland to a theatrical talent agency. Since then she has shot many national commercials. The American model and actress was born on June 18, 1991 in Los Angeles, California. Her father was cinematographer Keith Holland and her mother was actress Darnell Gregorio-De Palma. She was educated at Paul Revere Middle School, and developed an interest in acting due to her background. Most of her childhood was spent in Chelsea, London, where she spent time on the set of Mission: Impossible. The film was directed by her stepfather, Brian de Palma.
Willa Holland first signed on with Ford Modeling Agency in September 1999. She gained success during her first job, which was for Burberry of London. She was later taken to a theatrical talent agency, which led to her appearance on numerous national commercials. In 2001, Holland worked alongside her real father, cinematographer Keith Holland, in the film Ordinary Madness. The actress was also supposed to co-star with fellow model Rachel Nichols on the FOX series The Inside, but she left the show when writer Tim Minear was brought in to overhaul it. Her next project became a role in the FOX series The O.C., where she took on the role of Kaitlin Cooper during the show’s third and fourth seasons. When the series ended, Holland worked on other projects like the family film Chasing 3000 and the 2008 drama Garden Party. She has also graced the cover of Teen Vogue and Fashion 18, and has topped the High Critic's Top 20 list for 2007. Holland’s other film appearances include those in Genova, a drama directed by Michael Winterbottom, and the comedy-drama Middle of Nowhere starring Susan Sarandon.