Janaya grew up in a small town just outside of London Ontario. Prior to acting her greatest passion was for sports, especially soccer. She also loved the outdoors and she worked on a farm for 5 summers where she learned how drive a tractor.
Janaya attended Laurentian University and studied English and Drama while playing for the country's second best basketball team at the time, The Laurentian Lady Vee's.
The turning point from the court to the stage happened in her second year when she landed the role of Juliet for the University's contemporary rendition of the Bard's classic. The rest, as they say, is history.
Janaya moved on to study acting at George Brown Theatre School, where she then soon fell in love with working in front of the camera.
Janaya landed her first lead role in the feature film, "Left Behind", and has also starred in the sequels, "Left Behind: Tribulation Force", and "Left Behind: World at War".
Janaya was voted by the fans as “Best actress in a leading role” for her work in Tribulation force in 2003.
Her biggest claim to fame may still be her performance as Marie Osmond in the ABC MOW, "Inside the Osmonds", that aired in 2001 starring Bruce McGill and Veronica Cartwright.
One of her favourite roles had been for CBS as the young Lydia Blessings in the movie of the week, "Blessings", starring Mary Tyler Moore as Lydia Blessings.
She has also starred for CBS with Sela Ward in Suburban Madness, with Kirstie Alley in "While I was gone", and with Thomas Gibson in "Category 6:Day of Destruction". Other movies include, "The Hunt for the B.T.K. Killer", "Celeste in the City", and "C-7" where she had the opportunity to work with Tom Skerrit.
Janaya has also guest starred on "Leap Years", "Twice in a Lifetime", "Mutant X", "Sue Thomas F.B. I." and "Missing".
Landing a recurring role on "Kevin Hill" gave Janaya the chance to work with Taye Diggs and she then went on to a series regular role in "Beach Girls" for the Lifetime Network. The series starred Julia Ormond and Rob Lowe.
Janaya also has a recurring role on "Beautiful People" starring Daphne Zuniga and had the chance to work with Joseph Gordon Levitt and Jeff Daniels in the Disney feature, "The Lookout" which was in theatres March 2007.
Janaya's biggest roles to date were playing Sophie Lane for 5 seasons on the award winning CTV series Flashpoint and opposite Jason Statham in The Feature Film Deathrace.
Janaya has just filmed an episode of Saving Hope Season 4 that will be aired over Christmas 2015.
"Sweet Girl Next Door" — Ex-Londoner Janaya Stephens had no trouble playing the wholesome Marie Osmond" - read the article in the February 5, 2001 edition of London Free Press.
"Gonna Make it After All" — read the article in the October 5, 2003 edition of the Toronto Star.
"The Strain" | Principal | FX / J. Miles Dale | TV Series | 2015 |
"Quantico" | Principal | ABC / Thor Freudenthal | TV Series | 2015 |
"Saving Hope" | Principal | CTV / Peter Wellington | TV Series | 2015 |
"Damien" | Principal | F21TVS / Lifetime / Shekhar Kapur | TV Series | 2015 |
"Siren" | Lead | Bravofact | Short Film | 2014 |
"Hemlock Grove" | Large Principal | Netflix | Original Series | 2014 |
"Flashpoint" | Series Regular | CTV / CBS | TV Series | 2008 |
"Death Race" | Large Principal | Universal Pictures / Paul W.S. Anderson | Feature Film | 2008 |
"The Lookout" | Principal | Disney Pictures | Feature Film | 2006 |
"Beautiful People" | Recurring | ABC Family | TV Series | 2006 |
"Filthy Gorgeous" | Large Principal | Showtime / Robert Allen Ackerman | Pilot | 2005 |
"Category 7: The End Of the World" | Principal | CBS / Dick Lowry | Mini Series | 2005 |
"The Hunt for The BTK Killer" | Principal | CBS / Stephen T. Kay | TV Movie | 2005 |
"Beach Girls" | Supporting | Lifetime Network | TV Series | 2005 |
"Kevin Hill" | Reocurring Guest Star | UPN Network | TV Series | 2005 |
"Left Behind III" | Supporting | Cloud Ten Pictures | Feature Film | 2005 |
"Missing" | Guest Star | Lifetime Network/Michael Rohl | TV Series | 2004 |
"Category 6: Day of Destruction" | Supporting | CBS / Dick Lowry | Mini-Series | 2004 |
"While I Was Gone" | Supporting | CBS / Mike Robe | TV Movie | 2004 |
"Suburban Madness" | Supporting | CBS / Robert Dornhelm | TV Movie | 2004 |
"Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye"Episode 219 "Skin Deep" | Guest Star | PAX / Stephan Fanfara / Episode #219 Skin Deep | TV Series | 2004 |
"Mutant X"Season 3 Episode 321 | Guest Star | Jonathan Hackett | TV Series | 2004 |
"Celeste in the City" | Principal | ABC / Larry Shaw | TV Movie | 2003 |
"Blessings" | Supporting | CBS / Arving Brown | TV Movie | 2003 |
"Tribulation Force: Left Behind II" | Lead | Cloud Ten Pictures / BillCorcoran | Movie | 2002 |
"The Relic Hunter" | Actor | Rysher Entertainment / Paolo Barzman | TV Series | 2002 |
"Inside the Osmonds" | Lead | ABC / Neill Fearnley | TV Movie | 2001 |
"Left Behind" | Lead | Cloud Ten Pictures / Vic Sarin | Movie | 2000 |
"Twice in a Lifetime" | Guest Lead | PebbleHut / Pax - TV / Holly Dale | TV Series | 2000 |
"Lexx" | Principal | Salter Sentryeet Films | TV Series | 2000 |
"Manchester Prep" | Actor | Fox / Roger Kumble | Movie | 2000 |
"Twice in a Lifetime" | Principal | Pebblehut / Pax-TV | TV Series | 1999 |
"Leap Years" | Guest Star | Showtine / Showcase | TV Series |