Francia Raisa Almendárez was born on July 26, 1988, in Los Angeles, California, to a Mexican mother, Virginia Almendárez (née Pelayo), and Renán Almendárez Coello, a Honduran-born radio personality known as "El Cucuy."

She grew up in Los Angeles and attended Bishop Alemany High School, where she was a cheerleader. She began her acting career in her junior year of high school, taking on modeling jobs for print ads and appearing in commercials.

Her first significant role came in the 2006 film "Bring It On: All or Nothing," where she starred opposite Hayden Panettiere.

Francia Raisa gained widespread recognition for her role as Adrian Lee in the ABC Family drama "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," which aired from 2008 to 2013.

She also appeared in the Nickelodeon movie "Shredderman Rules" and the Disney Channel movie "Life-Size 2" opposite Tyra Banks. She continued to build her career with guest appearances on shows like "In Plain Sight" and "Black-ish," and she starred in the Freeform series "Grown-ish" from 2018 to 2022, playing the role of Ana Torres.

In 2021, Francia Raisa was cast in the Hulu series "How I Met Your Father," a spin-off of the popular show "How I Met Your Mother." She played the character Valentina, and the series premiered in January 2022.

She is known for her advocacy work, particularly her support for women's health and wellness. In the summer of 2017, she donated one of her kidneys to her friend, singer and actress Selena Gomez, who was battling lupus.