Who is Emilija Baranac? Meet the actor who plays Zoe Christensen in Netflix show Fakes

Best known for her role as Gen in To All the Boys I've Loved Before film series, Emilija Baranac will be appearing in one of the lead roles in the upcoming Netflix comedy-drama titled Fakes. Baranac will portray the role of 17-year-old Zoe Christensen, who, alongside gal-pal Rebecca Li, accidentally builds a thriving fake ID business. Well, it only thrives until the feds show up and their whole plan blows up in their faces.

The series is set to premiere on Netflix on Friday, September 2, 2022, at 3:00 am ET. The description of Fakes reads:

"Fakes is the story of two teenage best friends who accidentally build one of the largest fake ID empires in North America."

Helmed by David Turko, alongside executive producers Simon Barry, Stephen Hegyes, Lilly Burns, Tony Hernandez and Tabia Lau as Turko's co-writer, the show also stars Legends of Tomorrow actress Jennifer Tong and The 100 star Richard Harmon in the lead roles.

Let's learn more about Emilija Baranac ahead of the comedy drama's premiere this Friday.

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Emilija Baranac will portray Zoe Christensen on Netflix's Fakes

Born on August 4, 1994, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Emilija Baranac is well-known for her roles in Riverdale, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, and To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You. She signed up with her first talent agency when she was nine. Even though she was born in Canada, her Serbian parents and heritage make Serbian her first language.

In Fakes' official trailer, which dropped a few weeks ago, leading lady Baranac's Zoe Christensen can be seen describing the complicated situation when the feds finally catch up to them (both Zoe and Rebecca). She says,

"Yeah, this is as bad as it looks, and trust me, it just gets worse."

This brings the audience to a sequence of the two girls unknowingly participating in a risky counterfeit plot that jeopardizes their bond and even their futures. The reality of their supreme deception becomes hazy when just one of them is sent to prison. Each incident is given from the sometimes contradictory viewpoint of one character.

In an interview, Emilija Baranac reportedly discussed the titular characters, saying,

"You’ll often see the same scene in two episodes with slight differences. Zoe and Rebecca are fighting for the last word, which leaves the audience on the edge of their seat trying to figure out what actually happened."

Baranac additionally described the series as a "fresh and fun take on a high school friendship," claiming the the audience will get to see both the titular characters' "complex and messy" lives.

She added,

"Hopefully, audiences will resonate with the characters in some capacity, whether they see their experiences represented or being reminded of that one friend they haven't heard from in a while and feeling inspired to reach out."

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Other cast members of Fakes on Netflix

Apart from Emilija Baranac, Jennifer Tong, and Richard Harmon, the upcoming comedy-drama also stars Eric Bempong (2 Hearts), Matreya Scarrwener (Lies Between Friends), Mya Lowe (Charmed), Debbie Podowski (The Flash), and Toby Hargrave (Superman & Lois).

The remaining cast includes Roraigh Falkner (The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers), Maddy Hillis (Supernatural), Tarun Keram (The Stand), Devon Slack, Cameron Andres (The 100), Oliver Rice (Riverdale), and Trey Jordan.

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Emilija Baranac-starrer Fakes premieres on Netflix this Friday, September 2, 2022, at 3:00 am ET.