How Sònia Victoria Werner Is Redefining Magic On and Off the Screen
With her breakout role as Flora in Netflix’s Winx Club: The Magic is Back, Sònia Victoria Werner is ushering a beloved character into a new era, one rooted in authenticity, multiculturalism, and heart. A lifelong Winx fan turned global voice of the Fairy of Nature, Werner infuses her performance with the warmth of her heritage, the precision of her craft, and the intention of an artist who understands the power of visibility. As co-founder and CEO of Lighthouse Ladies, she is equally committed to amplifying underrepresented voices behind the camera. BELLO sat down with the rising star and visionary to talk magic, representation, and the art of carving your own space in the industry.
Bello Mag: Congratulations on your Netflix debut! How does it feel to bring Flora, the beloved Fairy of Nature, to life for a whole new generation of Winx Club fans?
Sònia: Thank you! Honestly, it’s been wonderfully surreal. I’ve been a Winxer since the original 2004 series, so to now stand on the other side of the screen and give life to Flora feels like a full-circle moment. The idea that little kids everywhere might see themselves in this version the way I once did…it’s almost too special to put into words.
Bello Mag: Flora has always been a fan favorite. What inspired you to infuse her with authentic Hispanic representation, and how did it feel to give her a voice that reflects your heritage?
Sònia: Oh, I love Flora with all my heart too, and the response from fans of all ages on my take of the character has been so rewarding to see. The casting team was intentional about creating a voice that reflected the world we live in now, and when I saw the note about a “light accent,” it stopped me in my tracks. I remember reading the breakdown for the first time and thinking to myself…wait, did Flora always have an accent? After a quick Google search and a couple YouTube video refreshers, it dawned on me this was going to be mine to create in line with what the creatives were searching for this time around.
Spanish was one of my first languages, and it’s the heartbeat of how I connect with my family and culture. So, when I stepped into the booth, I brought those cadences, the warmth and rhythm of home. Diversity has always been embedded in Winx Club’s DNA, even before it was explicitly named. This new era just amplifies it, and getting to carry that torch while honoring every version of Flora before me, it’s beyond an honor. It feels like coming home.
Bello Mag: As a trilingual performer, how does language shape your storytelling and the emotional connection you build with your characters?
Sònia: I love this question because language carries so much memory, rhythm, storytelling, and history. Being multilingual, I can access different parts of myself depending on the language I’m in… from voicing a Spanish baby smartphone (true story!) while also voicing a nationwide Pepsi campaign while also bringing Flora’s layered voice to screens globally. As actors, we’re told very early on that we’re our own business where you’re everything from the seller to the marketer to the developer to the ‘product’ itself. You really have to strip back your ego and ask yourself: what do I uniquely and genuinely bring to the table? What are my key differentiators? For me, that’s my multiculturalism, my languages, my authentic ability to bring these multifaceted characters to life, and so much more! As a voiceover actress, it allows me to voice English and Spanish and German campaigns alike, I’m a sort of one-stop shop for casting is my hope! Versatility is the core of it all and embracing the culture inherent within me to make it happen.
Bello Mag: Winx Club: The Magic is Back is such a global project. What was the most exciting or challenging part of performing for a worldwide audience?
Sònia: It really is! It’s dominating the top 10 charts globally and I couldn’t be happier to see it. Performing for a global audience is exhilarating… and absolutely daunting ha! I knew from day one that my Flora would sound different, and that difference would matter. With reboots, there’s always that tightrope you walk as an actress (and I’m sure something the creatives were juggling with too) in that you want to honor nostalgia while also inviting evolution for new generations of Winxers. So, my goal was to bring reverence and freshness, infusing every recording session with genuine love for the character and trust in the fans. Seeing the series land in the top ten charts around the world has been incredible validation that the magic translates. So far, I’m thrilled with the reception of my voice and take on the character and hope to continue spreading that representation and joy throughout the next 13 episodes in Spring 2026!
Bello Mag: You’re not only an actress but also the co-founder and CEO of Lighthouse Ladies, a women-led production company. What inspired you to create a space dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices?
Sònia: It’s no secret there are thousands of production companies out there, and funny enough, our goal originally as founders wasn’t necessarily to launch a company. We came together to embark on a guerrilla filmmaking experiment where four friends inhabited every role of production from writing to directing and acting and editing, you name it, the four of us did it. We realized then that we had wholly complementary skills sets and wanted to come together to create spaces for exciting new work that pushes boundaries and emphasizes visibility always. We’re not your average production company, we work across stories, services, and society to deliver the best content in all mediums and democratize access to resources and education to artists of all backgrounds and stages of development. We often get asked the question “do you only work with women?” and the answer there is no. We embrace everyone at Lighthouse Ladies, while also celebrating the fact that we are diverse, female founders with a female-led core team inhabiting a male-dominated space.
Photography by by Deborah Lopez
Bello Mag: Lighthouse Ladies has already been recognized by Oscar-qualifying and international festivals. What kinds of stories do you feel most passionate about championing through your company?
Sònia: I think the biggest thing for us is ensuring you can embody radical empathy in every single phase of production AND you can also be incredibly commercially successful. If anything, those two should go hand in hand, as extending care and humanity to the people creating the work is paramount. We’re most passionate about producing genre-bending work with unique elements and layers. From South Asian dystopian films to female-led psychological social thrillers to Hispanic mythology to Monk comedies, you’ll likely never see us producing a straight “family drama” or “buddy comedy.” We do things differently and intentionally, and you’ll see that through all our work.
Bello Mag: You’re stepping into the spotlight while also helping other artists shine. How do you balance the creative and entrepreneurial sides of your career?
Sònia: I always say my hyphenates feed one another. I’m the best actress I can be, on camera or in the booth because I understand how much work it takes to make the magic happen behind the scenes. I show up ready to deliver as a performer because I’ve sat on the other side of the table. I’m a stronger director and producer because I know how I like to be led as an actor or crew member. I’m a better writer because I study the work that moves me as both an artist and a viewer. I’m a successful working artist because I embrace the business side behind it all. It’s a feedback loop of growth in that every discipline sharpens the others. For a long time, I worried that being a “multi-hyphenate” might dilute my artistry, but it’s really just about owning the fact that it’s the absolute opposite. A past mentor once called me a “jack of all trades, master of most” and I seek to embody that in everything I do and every hyphenate I embrace.
Bello Mag: What does representation mean to you personally and how do you hope young Latinas will feel when they hear Flora’s new voice?
Sònia: When studying playwriting under an incredibly talented disciple of María Irene Fornés (another Hispanic artist who has changed my life), I learned that representation often comes in many forms. As a writer, you can imbue visibility into your work by writing roles that can only be played by the voices that need to be heard, and as a casting director/producer, you can embrace inclusive casting and crewing! As an actress, I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by a team that embodies intentionality in every facet, knowing from the get-go that they wanted an accented take on this character. Knowing that kids will be able to hear the voice of their abuelas or mamás (which very heavily inspired my take on Flora!) in mine means the world to me. My heritage has informed the woman I am today and the artists I resonated with as a little girl, and my hope is to be that artist for the new generation. There is space for everyone in every industry if we make the space… and that’s my hope here. You are worthy of space! ¡Tómalo!
Bello Mag: From improv kid to Netflix star to CEO, that’s quite a journey. What’s one lesson you’ve learned along the way that continues to guide you?
Sònia: “You can never be behind on your own journey.” That’s something my best friend and Lighthouse Ladies co-founder Heather once told me, and it’s become a mantra I return to constantly. This industry (really, this world) runs on comparison. Everyone’s sprinting, everyone’s “arriving.” But art doesn’t operate on a linear timeline… it asks you to live, to fall apart a little, to get messy, to collect texture and truth along the way. Every detour or “delay” is part of the path. There’s no falling behind on it… and I thank Heather for that reminder always.
One bonus piece I’d love to share is this: “The place in which I’ll fit will not exist until I make it.” That James Baldwin adage has guided me through every transition, as I strive to be the most generative “do-er” I can be. Let’s keep making space for ourselves and one another!
Bello Mag: Looking ahead, what kinds of roles or projects excite you most as you continue to grow both in front of and behind the camera?
Sònia: I like to think my craft lives at the intersection of universes crafted by Jordan Peele or Charlie Brooker or Greta Gerwig or Bong Joon Ho all uniquely layered, real, and grounded in cerebral social commentary…made palatable, accessible, and often funny! That’s the kind of work that excites me beyond words. From a voiceover perspective, I’m manifesting and putting it out there that I will drop everything I am doing to star in The Incredibles 3. The original Incredibles film (2004) changed my life. As I moved from place to place, continent to continent, I remember always watching that film on each flight. I even memorized the entire script in 7th grade, just to be able to quote lines and specific pages. Why? Beyond the fact that I love a good challenge, Brad Bird brought this very human story to life in a way that respected its audiences, appealing to adults and children alike. It was smart, groundbreaking (as the first ever film Pixar made with human protagonists), funny, relatable, daring, the list goes on. I’m absolutely an Incredibles superfan and to be a part of that legacy like I did for Flora in Winx Club would be an insane dream come true.
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