Marla Hiromi Hayakawa Salas (born October 19, 1982 – September 27, 2017), known professionally as Hiromi Hayakawa, was a Mexican actress and singer who began her music career as a contestant in the reality show La Academia. 

She worked mostly in musical theatre, however she has had occasional television roles. Hayakawa was also a voice actress, whose work is primarily on the Spanish American dub of films and series from the United States.

Japanese-born Mexican actress and singer, complications during pregnancy.

Early life

Hayakawa was born in Fukuoka to Alfonso Javier Hayakawa, who is of Japanese descent and a native of Torreón, Coahuila, and Lourdes Elsa Salas, from the city of Chihuahua. Her parents resided in Fukuoka for the reason being that her father studied Industrial Engineering there. They returned to Mexico when Hiromi was only two years old, and at the time, her mother was pregnant with her second child, Kaori, Japanese word for "perfume".

Career

La Academia

When she attended a casting call for La Academia, Hayakawa scored 9.7 points out of a possible ten points. Though, before competing in La Academia, Hayakawa studied Industrial Engineering and Systems at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education in Coahuila. She decided to attend the casting for La Academia because, as with most people who attend the castings, she saw it as a chance of pursuing a musical career.

Hayakawa left La Academia after the thirteenth concert; though she was later re-cast and became the sixth runner-up as the winner. The last song she sang as an official contestant was "La Playa" by La Oreja de Van Gogh. Two weeks after her expulsion, Hayakawa was given the opportunity to return to La Academia and become a finalist. Hayakawa and two other ex-students (Ricardo Hernández Quiñones and Dulce Lopez Rodriguez) were given a song which they had to perform in the next concert. The public would then vote on who they wanted to return to the finale instead of voting on who was going to be expelled. In the end Dulce Lopez Rodriguez won and went to the finale where she won 2nd place. One of the judges, Lolita Cortez, was very disappointed in the results.

Theater

Hayakawa is best known for her work on Mentiras: The Musical, based on the pop culture and music of the 1980s. She has played all of the main roles: Daniela, Dulce, Lupita, Yuri, Emmanuel and Manoella.

She is also known for her role as Mulan in 12 Princesas en Pugna, a satirical take on the Disney Princesses. Hayakawa has also worked on the Mexican adaptations of Peter Pan and Hairspray.

Voice acting

In 2012, she voiced Merida, the protagonist of Pixar's Brave, for the Spanish American dub.

Filmography

Television

• El Chema
• La Academia
• Segunda oportunidad
• La vida es una canción
• Lo que callamos las mujeres
• A cada quien su santo
• Barrio Bravo (television film)

Voice acting

Hayakawa has worked on the Spanish American dubs of:

Television series

• My Babysitter's a Vampire - Sarah
• Programa de talentos - Jeanne / Vanessa
• Glee - Sugar Motta (Vanessa Lengies)
• Melrose Place - Abby Douglas
• El club del globo verde - Lily Rose
• Zeke y Luther - Cherlene
• Sunny, entre estrellas - Payton
• Heroés Al Rescate: Puro Destino - Ariel Flyer

Films

• Alicia a través del espejo - Alicia (2016)
• Mi niñera es una vampira: La película - Sarah (2010)
• Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars - Marion Hawthorne (2010)
• Geek Charming - Hannah
• Los Muppets - Miss Piggy's receptionist (2011)
• Prom (Fin de curso) - Nova (2011)
• En la boda de mi hermana - Joan (2010)
• Alicia en el país de las maravillas - Alicia (2010)
• Skyrunners - Julie Gunn (2009)
• Mi Falso Prometido - Courtney (2009)
• Cita a ciegas - additional voices

Animated series

• Pokémon - Roxie / additional voices (season 15)
• Jungla Sobre Ruedas - Zooter
• Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse - Teresa (from season 2)
• Futurama - additional voices
• Fimbles - Pom
• El Principito - Linéa
• Los Simpson - Gina Vendetti, Jenny, Nikki McKenna (season 24)
• Twinkle toes - Prett tall
• Stitch - Ángel
• Wibbly pig - Scruffy pig
• Telly tales- Narradora
• Pearly - Ópalo
• Grojband - Mina Beff
• Los 7E - Reina Delicia

Animated films

• La increíble historia del Niño de Piedra (2015) - additional voices
• Brave (Valiente) - Princesa Mérida
• Gnomeo y Julieta - Julieta
• Monster High: Una fiesta Tenebrosa - Draculaura
• Barbie: El secreto de las hadas - Taylor
• Barbie: Moda mágica en París - Delphine
• Barbie y las tres mosqueteras - Guest 1
• Los fantasmas de Scrooge - Martha Cratchit
• Lorax. En busca de la trúfula perdida - additional voices
• Barbie: Escuela de Princesas - Isla
• Barbie en una aventura de sirenas - Sirena Destino
• Barbie: La princesa y la estrella de pop - Barbie / Estrella de Pop Keira
• Cars 2 - Voces Adicionales
• My Little Pony: Equestria Girls - Rainbow Rocks - Sonata Dusk