Biography
Date of Birth
29 December 1995, Los Angeles, California, USA
Birth Name
Laura Marie Marano
Height
5' 2" (1.57 m)
Mini Biography
Laura Marano started acting in the theatre when she was five years old. She has done numerous plays at the Agoura Children's Theatre, and continued her acting in many national commercials.
She is now starring in the new Disney Channel pilot, Austin & Ally (2011), where she is playing the title character, "Ally Dawson".
She guest-starred in television shows such as Heroes (2006), Childrens Hospital (2008), Flashforward (2009), True Jackson, VP (2008), Ghost Whisperer (2005), Little Monk (2009), Medical Investigation (2004), Huff (2004) and Joan of Arcadia (2003).
Her first film, produced by George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh, was called The Jacket (2005). She starred with Oscar-winning actor, Adrien Brody. She has worked on Judd Apatow's film, Superbad (2007) and starred in the short film, Goldfish (2007).
Laura has done many voice-over jobs including the commercially successful animated films, Finding Nemo (2003) and Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006). She has recurring roles on the Nickelodeon shows, The X's (2005) and Ni Hao, Kai-Lan (2007).
Also, she has had recurring roles on the hit television shows Without a Trace (2002), playing "Kate", the daughter of Emmy Award-winning actor, Anthony LaPaglia, Showtime's Dexter (2006) and on Comedy Central's critically acclaimed, The Sarah Silverman Program. (2007).
Laura did enjoy that her classmates at school could actually see her on the hit show, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (2007). She was a series regular during her 5th grade year in elementary school. She worked as a series regular on Back to You (2007), with Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton, playing their daughter.
Laura enjoys school, soccer, piano, hip-hop, tap dancing and singing. She loves to write songs and has written over a hundred songs. She has an older sister, Vanessa Marano, and a dog named "Velvet". Her favorite thing to do is to read books and plays. She just finished William Shakespeare's, "King Lear", and loves the "Harry Potter" series. She loves to travel and has been to Europe three times. Laura lives with her parents and her sister in the Los Angeles area and attends a private school. She is a freshman in high school where she participates in drama and speech and debate.
Trivia
Laura is the younger sister of Vanessa Marano.
She and her real-life sister, Vanessa Marano, played on-screen sisters in recurring roles on Without a Trace (2002).
Her father is of Italian origin. Her mother has English and Irish ancestry.
Laura's older sister Vanessa Marano played main character "Bay Kennish" in ABC Family/Freeform's "Switched at Birth". In season 3 episode 17 "Girl With Death Mask (She Plays Alone)", Bay meets an estranged family member for the first time. During this meeting she is shown a photograph of her paternal aunt who passed away at age 18 from an aneurysm. In real life, the girl in the photo is actually Laura Marano.
Trademarks:
Petite frame
Quotes
I'm a girl who loves shoes. There is nothing like the feeling of trying on shoes at the store and they fit perfectly.
I kind of have the most amazing fans ever. They are the most committed, passionate people, and I love them so much.
I don't know about you, but I think blankets are the best, especially your own personal blanket.
Every single person has the power to change the world and help people.
Chilling out on the bed in your hotel room watching television, while wearing your own pajamas, is sometimes the best part of a vacation.
What better way to expand your imagination than to read!
Kids really have a lot more power than they think they have. They have the power to change the world. And they should know it.
It's possible to look really cute and still be comfortable. You don't have to kill your feet to have a fashionable look.
I'm pretty obsessed with Sara Bareilles. She is so talented, and I feel like I would learn so much from her.
I'm kind of obsessed with wedges, but I go to a regular high school, so I'm not going to be wearing Vera Wang there.
I am the biggest klutz on set. I honestly don't think I have ever been as klutzy as when I'm on set. People call me 'Grace' ironically because I'm not graceful. It's ridiculous.
At the prom, you are more about boys thinking you're cute. On the red carpet, you have to please everyone because there are a lot more people looking at those pictures.
As a girl who was raised on the idea that we should give back to our community as much as possible, I believe that we have more power than we think when it comes to making change.
When you are performing in theater, you feel so connected to your audience. It's exhilarating!
When I'm at school, I usually put my hair up. High pony, side pony, or a bun, I like my hair out of my face.
Sometimes, the most daunting thing about performing is making eye contact with your audience, so just look above them and at the corners of the room. Soon, you'll totally forget they're there.
Inspire your children. I promise, your kids will think you're cool if you do this. They may not tell you that now, but they'll thank you later in life.
If I saw my friend's boyfriend flirting with someone else, I would definitely talk to him about what I saw. I would want to give him a chance to explain. However, depending on how major the flirting was, I would probably mention it to my friend - just to let her know what's going on.
I'm so thankful for my family and friends - they're really supportive. Everyone I work with on 'Austin & Ally;' the cast and crew are like my family now. We have so much fun, and I'm so happy they're in my life!
I have a whole area in my closet for displaying shoes. They are in rows. But nobody comes in my closet, so they are only on display for me. It's pretty spectacular.
Working on 'Austin and Ally' has been an absolute dream! We literally have fun every single day! Whether it's scaring each other or singing together or just hanging out in each other's dressing rooms, the cast and I are super close! I feel really lucky to be with everyone on our set!
When I'm working I wear so much makeup, and when I'm out with my friends I wear makeup, so sometimes at school I'm just like, 'Today is not much of a makeup day - foundation, chapstick - done.'
To me, the most worrisome part of traveling comes before any of the traveling actually occurs: the suitcase-packing process. It's a challenging and anxiety-filled process - I am caught between wanting my suitcase to be light and worrying I am going to need every single item in my bedroom.
The only instrument I know how to really play, and the instrument that I absolutely love, is the piano. I have been playing piano ever since I have been 9.
The best way to get to know the place you are traveling in is to walk around... and the best way to walk around is with comfortable shoes! Grab your travel buddy and your running shoes and go explore!
