Sara Paxton
Encyclopedia
Sara Paxton is an American actress, model and singer. She grew up in California and began acting at an early age, appearing in many minor roles in both films and television shows, before coming to wider renown in 2004, after playing the title role in the series Darcy's Wild Life
and Sarah Borden in Summerland
. Paxton has also starred in the films Sleepover
, Aquamarine
, Return to Halloweentown
, The Last House on the Left
, Sydney White
, Superhero Movie
and Shark Night 3D
.
. Her mother, Lucia, was born in Monterrey
, Mexico and raised in Ciudad Acuña
. Paxton's mother is Jewish
and Paxton's father converted to Judaism
upon marrying her mother. Both her parents are dentists.
During her childhood, Paxton put on shows and wanted to perform, sometimes dressing up in costume and coming to school as a particular character. She grew up in the San Fernando Valley
, choosing to attend a public high school instead of accepting home-schooling. Paxton graduated from high school in May 2006.
comedy, Liar Liar
. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, she appeared in a number of minor television and film roles, including a part on the soap opera Passions
, regular roles on the series Greetings from Tucson
and Action
, and a guest starring role on the Disney Channel
show, Lizzie McGuire
starring Hilary Duff
playing an ex-president of Lizzie's school. In 2003, Paxton starred in R. L. Stine
's Haunted Lighthouse
, a short 3-D film
attraction that still plays at several theme parks across the United States. She also appeared as Lana on CSI: Miami
.and as Marnie Piper in Return to Halloweentown
.
Paxton's first major role was in the teen-oriented film Sleepover
, which opened in July 2004 to negative reviews and low box office revenue; during the same summer season, she appeared in several episodes of the series, Summerland
, playing Sarah Borden, a mentally troubled teen who experimented with drugs and sex with Jesse McCartney
's character. Paxton was subsequently cast in the lead role of the Discovery Kids
television series, Darcy's Wild Life
, playing Darcy Fields, a girl who works at a rural veterinary; the series was filmed on a farm in Toronto and aired from 2004 to 2006, often featuring Paxton's music track, "Take a Walk". Paxton received an Emmy nomination for the role in 2006.
In 2005, Paxton spent three months working on the Australia-filmed Aquamarine
, in which she played a mermaid, opposite Emma Roberts
and JoJo, whom she befriended while filming. Paxton has said that she felt a sense of "female empowerment" while on set because "almost everyone" on set was female. The film opened on March 3, 2006 and grossed approximately $7.5 million in its opening weekend. Reviewers of the film compared Paxton, whose inspiration is Goldie Hawn
, to actress Reese Witherspoon
, saying that she has an "infectious, nutty energy." Paxton recorded a song for the film's soundtrack titled "Connected", an English version of the Mexican group RBD
's song Tenerte y Quererte from their 2004 album Rebelde
, which has been used in Barbie and the Diamond Castle
and covered by Katharine McPhee
.
Paxton hosted The Secret Life of Water, the first episode of the series Planet H2O, which premiered in April 2006 on public television stations. In May of the same year, she made an appearance on the television series Pepper Dennis
, playing a teen actress. Paxton, who sees herself as an "evolving actress," then appeared in Return to Halloweentown
, replacing Kimberly J. Brown
in the fourth installment in Disney Channel
's Halloweentown series
; she dyed her hair brown for the role. The film aired on October 20, 2006. During the summer and early fall of 2006, Paxton filmed The Party Never Stops: Diary of a Binge Drinker
, a Lifetime Television
film, in Vancouver Island
. In the film, she plays Jessie, a college student who falls victim to binge drinking
. Paxton has described it as "very different" from her previous roles, and has specified that she was looking for a role that would be a "challenge". The film aired in March 2007. Paxton's next film role was in Sydney White
, a college-set comedy starring Amanda Bynes
and Matt Long
; filming began on February 12, 2007 in Orlando, Florida
and the movie was released on September 21, 2007. She next starred in Superhero Movie
, a parody on superhero
films which began filming in September 2007 and was released on March 28, 2008. She also helped co-star Drake Bell
record his theme song for the movie, Superhero! Song.
Paxton starred in the remake of The Last House on the Left
, playing the lead female character, Mari. The film opened March 13, 2009. Her next film may be Gravy, a horror-comedy with Jena Malone
and Winona Ryder
, and she will also guest star on the show Jonas.
Paxton starred in the CW
drama series The Beautiful Life
alongside Corbin Bleu
, Mischa Barton
and Elle Macpherson
. The show premiered on September 16, 2009, but was cancelled after 2 episodes. It was later aired online on YouTube. Paxton will next co-star with Scott Eastwood
in the thriller Enter Nowhere, and will also play one of the lead roles in the Ti West
film The Innkeepers
.
during the time she was cast in Aquamarine. Her debut music CD, The Ups and Downs, featuring the titled single "Here We Go Again", is due for release by Epic at some point "in the future"; as of March 2007, Paxton has not completed work on it. She has described the sound as "pop/rock. It is believed Sara's debut album has been shelved and she has no plans to continue her music career as she has not made any announcement of any plans to further her career in the music industry. "
's film studies program. She has noted that she would like to major in business administration with a minor in history (as she is a "history fanatic") and to start a production company.
Paxton has credited her Jewish religion for feeling "very connected" to her family, who keep her "grounded" and are "always number one" in her life. She did not have a Bat Mitzvah
because she was busy filming, though she has said that she "wanted to [have one] so bad".
Darcy's Wild Life
Darcy's Wild Life is an American-Canadian television series, filmed during 2004-2006, and broadcast on Discovery Kids and the Family Channel. The show revolves around Darcy Fields , the daughter of an eccentric actress who decides to move away from Malibu to raise her daughter in a more normal...
and Sarah Borden in Summerland
Summerland (TV series)
Summerland is an American drama television series created by Stephen Tolkin and Lori Loughlin. It is centered on a clothing designer in her 30s, Ava Gregory , raising her niece and nephews after their parents die in a tragic accident...
. Paxton has also starred in the films Sleepover
Sleepover (2004 film)
Sleepover is a 2004 American teen film directed by Joe Nussbaum and starring Alexa Vega and Sara Paxton.-Plot:On the last day of 8th grade before their freshman year in high school, Julie Corky has a slumber party with 3 best friends, Hannah Carlson , Yancy Williams , and Farrah James...
, Aquamarine
Aquamarine (film)
Aquamarine is a 2006 Australian-American teen fantasy comedy film starring Sara Paxton, Emma Roberts, and Joanna "JoJo" Levesque . The film, which was made in both the United States and Australia, was released in North America on March 3, 2006...
, Return to Halloweentown
Return to Halloweentown
Return to Halloweentown is a Disney Channel Original Movie that premiered on October 20, 2006. It is the fourth and final film in the Halloweentown series. In this sequel, Marnie Piper and her brother, Dylan Piper , go to Witch University to attend college in Halloweentown...
, The Last House on the Left
The Last House on the Left (2009 film)
The Last House on the Left is a 2009 American film directed by Dennis Iliadis and written by Carl Ellsworth and Adam Alleca. It is a remake of the 1972 film of the same name, and stars Monica Potter, Tony Goldwyn, Garret Dillahunt, and Sara Paxton...
, Sydney White
Sydney White
Sydney White is a 2007 teen comedy film starring Amanda Bynes, Sara Paxton, and Matt Long, and based on the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.-Plot:...
, Superhero Movie
Superhero Movie
Superhero Movie is a 2008 American spoof film written and directed by Craig Mazin, produced by David Zucker and Robert K. Weiss, and starring Drake Bell, Sara Paxton, Christopher McDonald, and Leslie Nielsen...
and Shark Night 3D
Shark Night 3D
Shark Night 3D is a 3-D horror-thriller film directed by David R. Ellis. It stars Sara Paxton, Alyssa Diaz, Dustin Milligan, Katharine McPhee, and Joel David Moore...
.
Early life and education
Paxton, an only child, was born in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles to what she has described as "a very mixed family." Her father, Steve, is of Irish, Scottish, and English descent, and is distantly related to actor Bill PaxtonBill Paxton
William "Bill" Paxton is an American actor and film director. He gained popularity after starring roles in the films Apollo 13, Twister, Aliens, True Lies, and Titanic...
. Her mother, Lucia, was born in Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
, Mexico and raised in Ciudad Acuña
Ciudad Acuña
Ciudad Acuña, also known simply as Acuña, is a city located in the Mexican state of Coahuila, at and a mean height above sea level of 271 meters...
. Paxton's mother is Jewish
History of the Jews in Mexico
Jews have lived in Mexico since the Spanish conquest. Today the community numbers around 68,000, concentrated primarily in Mexico City. Other communities are found in the state of Jalisco, mainly in Guadalajara and surrounding cities, and in Monterrey, Veracruz, Culiacán, and...
and Paxton's father converted to Judaism
Conversion to Judaism
Conversion to Judaism is a formal act undertaken by a non-Jewish person who wishes to be recognised as a full member of the Jewish community. A Jewish conversion is both a religious act and an expression of association with the Jewish people...
upon marrying her mother. Both her parents are dentists.
During her childhood, Paxton put on shows and wanted to perform, sometimes dressing up in costume and coming to school as a particular character. She grew up in the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
, choosing to attend a public high school instead of accepting home-schooling. Paxton graduated from high school in May 2006.
Film career
Paxton has said that singing and acting "went hand in hand" during her early years, though she initially began working as an actress, appearing in musical theater and later in television commercials at a young age. Her first film role was a small part in the 1997 Jim CarreyJim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
comedy, Liar Liar
Liar Liar
Liar Liar is a 1997 American comedy film written by Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur, directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Jim Carrey. Carrey was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical...
. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, she appeared in a number of minor television and film roles, including a part on the soap opera Passions
Passions
Passions is an American television soap opera which aired on NBC from July 5, 1999 to September 7, 2007 and on The 101 Network from September 17, 2007 to August 7, 2008....
, regular roles on the series Greetings from Tucson
Greetings from Tucson
Greetings from Tucson is a television sitcom which aired on The WB during the 2002-2003 season. The series was executive produced by Rob LaZebnik, Peter Murrieta, Howard Klein and David Miner....
and Action
Action (TV series)
Action is a comedy series about a Hollywood producer named Peter Dragon, who is trying to recover from his last box-office failure. It aired on FOX during the 1999-2000 season. The series was critically praised for its irreverent, and sometimes hostile look at Hollywood culture. Thirteen episodes...
, and a guest starring role on the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
show, Lizzie McGuire
Lizzie McGuire
Lizzie McGuire is an American teen sitcom which premiered on the Disney Channel on January 12, 2001 and ended February 14, 2004. A total of 65 episodes were produced and aired. Its target demographic was preteens and adolescents...
starring Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
playing an ex-president of Lizzie's school. In 2003, Paxton starred in R. L. Stine
R. L. Stine
Robert Lawrence Stine , known as R. L. Stine, and Jovial Bob Stine, is an American writer. Stine, who is called the "Stephen King of children's literature," is the author of hundreds of horror fiction novels, including the books in the Fear Street, Goosebumps, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, and The...
's Haunted Lighthouse
Haunted Lighthouse
R.L. Stine's Haunted Lighthouse is a short 4-D film. It debuted in several United States theme parks, including SeaWorld San Diego & SeaWorld San Antonio, in 2003, and stars Sara Paxton, Lea Thompson, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Matt Weinberg, and Bobby Edner. "Weird Al" Yankovic has a bit...
, a short 3-D film
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
attraction that still plays at several theme parks across the United States. She also appeared as Lana on CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
.and as Marnie Piper in Return to Halloweentown
Return to Halloweentown
Return to Halloweentown is a Disney Channel Original Movie that premiered on October 20, 2006. It is the fourth and final film in the Halloweentown series. In this sequel, Marnie Piper and her brother, Dylan Piper , go to Witch University to attend college in Halloweentown...
.
Paxton's first major role was in the teen-oriented film Sleepover
Sleepover (2004 film)
Sleepover is a 2004 American teen film directed by Joe Nussbaum and starring Alexa Vega and Sara Paxton.-Plot:On the last day of 8th grade before their freshman year in high school, Julie Corky has a slumber party with 3 best friends, Hannah Carlson , Yancy Williams , and Farrah James...
, which opened in July 2004 to negative reviews and low box office revenue; during the same summer season, she appeared in several episodes of the series, Summerland
Summerland (TV series)
Summerland is an American drama television series created by Stephen Tolkin and Lori Loughlin. It is centered on a clothing designer in her 30s, Ava Gregory , raising her niece and nephews after their parents die in a tragic accident...
, playing Sarah Borden, a mentally troubled teen who experimented with drugs and sex with Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney is an American singer-songwriter, actor and voice actor. McCartney achieved fame in the late 1990s on the daytime drama All My Children as JR Chandler. He later joined boy band Dream Street, and eventually branched out into a solo musical career...
's character. Paxton was subsequently cast in the lead role of the Discovery Kids
Discovery Kids
Discovery Kids is an American website owned by Discovery Communications, Inc. created for children. Until October 10, 2010, it was an American digital cable specialty channel, owned by Discovery Communications with television programming for education of children. It was launched in October 1996...
television series, Darcy's Wild Life
Darcy's Wild Life
Darcy's Wild Life is an American-Canadian television series, filmed during 2004-2006, and broadcast on Discovery Kids and the Family Channel. The show revolves around Darcy Fields , the daughter of an eccentric actress who decides to move away from Malibu to raise her daughter in a more normal...
, playing Darcy Fields, a girl who works at a rural veterinary; the series was filmed on a farm in Toronto and aired from 2004 to 2006, often featuring Paxton's music track, "Take a Walk". Paxton received an Emmy nomination for the role in 2006.
In 2005, Paxton spent three months working on the Australia-filmed Aquamarine
Aquamarine (film)
Aquamarine is a 2006 Australian-American teen fantasy comedy film starring Sara Paxton, Emma Roberts, and Joanna "JoJo" Levesque . The film, which was made in both the United States and Australia, was released in North America on March 3, 2006...
, in which she played a mermaid, opposite Emma Roberts
Emma Roberts
Emma Rose Roberts is an American actress, model and singer. She is the daughter of actor Eric Roberts and niece of Julia Roberts. Roberts became known for her role as Addie Singer in the Nickelodeon television series Unfabulous. She released her debut album, which also served as the show's...
and JoJo, whom she befriended while filming. Paxton has said that she felt a sense of "female empowerment" while on set because "almost everyone" on set was female. The film opened on March 3, 2006 and grossed approximately $7.5 million in its opening weekend. Reviewers of the film compared Paxton, whose inspiration is Goldie Hawn
Goldie Hawn
Goldie Jeanne Hawn is an American actress, film director, producer, and occasional singer. Hawn is known for her roles in Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Private Benjamin, Foul Play, Overboard, Bird on a Wire, Death Becomes Her, The First Wives Club, and Cactus Flower, for which she won the 1969...
, to actress Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon
Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon , better known as Reese Witherspoon, is an American actress and film producer. Witherspoon landed her first feature role as the female lead in the film The Man in the Moon in 1991; later that year she made her television acting debut, in the cable movie Wildflower...
, saying that she has an "infectious, nutty energy." Paxton recorded a song for the film's soundtrack titled "Connected", an English version of the Mexican group RBD
RBD
RBD was a two-time Latin-Grammy nominated Mexican pop group that gained popularity from Televisa's teen drama series Rebelde. RBD sold over 17 million digital downloads and over 20 million albums worldwide in four years since their formation, according to EMI...
's song Tenerte y Quererte from their 2004 album Rebelde
Rebelde (album)
Facts*The album topped the Mexican Album Chart for twelve non-consecutive weeks.*The album was recorded in two days, said by RBD. The six members of RBD sung all 11 songs in the two producers' studios: Armando Avila and Carlos Lara....
, which has been used in Barbie and the Diamond Castle
Barbie and the Diamond Castle
Barbie and the Diamond Castle is a 2008 direct-to-video computer-animated film that was released on September 9, 2008. The film features the voice of Kelly Sheridan, who has voiced the Barbie protagonist in the CGI Barbie film series...
and covered by Katharine McPhee
Katharine McPhee
Katharine Hope McPhee is an American pop singer, songwriter, actress, model, and television personality. She gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of the Fox reality show American Idol in 2006, eventually finishing as the runner-up.Her self-titled debut album was released on RCA Records...
.
Paxton hosted The Secret Life of Water, the first episode of the series Planet H2O, which premiered in April 2006 on public television stations. In May of the same year, she made an appearance on the television series Pepper Dennis
Pepper Dennis
Pepper Dennis is a comedy-drama television series that aired on The WB from April to July 4, 2006. It was quickly announced on May 17, 2006 that Pepper Dennis would not be one of the WB shows transferred to The CW Television Network....
, playing a teen actress. Paxton, who sees herself as an "evolving actress," then appeared in Return to Halloweentown
Return to Halloweentown
Return to Halloweentown is a Disney Channel Original Movie that premiered on October 20, 2006. It is the fourth and final film in the Halloweentown series. In this sequel, Marnie Piper and her brother, Dylan Piper , go to Witch University to attend college in Halloweentown...
, replacing Kimberly J. Brown
Kimberly J. Brown
Kimberly J. Brown is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Marah Lewis #3 on The Guiding Light and Marnie Piper in the Halloweentown film series .-Career:...
in the fourth installment in Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
's Halloweentown series
Halloweentown series
The Halloweentown film series aired as works for television on The Disney Channel between 1998 and 2006.* Halloweentown, released in 1998...
; she dyed her hair brown for the role. The film aired on October 20, 2006. During the summer and early fall of 2006, Paxton filmed The Party Never Stops: Diary of a Binge Drinker
The Party Never Stops: Diary of a Binge Drinker
The Party Never Stops: Diary of a Binge Drinker is a 2007 television movie starring Sara Paxton, Michael Ian Farrell, Alexia Fast, Chelsea Hobbs and Nancy Travis. It was directed by David Wu and written by Matt Dorff...
, a Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American cable television specialty channel devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. The cable network is owned by A&E Television Networks...
film, in Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
. In the film, she plays Jessie, a college student who falls victim to binge drinking
Binge drinking
Binge drinking or heavy episodic drinking is the modern epithet for drinking alcoholic beverages with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. It is a kind of purposeful drinking style that is popular in several countries worldwide,...
. Paxton has described it as "very different" from her previous roles, and has specified that she was looking for a role that would be a "challenge". The film aired in March 2007. Paxton's next film role was in Sydney White
Sydney White
Sydney White is a 2007 teen comedy film starring Amanda Bynes, Sara Paxton, and Matt Long, and based on the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.-Plot:...
, a college-set comedy starring Amanda Bynes
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Laura Bynes is an American actress, comedian, singer, and fashion designer. Bynes appeared in several successful television series, such as All That and The Amanda Show, on Nickelodeon in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s, and in 2002, she starred in the TV series, What I Like About You...
and Matt Long
Matt Long
Matthew Clayton "Matt" Long is an American actor. He played the teenaged Jack McCallister on Jack & Bobby, the younger Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider, and Tyler Prince in Sydney White....
; filming began on February 12, 2007 in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
and the movie was released on September 21, 2007. She next starred in Superhero Movie
Superhero Movie
Superhero Movie is a 2008 American spoof film written and directed by Craig Mazin, produced by David Zucker and Robert K. Weiss, and starring Drake Bell, Sara Paxton, Christopher McDonald, and Leslie Nielsen...
, a parody on superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
films which began filming in September 2007 and was released on March 28, 2008. She also helped co-star Drake Bell
Drake Bell
Jared Drake Bell , better known as Drake Bell, is an American actor, comedian, guitarist, singer/songwriter, producer, and occasional television director. After beginning his career as a child star in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he appeared on The Amanda Show and became well-known among young...
record his theme song for the movie, Superhero! Song.
Paxton starred in the remake of The Last House on the Left
The Last House on the Left (2009 film)
The Last House on the Left is a 2009 American film directed by Dennis Iliadis and written by Carl Ellsworth and Adam Alleca. It is a remake of the 1972 film of the same name, and stars Monica Potter, Tony Goldwyn, Garret Dillahunt, and Sara Paxton...
, playing the lead female character, Mari. The film opened March 13, 2009. Her next film may be Gravy, a horror-comedy with Jena Malone
Jena Malone
Jena Malone is an American actress and musician who has appeared on television, in films, and on Broadway. She made her movie debut with the film Bastard Out of Carolina , and has appeared in films including Contact , Stepmom , Donnie Darko , Saved! , Into the Wild , and Sucker Punch .Malone is...
and Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1986 film Lucas. Ryder's first significant role came in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice as a goth teenager, which won her critical and commercial recognition...
, and she will also guest star on the show Jonas.
Paxton starred in the CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
drama series The Beautiful Life
The Beautiful Life
The Beautiful Life: TBL is an American television drama series, which ran on The CW from September 16, 2009 to September 23, 2009. The series starred Mischa Barton, Elle Macpherson, Sara Paxton and Corbin Bleu. It revolved around a group of male and female models sharing a residence in New York City...
alongside Corbin Bleu
Corbin Bleu
Corbin Bleu Reivers , known professionally as Corbin Bleu, is an American actor, model, dancer, producer, and singer-songwriter. He performed in the High School Musical film series, the Discovery Kids drama series Flight 29 Down, and the Disney Channel Original Movie Jump In!...
, Mischa Barton
Mischa Barton
Mischa Anne Marsden Barton is a British-American fashion model, film, television, and stage actress, best known for her role as Marissa Cooper in the American television series The O.C..-Early life:...
and Elle Macpherson
Elle Macpherson
Elle Macpherson is an Australian model, actress, and businesswoman nicknamed "The Body". She is perhaps best known for her record five cover appearances for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue beginning in the 1980s...
. The show premiered on September 16, 2009, but was cancelled after 2 episodes. It was later aired online on YouTube. Paxton will next co-star with Scott Eastwood
Scott Eastwood
-Life and career:Reeves was born in Carmel, California but grew up in Hawaii. He is the son of actor-director Clint Eastwood and flight attendant Jacelyn Reeves, elder brother of Kathryn Reeves -Life and career:Reeves was born in Carmel, California but grew up in Hawaii. He is the son of...
in the thriller Enter Nowhere, and will also play one of the lead roles in the Ti West
Ti West
Ti West is an American film director, best known for his work in horror films.- Early life:West was born in Wilmington, Delaware. He was featured in a 2001 Fall issue of Teen People Magazine...
film The Innkeepers
The Innkeepers (film)
The Innkeepers is a 2011 horror film written, directed, and edited by Ti West, starring Kelly McGillis, Pat Healy and Sara Paxton.-Cast:* Sara Paxton as Claire* Pat Healy as Luke* Kelly McGillis as Leanne Rease-Jones* George Riddle-Production:...
.
Music career
Paxton was signed to a record deal with Epic RecordsEpic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
during the time she was cast in Aquamarine. Her debut music CD, The Ups and Downs, featuring the titled single "Here We Go Again", is due for release by Epic at some point "in the future"; as of March 2007, Paxton has not completed work on it. She has described the sound as "pop/rock. It is believed Sara's debut album has been shelved and she has no plans to continue her music career as she has not made any announcement of any plans to further her career in the music industry. "
Personal life
Paxton has said that attending college is "very important" to her because "it is important to expand your mind." In 2006, Paxton applied to the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
's film studies program. She has noted that she would like to major in business administration with a minor in history (as she is a "history fanatic") and to start a production company.
Paxton has credited her Jewish religion for feeling "very connected" to her family, who keep her "grounded" and are "always number one" in her life. She did not have a Bat Mitzvah
B'nai Mitzvah
Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah are Jewish coming of age rituals. According to Jewish law, when Jewish boys reach 13, they become responsible for their actions and become a Bar Mitzvah . The age for girls is 12...
because she was busy filming, though she has said that she "wanted to [have one] so bad".
Films
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1997 | Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar Liar is a 1997 American comedy film written by Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur, directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Jim Carrey. Carrey was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical... |
Child at Party and School | |
| 1998 | Music from Another Room | Young Karen | |
| Soldier Soldier (film) Soldier is a 1998 science fiction-action film directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. The film stars Kurt Russell as Sgt. Todd, a soldier trained from birth... |
Angie | ||
| Tunnel Vision Tunnel vision Tunnel vision is the loss of peripheral vision with retention of central vision, resulting in a constricted circular tunnel-like field of vision.- Medical / biological causes :Tunnel vision can be caused by:... |
Shauna | ||
| 1999 | Durango Kids | Hilary | |
| 2000 | Perfect Game Perfect Game (film) Perfect Game is a 2000 made-for-TV comedy-drama about an eleven year old boy who loves baseball and yearns to play on his local Little League team.It was produced for the Disney Channel, where it was first aired.-Plot:... |
Sydney | Supporting role |
| 2001 | The Ruby Princess Runs Away | Princess Sabrina | |
| Hounded Hounded Hounded is a Disney Channel Original Movie starring Tahj Mowry, Craig Kirkwood, Shia LaBeouf and Ed Begley, Jr.-Plot summary:Jay Martin is a 13-year-old who is competing for a scholarship with the headmaster's son, rival classmate and potential bully Ronny Van Dusen. The headmaster, Mr. Van Dusen,... |
Tracy | Supporting role | |
| 2003 | Haunted Lighthouse Haunted Lighthouse R.L. Stine's Haunted Lighthouse is a short 4-D film. It debuted in several United States theme parks, including SeaWorld San Diego & SeaWorld San Antonio, in 2003, and stars Sara Paxton, Lea Thompson, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Matt Weinberg, and Bobby Edner. "Weird Al" Yankovic has a bit... |
Ashley | 4D 4-D film 4-D film is a marketing term that describes an entertainment presentation system combining a 3-D film with physical effects in the theatre, which occur in synchronization with the film... |
| 2004 | Sleepover | Stacie Blake | Main role |
| 2006 | Aquamarine Aquamarine (film) Aquamarine is a 2006 Australian-American teen fantasy comedy film starring Sara Paxton, Emma Roberts, and Joanna "JoJo" Levesque . The film, which was made in both the United States and Australia, was released in North America on March 3, 2006... |
Aquamarine | Main role |
| 2007 | Sydney White Sydney White Sydney White is a 2007 teen comedy film starring Amanda Bynes, Sara Paxton, and Matt Long, and based on the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.-Plot:... |
Rachel Witchburn | Supporting role |
| 2008 | Superhero Movie Superhero Movie Superhero Movie is a 2008 American spoof film written and directed by Craig Mazin, produced by David Zucker and Robert K. Weiss, and starring Drake Bell, Sara Paxton, Christopher McDonald, and Leslie Nielsen... |
Jill Johnson | Main role |
| 2009 | The Last House on the Left The Last House on the Left (2009 film) The Last House on the Left is a 2009 American film directed by Dennis Iliadis and written by Carl Ellsworth and Adam Alleca. It is a remake of the 1972 film of the same name, and stars Monica Potter, Tony Goldwyn, Garret Dillahunt, and Sara Paxton... |
Mari Collingwood | Main role |
| 2011 | The Innkeepers The Innkeepers (film) The Innkeepers is a 2011 horror film written, directed, and edited by Ti West, starring Kelly McGillis, Pat Healy and Sara Paxton.-Cast:* Sara Paxton as Claire* Pat Healy as Luke* Kelly McGillis as Leanne Rease-Jones* George Riddle-Production:... |
Claire | Main role |
| Enter Nowhere | Samantha | Post-production | |
| The Big Valley The Big Valley The Big Valley is an American television Western which ran on ABC from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969, which starred Barbara Stanwyck, as a California widowed mother. It was created by A.I. Bezzerides and Louis F. Edelman... |
Audra Barkley | Post-production | |
| Shark Night 3D Shark Night 3D Shark Night 3D is a 3-D horror-thriller film directed by David R. Ellis. It stars Sara Paxton, Alyssa Diaz, Dustin Milligan, Katharine McPhee, and Joel David Moore... |
Sara | ||
| New Years Eve New Year's Eve (film) New Year's Eve is an upcoming romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall. Like Valentine's Day, Marshall's previous film, it depicts a series of holiday vignettes of the state of several romances.-Cast:... |
Alyssa | Post production | |
| The Lowenfish Party | Missy | Pre-production | |
| 2012 | Liars All Liars All Liars All is an upcoming American psychological thriller film. It was directed and written by Brian Brightly, and stars Matt Lanter, Sara Paxton, Gillian Zinser, and Torrance Coombs.-Cast:*Matt Lanter as Mike*Sara Paxton as Katie... |
Katie | Filming |
| The Briar Lake Murders | Blake | Pre-production | |
| Films made for television or video | |||
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1997 | You're Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashley's... You're Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashley's... You're Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashley's... is a musical direct-to-video series starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The videos were released between 1995 and 2003 and have since been released on DVD.... Christmas Party |
Patty | TV movie |
| 2000 | Geppetto Geppetto (TV musical) Geppetto is a 2000 made-for-television remake of the popular children’s book The Adventures of Pinocchio starring Drew Carey and Julia Louis-Dreyfus... |
Featured | TV musical |
| 2002 | Generation Gap | ||
| 2006 | Return to Halloweentown Return to Halloweentown Return to Halloweentown is a Disney Channel Original Movie that premiered on October 20, 2006. It is the fourth and final film in the Halloweentown series. In this sequel, Marnie Piper and her brother, Dylan Piper , go to Witch University to attend college in Halloweentown... |
Marnie Piper Young Splendora Agatha Cromwell |
Main role |
| 2007 | The Party Never Stops: Diary of a Binge Drinker The Party Never Stops: Diary of a Binge Drinker The Party Never Stops: Diary of a Binge Drinker is a 2007 television movie starring Sara Paxton, Michael Ian Farrell, Alexia Fast, Chelsea Hobbs and Nancy Travis. It was directed by David Wu and written by Matt Dorff... |
Jesse Brenner | |
Television
| Starring and recurring roles | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | ||
| 1996 | Small Talk | Herself, Panelist #1 | TV series, 10 episodes | ||
| 1999–2004 | SpongeBob SquarePants SpongeBob SquarePants SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"... |
Kid Fish/Baby Fish | Recurring role, 12 episodes | ||
| 2002–2003 | Greetings from Tucson Greetings from Tucson Greetings from Tucson is a television sitcom which aired on The WB during the 2002-2003 season. The series was executive produced by Rob LaZebnik, Peter Murrieta, Howard Klein and David Miner.... |
Sarah Tobin | Recurring role, 5 episodes | ||
| 2004 | Summerland Summerland (TV series) Summerland is an American drama television series created by Stephen Tolkin and Lori Loughlin. It is centered on a clothing designer in her 30s, Ava Gregory , raising her niece and nephews after their parents die in a tragic accident... |
Sarah Borden | Recurring role, 5 episodes | ||
| 2004–2006 | Darcy's Wild Life Darcy's Wild Life Darcy's Wild Life is an American-Canadian television series, filmed during 2004-2006, and broadcast on Discovery Kids and the Family Channel. The show revolves around Darcy Fields , the daughter of an eccentric actress who decides to move away from Malibu to raise her daughter in a more normal... |
Darcy Fields | Lead role, 33 episodes | ||
| 2009 | The Beautiful Life: TBL | Raina Marinelli | Main role, 5 episodes | ||
| Television guest appearances | |||||
| Year | Film | Role | Notes | ||
| 1997 | NewsRadio NewsRadio NewsRadio is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from 1995 to 1999. The series was created by executive producer Paul Simms, and was filmed in front of a studio audience at CBS Studio Center and Sunset Gower Studios... |
Sara | TV series, 1 episode | ||
| 1998 | Two of a Kind | Homeless Girl | Episode: "A Very Carrie Christmas" | ||
| 1999 | Working Working (TV series) Working was an American situation comedy that aired on NBC from 1997 to 1999. The series was created and executive produced by Michael Davidoff and Bill Rosenthal.-Synopsis:... |
Amanda Baines | TV series, 1 episode | ||
| Passions Passions Passions is an American television soap opera which aired on NBC from July 5, 1999 to September 7, 2007 and on The 101 Network from September 17, 2007 to August 7, 2008.... |
Young Sheridan | TV series, 1 episode | |||
| Action Action (TV series) Action is a comedy series about a Hollywood producer named Peter Dragon, who is trying to recover from his last box-office failure. It aired on FOX during the 1999-2000 season. The series was critically praised for its irreverent, and sometimes hostile look at Hollywood culture. Thirteen episodes... |
Georgia Dragon | TV series, 2 episodes | |||
| 2001 | Lizzie McGuire Lizzie McGuire Lizzie McGuire is an American teen sitcom which premiered on the Disney Channel on January 12, 2001 and ended February 14, 2004. A total of 65 episodes were produced and aired. Its target demographic was preteens and adolescents... |
Old Class President | |||
| 2002 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer... |
Jody Bradley | Episode "Burden of Proof" | ||
| Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction is an American television anthology series created by Lynn Lehmann, presented by Dick Clark Productions, and produced and aired by the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. Each episode featured five stories, all of which appeared to defy logic, and some of which were... |
Spirit of little girl | "The Wailing" | |||
| 2003 | CSI: Miami CSI: Miami CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.... |
Lana Walker | TV series, 1 episode | ||
| 2004 | Will & Grace Will & Grace Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters... |
Melanie | TV series, 1 episode | ||
| Malcolm in the Middle Malcolm in the Middle Malcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes... |
Angela | Episode "Malcolm Dates a Family" | |||
| Quintuplets Quintuplets Quintuplets is an American sitcom that aired twenty-two episodes on FOX from June 16, 2004 through January 12, 2005. The program starred Andy Richter and Rebecca Creskoff as parents of a family of quintuplets and their various adventures in parenthood.... |
Chelsea | 1 episode | |||
| 2006 | Pepper Dennis Pepper Dennis Pepper Dennis is a comedy-drama television series that aired on The WB from April to July 4, 2006. It was quickly announced on May 17, 2006 that Pepper Dennis would not be one of the WB shows transferred to The CW Television Network.... |
April May/Chrissy Tyler | TV series, 1 episode | ||
| Skater Boys | Kayla Gordon | TV series, 1 episode | |||
| 2008 | Wizards of Waverly Place Wizards of Waverly Place Wizards of Waverly Place is a Disney Channel Original Series that premiered on October 12, 2007. It won "Outstanding Children's Program" at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards in 2009... |
Millie | Episode "Credit Check" | ||
| 2009 | Jonas | Fiona Skye | Episode "Frantic Romantic" | ||
| 2011 | Gossip Girl Gossip Girl Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite... |
Amanda Lutz | Recurring for season 5. New love interest of Nate. | ||
Singles
| Year | Song |
|---|---|
| 2005 | "Here We Go Again" |
| 2006 | "Temporary" |
| 2008 | "Kiss Me Like You Mean It" |
Soundtracks
| Year | Song | Soundtrack |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | "Take a Walk" | Darcy's Wild Life soundtrack Darcy's Wild Life (soundtrack) Darcy's Wild Life is the soundtrack to the television series of the same name. The album is composed of hits by various artists used as background music for the show or inspired by it... |
| "There For You" | Darcy's Wild Life soundtrack | |
| "Don't Wanna Be Alone" (with Jesse McCartney Jesse McCartney Jesse McCartney is an American singer-songwriter, actor and voice actor. McCartney achieved fame in the late 1990s on the daytime drama All My Children as JR Chandler. He later joined boy band Dream Street, and eventually branched out into a solo musical career... ) |
Summerland soundtrack | |
| 2006 | "Connected" | Aquamarine soundtrack |
| "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" | Disneymania 4 DisneyMania 4 Disneymania 4 is the fourth in the Disneymania series. This is the album debut of many current stars on Disney Channel, like Miley Cyrus from Hannah Montana... |
|
| 2008 | "I Need a Hero" | Superhero! Movie |