Laura Marano

  Laura Marie Marano (born November 29, 1995) is an American actress and singer. She is known for her role in the Disney Channel series Austin & Ally as Ally Dawson. Marano was one of the five original classmates in Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader. She starred in Without a Trace for three seasons and Back to You. Marano starred in the indie film A Sort of Homecoming, the Disney Channel Original Movie Bad Hair Day, and the Netflix original movie The Perfect Date.In 2015, she signed with Big Machine Records and released her debut single "Boombox" on March 11, 2016, and "La La" later that year. On October 5, 2018, Laura Marano released the single "Me" as an independent artist.Marano was born in Los Angeles, California. She is the younger daughter of college professor Damiano Marano and former actress Ellen Marano, who owns the Agoura Children's Theatre. Her father is of Italian descent. Marano was first introduced to acting at her mother's theatre. At age five, Marano began expressing interest in acting professionally to her parents along with her older sister Vanessa, who is also an actress.Marano attended traditional school while she worked, even when she booked a full-time job on Austin & Ally, instead of doing school on set. "I go to an actual high school and my friends and everybody there have been so supportive," said Marano. "It's nice when I'm not working to go to that school and be surrounded by really supportive friends. "[10] In 2015 Marano enrolled at the University of Southern California majoring in Philosophy, Politics and Law.