Sharni Vinson

  Sharni Vinson (born 22 July 1983) is an Australian actress and dancer. She is known for her roles in the television soap opera Home and Away, and in the films Bait 3D, Step Up 3D and You're Next. Born in Sydney, Vinson grew up in the southern beach suburb of Cronulla. As a teenager, she trained and competed at a national level in swimming, holding four state records throughout high school. She began singing, dancing and acting at a young age, becoming the third generation in her family of performers; in 1945, her grandmother was the youngest ballerina to be offered a scholarship in the Brovansky Ballet Company in England. At age twelve, Vinson enrolled at the Brent Street School of Performing Arts in Sydney. Vinson entered the entertainment industry as a musician. At 17, she and three other young women formed the pop/R&B group Foxfire IV. Their sole single, "Roses", peaked at number 47 on the ARIA charts. They disbanded shortly thereafter.Vinson made her acting debut portraying minor characters in two episodes of the Australian soap opera Home and Away in 2001 and 2003. She left an impression on the show's casting agent, who recommended her for a regular role on the series. She initially auditioned for the role of Martha MacKenzie, but was cast as Cassie Turner, a troubled teenager who is taken into foster care after numerous run-ins with the police. She quickly proved popular with the show's audience and was nominated for "Most Popular New Female Talent" at the Logie Awards of 2006.