Sara Paxton
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Sara Emily Paxton (born April 25, 1988) is an American actress 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. She has also pursued a film career as a lead actress, having starred in the movies Sleepover and Aquamarine, and is branching out into music, with a CD due for release later in 2006.
Biography
Personal life
Paxton was born in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California to what she has described as "a very mixed family". Her father, Steve Paxton, who is distantly related to actor Bill Paxton, is a businessman of Irish and European descent. Her mother is a dentist from Monterrey, Mexico, and as a result Paxton speaks some Spanish, although not fluently. Paxton is of Jewish heritage and celebrates both Christmas and Hanukkah. An only child, she grew up in the San Fernando Valley and attended a private high school, graduating in June of 2006. In 2006, she applied to the University of Southern California's film studies program, but was not accepted.Career
Paxton began appearing in television commercials at a young age. Her first film role was a small part in the 1997 Jim Carrey 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, a regular role on the series Greetings from Tucson, and a guest starring role on the Disney show, Lizzie McGuire, playing an ex-president of Lizzie's school. In 2003, Paxton stared in R.L. Stine's Haunted Lighthouse, a short 3-D film attraction that still plays at several theme parks across the United States.
Paxton's first major role was in the teen-oriented film, Sleepover, which opened in July 2004 to mixed reviews and low box office; during the same summer season, she appeared in several episodes of the series, Summerland. 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 veterinary; the series often features Paxton's music track, Take A Walk. Paxton received an Emmy nomination for the role in 2006.
In 2005, Paxton began working on the Australia-filmed Aquamarine, in which she plays a mermaid, opposite Emma Roberts and JoJo, whom she befriended while filming; 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 also hosted The Secret Life of Water, the first episode of the series Planet H2O, which premiered in April of 2006 on public television stations. In May, she made an appearance on the television series, Pepper Dennis, playing a teen actress.
Paxton recorded a song for Aquamarines soundtrack titled Connected, a re-make of RBD's Tenerte Y Quererte. Her debut music CD, The Ups and Downs, featuring the single Here We Go Again, is due for release by Epic Records at some point in 2006. As of June 2006, Paxton, who sees herself as an "evolving actress", is in Utah, filming ', the fourth installment in Disney Channel's Halloweentown'' series; the film will air this fall.
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Marnie Piper | made-for-television | |
| Aquamarine | Aquamarine | ||
| 2004 | Sleepover | Stacie | |
| 2003 | Haunted Lighthouse | Ashley | 3d short film |
| 1998 | Soldier | Angie | |
| 1997 | Liar Liar | Child at Party and School |
Discography
| Album information |
|---|
The Ups and Downs
|
Soundtracks
- 2004 "Take A Walk" (from Darcy's Wild Life OST)
- 2006 "Connected" (from Aquamarine OST)
- 2006 "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" (from DisneyMania 4)
References
Footnotes
Interviews
- [Interview with Sara Paxton] The Oregon Herald (March 2006)
- [Teen Television interview] (February 28, 2006)
- [MSNBC interview] (October 6, 2005)
- [It's My Life interview] (2005)
- [Kidsz World interview]
- [About.com interview] (November 15, 2002)
Web sites
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