Sara Paxton — Biography
Born on April 25, 1988, in Woodland Hills, California, Sara Paxton is an American actress and singer. She is the only child of dentists Lucia and Steve Paxton. Her mother, Lucia, who has Jewish heritage originating from Monterrey, Mexico, and grew up in Ciudad Acuña, raised Paxton. Her father, of English and Scottish lineage, converted to Judaism before marrying Lucia. Although raised in the San Fernando Valley and graduating from El Camino Real High School in June 2006, Paxton's pursuit of acting prevented her from having a bat mitzvah. In a 2009 interview, she revealed that she had been accepted to multiple colleges but chose to prioritize her acting career over higher education.
Paxton's early career saw her singing and acting in tandem. She began by performing in musical theater and appearing in television commercials at a young age. Her inaugural film appearance was a small part in the 1997 comedy Liar Liar. Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, she took on various television and film roles, including voice work in 15 episodes of Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants. She also held a role on the soap opera Passions and regular spots on Greetings from Tucson and Action. Additionally, she guest-starred on Disney Channel's Lizzie McGuire as Holly, the ex-president of Lizzie's school. In 2003, Paxton starred in R. L. Stine's Haunted Lighthouse, a 3D short film shown at theme parks. That same year, she portrayed Lana Walker in an episode of CSI: Miami. Paxton secured her first significant role in the 2004 teen film Sleepover, which received negative reviews and performed poorly at the box office. She also appeared in multiple episodes of Summerland during that summer, playing Sarah Borden, a troubled teen involved with drugs and sex. In 2004, she landed the lead role of Darcy Fields in the Discovery Kids series Darcy's Wild Life, a show filmed on a Toronto farm that aired from 2004 to 2006 and often featured Paxton's song "Take a Walk." Her performance earned her an Emmy nomination in 2006.
In 2005, Paxton spent three months filming Aquamarine in Florida, where she played the titular mermaid alongside Emma Roberts and JoJo, with whom she formed friendships. The film, which opened on March 3, 2006, grossed approximately $7.5 million on its opening weekend. Critics, noting Paxton's inspiration from Goldie Hawn, compared her to Reese Witherspoon, highlighting her "infectious, nutty energy." Paxton recorded a song for the film's soundtrack titled "Connected," an English rendition of a song by the Mexican group RBD. During this period, she was signed
Paxton's early career saw her singing and acting in tandem. She began by performing in musical theater and appearing in television commercials at a young age. Her inaugural film appearance was a small part in the 1997 comedy Liar Liar. Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, she took on various television and film roles, including voice work in 15 episodes of Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants. She also held a role on the soap opera Passions and regular spots on Greetings from Tucson and Action. Additionally, she guest-starred on Disney Channel's Lizzie McGuire as Holly, the ex-president of Lizzie's school. In 2003, Paxton starred in R. L. Stine's Haunted Lighthouse, a 3D short film shown at theme parks. That same year, she portrayed Lana Walker in an episode of CSI: Miami. Paxton secured her first significant role in the 2004 teen film Sleepover, which received negative reviews and performed poorly at the box office. She also appeared in multiple episodes of Summerland during that summer, playing Sarah Borden, a troubled teen involved with drugs and sex. In 2004, she landed the lead role of Darcy Fields in the Discovery Kids series Darcy's Wild Life, a show filmed on a Toronto farm that aired from 2004 to 2006 and often featured Paxton's song "Take a Walk." Her performance earned her an Emmy nomination in 2006.
In 2005, Paxton spent three months filming Aquamarine in Florida, where she played the titular mermaid alongside Emma Roberts and JoJo, with whom she formed friendships. The film, which opened on March 3, 2006, grossed approximately $7.5 million on its opening weekend. Critics, noting Paxton's inspiration from Goldie Hawn, compared her to Reese Witherspoon, highlighting her "infectious, nutty energy." Paxton recorded a song for the film's soundtrack titled "Connected," an English rendition of a song by the Mexican group RBD. During this period, she was signed
