The Marano sisters, Vanessa and Laura, are indeed notable for their diverse talents in the film industry. Vanessa Marano is recognized for her work on shows like “Switched at Birth,” where she showcased her acting skills, while Laura Marano gained prominence for her role in “Austin & Ally.”
Despite their similar appearance, their career paths highlight their individual strengths and unique contributions to the entertainment world.
Vanessa and Laura, were introduced to performing early on through their mother Ellen, who teaches at the Agoura Children’s Theatre in Southern California.
Their early acting experiences at the theatre laid the foundation for their successful careers in the entertainment industry.
“So, I probably started when I was around six,” recalls Vanessa. “We did plays, and then as we got older, we just helped out with the theater. I actually started writing the children’s plays for my mom kinda out of necessity, because there’s only so many times you can do Peter Pan,” she laughs.
“I started getting into writing through doing that.” Even after the sisters were on series television, they’d still actively help their mom there on the weekends.
Vanessa Marano was eager to act professionally from a young age, but her mother Ellen was concerned about the challenges and potential loss of childhood for child actors.
Despite Ellen’s efforts to discourage Vanessa by taking her to an agency known for rejecting children, the agent took both Vanessa and her younger sister Laura on. Their first job together was on “Without a Trace,” but they started with commercials.
Laura fondly recalls her first major commercial for JC Penny, where she humorously acted out with a co-star, while Vanessa remained more reserved.
“I always thought I was the shy one,” discloses Vanessa, which she only believed until being on sets without her little sis around.
“I was shocked to learn that apparently I’m very loud and have a lot of energy because I was comparing myself to my younger sister, who, between the two of us, I’m the introvert,” Vanessa sarcastically concedes.
Aside from their early roles as extra voices in “Finding Nemo” and recurring parts on “Without a Trace”, Vanessa and Laura Marano have largely pursued separate career paths since their early years in acting.
Laura Marano gained significant recognition for her role as Young Sarah Silverman on “The Sarah Silverman Program” and broke out with her role as Ally Dawson on “Austin & Ally.”
Her recent performance in “The War with Grandpa”, alongside stars like Robert De Niro, Uma Thurman, and Christopher Walken, was especially memorable for her.
Laura describes the experience as surreal and educational, appreciating the opportunity to learn from such a distinguished cast.
Since the age of nine, Laura has played piano—music seems to always have had a presence in her career.
“Music truly brings me so much happiness. It’s such an incredibly healthy outlet for me in whatever I’m feeling … Being able to transform this outlet for my feelings into something even more meaningful, a way to connect with other people, has also brought me such happiness and made me feel so fulfilled.”
In March 2019, Laura’s first EP, ME, was released.
“When I decided to start releasing music independently, I knew it was going to be challenging, but I was excited by the creative control I would have,” which led to the EP’s next chapter.
“As soon as I had finished ME, I thought about continuing the stories I told on that EP. I already had a few songs I had written at a similar time as some of the songs on ME, so I started reworking those songs to make them fit the story and style I wanted for my next era of music,” recounts Laura.
“From that came my second EP, YOU. The reaction to this EP has been so incredible and validating, and though I’m still constantly working on more music, I still get excited doing streaming parties with my fans or hearing their favorite songs on this EP.”
