Featuring Laura Marano

almost twenty years? Wait? What? Yeah? Nineteen going on twenty years if you can believe it. So was five. Do you remember your first thing that you booked? Yeah? It was a J. C. Penny commercial. Oh my god, that's insane. You're five, yeah, and I was crazy. I was like so wild and uncontrolled, but you were five. Yeah. But I was like calling the director of the video my dad even though he was my dad. My dad was

on set and it was so weird, I know. And I was like like physically abusing the guy playing my older brother, like five, so you could get it totally. They were like, if anything, they were so um for it. They were like hit him more, kicking more like just for more energy. I know, poor guy Dylan. Wow, that's crazy. It was pretty nuts. Yeah. I had a long career, I know, but I feel like I'm also just getting started because I'm only in my twenties. So isn't that's

so insane to me? Do you remember when you first booked Austin an Alley? Yeah, when I went out for it, I remember like just wanting it so badly. You watched Disney's Kids totally, and also I just like love the script and you know, I love music, and so the fact that I got to do music with it, so I wanted so badly. And um, I remember at the end of the test it was Ross was there. He was like the last person there for Austin. Rainey was there.

She was like the last person for Trish, and then there were two people for Ali, me and another girl. So it was very obvious for Rosstin Rainey that they got it, but for me not so much. That's so stressful, so stressful. I didn't hear for a few days and then someone called me who was like a family friend, and they were like, congratulations, were so proud of you,

and I'm like, what you hadn't heard. Then No, well, my mom, I guess heard that day and she wanted to tell me in person, but she told other people so that they to me. And I was so excited. I was freaking out. And then we filmed the pilot and it went super well, and then you don't hear for a little bit, and I remember my mom so obnoxious that I love it. Um, she told me that the pilot got picked up at school. I was in my honor's biology class and she came with like chocolate

milk shaking a balloon. Yes, did you come in your class? Yes, that's incredible. I know and like everyone in my school, like especially the teachers. I was such a teacher's pet, so everyone like knew me and it wasn't as disruptive as I thought it was. But but that's a huge deal. Like but like, no one under as a kid, no one totally gets that, like any every kid in my classroom was like what, like, what's going on? This doesn't make any like what does this mean? Like pick a pilot,

gut picked up? Like what are these words in this order? What does that mean? Um? But yeah, it was definitely I remember I feel like so embarrassed. But so excited because I knew it was gonna it was life changing news. Yeah, I mean being started to show and that I'm sorry Austin and Ally. It was a great Disney show. Thank you. It was a fun to film, Oh my gosh. Yes, it was so fun. It was so much work but so fun. Um. And I was doing school at the same time, so that was definitely hectic and a lot,

but so worth it. Yeah. I remember when you told me during lunch that you still go to college part time. Yes, I do. I'm not going to graduate till I'm like thirties, and I think that's so cool. Yeah, it's a lot, for sure, UM. And that's basically how it kind of works as I take time off. So UM, I definitely I don't I'm not going like right this second, right now.

But the last time was in UM I was on was when I was filming The Perfect Date actually, and that was so intense because basically I had UM I was doing. I was there January and February and the Perfect Date was going to start filming in March, and so at first I didn't know if I had to drop the class and the classes I was in. UM. I talked to my teachers and they were okay with me face timing into class. So I face timed into class and like every face ting to you in and

the teachers. I would FaceTime the teacher and then they would like put me in class and I wouldn't be there, and I just remember feeling so think we would also like so bad for the other students, being like, who is so what it would happen when you when you need to raise your hand? Would you do that? Yeah? I would do it, and then they would, you know, answer to ask and you know, it seemed to work out for us. What are you majoring in politics? Philosophy

and law? So super kind of random from what that's what my brother is doing? Really? Yeah, yeah, I love it. I think it's super fascinating. And my school that is one major, so it's not three majors into one. It's like all one major together. It's called ppl UM. So I feel like always it sounds more impressive than it is. But that philosophy is so interesting to me, so interesting. Would you want to be a lawyer or is it just to have the education of it? Yeah, just to

have the education of it. I think I am doing I'm lucky because I'm doing what I want to do as a career right now. I've been doing it, at least for acting since I've been five, and for music, you know, starting when I was like sixteen ish. Um. And I I am in that position where I still want to learn and I still think it's so important to go to college and learn. Um. And since I have this kind of like unique opportunity, why not go to college to learn about something that I don't have

to stress about getting a job in. But still I feel like I educate yourself exactly. Yeah, so I'm seventeen. What advice would you give your seventeen year old? So let's see, Okay, seventeen, I would have been junior year um in high school. I would have been on our second season of Austin l a um. Um. You know, I think it sounds so cheesy, but um and it's something that I think we'll be advice I'm giving myself

every year all the time. But just to you know, go beyond your safety net and your boundaries and don't be scared, don't be scared to take risks, don't be scared to you know, take big leaps and fall on your face because that's part of life, that's and it's okay to fall and get back up again. See I have troubled doing that, Yeah, for sure. Same even still it's like the scariest thing in the world to actually acknowledge like failure and failing and how do you get

over that? You know, you just the more you live life as someone who also has still way more life to live, I think the more you see that's just a part of life, and you know, you we are going to make mistakes and we are going to fail, and failure is actually just part of success. Failures integral to success. And you know, I try to remind myself every time I feel like I hit different um you know, missteps or hit different things that I wish I didn't hit.

You know, it's a learning experience. It it is, It totally is. It doesn't make things easier, but it's just important to try to have that perspective. For sure. I just respect you so much just because I think it's so cool that you're doing everything and you're just even if you're like, for example, not only going to college, but you're also like managing yourself and making music on

your own and that's a really scary thing. Yeah. I mean, you know, I think for me, there's so many things I love and want to do and I am doing um, and so it's just about time management. But it's a lot. And you know, in any kind of um situation where you have a lot on your plate, some things are

going to be going better and smoother than other things. Um. You know, for me, music is us something I absolutely love and always just needing in my soul to do as even if like that's when you know when you love something like you're doing, even if you're the only

one that would listen to it totally. Um. But it's definitely been a complicated road for sure, and um, you know, there's always challenges that come by, and I think it's figuring out how to deal with it, you know, when the time comes and sometimes you know, that's dealing with it head on. Sometimes it's taking a second figuring things out.

You know. For my acting career, I've been doing it for so long and it's obviously so much more developed than my music career, which I've done really way after I started acting. Um, But I just I love music so much. I really really did you see what music can do. Oh yeah, and I think now more than ever, it's actually a pretty cool time to be an independent artist and put stuff out independently. It's just it's a lot of work. It's a lot of work, and it's

a lot of figuring things out for sure. Um So it's been it's been a pretty cool challenge for myself to kind of push myself in figuring those things out. And I still am um but I I love it, I really really love it. I think it's so cool. You also produced too, Yeah, I mean, um so, I produced a movie with my mom and sister a few

months ago, yeah, Saving Zoe. And so since that experience, we've been wanting to produce more and we're working on a few projects actually right now, which I'm excited about, so exciting. That's so crazy. I wanna talk about Saving Zoe for a second, because the message in that film is so incredible. What made you want to, um, focus more on a serious topic instead of you know, you've been doing a lot of romcoms, which are great, don't get me wrong. Quote, this is such a topic that

needs to be to discuss more. Yeah. Yeah, So it deals with online sexual exploitation, UM, which is a facet of sex trafficking, which is a facet of human trafficking. And it's something that is so big, especially because the Internet is like just g enormous and has taken over our lives um. And so because of the expansion of the Internet, um, sex trafficking has just increased so much um, which is incredibly scary and something that is not talked

about at all. Um. But you know, when we were first developing this project, we didn't really have this awareness or education about the topic. Really. What it came from is came from a book that I loved I read when I was eleven, was called Saving Zoe, like the movie title, and you know, at its core, it's really a story between two sisters. And you worked with your sister exactly, Yeah, and we played sisters. Crazy fitting I

know again, you know this was twelve th years ago. Um, my space was big, and so actually in the book, it's more about my space, which is kind of hilarious. You know. We took some storylines and update them a little bit because social media, Yeah, exactly, where it's not in my space. It's we're in such a different world

than we were twelve years ago. Crazy, how like far come with just within the next one past five ten years totally and it's a lot of um the time, we haven't really caught up with it, especially when it comes to this kind of subject. Well, speaking of technology, I just want to say I like that you still have a footphone. It makes me so happy when I first found out, I fell down. It makes it makes

me want to get a flip phone. Thank you. By the way, Motorola is making a flip phone and or already did and like released it and I'm like, thanks, guys told you are you just known for your phone? Now? I am, though, I I still get shocked how many people don't know um, which shouldn't shock me, but like people in my own life, they're like, wait, you have

a fliphone. I'm like, how did you not know this yet? Well, I think it's so interesting because you do everything from an iPad, right, And I just think it's so cool because I try and separate myself, Like I turned off my notifications on Instagram just to kind of connalize a little bit. But I just want to get a flipphone. Now, what may do you not want to get an iPhone?

I just you have I've just always had my flop phone, and I'm sure, um, a lot of people on my team, actually a lot of fans I think, are very annoyed that I have a flip phone. It's incredible. I like, thank you. I started geeking out when I found out, and it just made me like connect with you even more.

Thank you. Um yeah, I mean the idea, there's so many kind of things I go into it, but yes, the overall idea is trying to have some sort of separation between all the incredible but overwhelming things smart devices offer and just having a way that people can contact me in Um, but it is. It can be challenging for sure to have of you know you, even for us to like contact each other. Challenging can make me laugh every time I'm like, oh it's ex sorry, like wait,

she is a flip phone. And the thing is like, it's actually there's now so many, in an ironic way, so many ways to reach me where I almost feel like Instagram phone call, where I just sometimes it gets so overwhelmed, just ignore everything. So I get that. It's like but because with the world we live in, it's like crazy, how how it is? Yes, what do you think inspires you, um, and I think are real people

and real stories. Um. You know, I feel always inspired when I talk to people, and always inspired when I actually have a real life human connection with someone, um, because I think we all have such different experiences. But what always strikes me as fascinating is that we might have different experiences, but we feel the same feelings. When we're at our lowest, no matter what brought us there, we're feeling the same things. When our highest, we're feeling

the same things. And I think we have so much to learn from each other. So that's what always really really inspires me. Talking to people and listening to people. That's so exciting. Are you going to be really singing music anytime? I am? I am? Um. Yes, Actually, I definitely have some stuff planned. You know. I released an EP last year, my first independent, my first AP in general, but my first kind of world an artist, yes, me Um, So I'm working on my second EP, which is kind

of in that world a little bit. I don't want to get too much away, but I'm I'm thinking of the me EP is kind of the start of a trilogy. Okay, so like you're talking like me part two, Well, you'll you'll have to say you're like you. If I just nailed that, maybe maybe you're in the world. I don't know. It's just so interesting just your life, you know, because you've been acting since you're five, and yet you've still maintained this, um I'm putting in quotes normal childhood as

much as you can. You know, going to school, going to college? Was it ever hard to balance? And do you ever wish it could just be I just want to do acting and I don't want to think of anything else, or I just wish I could focus on school like every other kid. I think I just love so many things and I it was a hobby for you, Well,

I not in a hobby. I just think that I have so many things I want to be a part of and love and um, so many things that I think make me me that and make me me it's spot um that I can't imagine having my life without one of those things. Um, They've really shaped me. I can't imagine my life without school without actually going to um a physical school. And I know a lot of people my sister included, who was homeschooled or who you know, have different kind of schooling things because they had to

and they are awesome, incredible people. I just knew for me it's different for every birth totally, and I needed it. But I love acting and I love music so much that I think if I didn't have that in my life, you wouldn't be the same person. Yeah, exactly. That's the thing that was like every hubby, you know, like with my brother, if he didn't have basketball, I know he wouldn't be the same person. I think it's just a different hobby totally. I think it's it's something to note

for sure. How lucky are we and how lucky am I that I get to do something as a job that a lot of people consider as a hobby. That's crazy And I really try not to lose sight of that ever, because that is nuts and weird and I feel very that I can do that. So if you have to choose one, acting or saying, is there one that you could or can you just not? Um, it's so tough to make the decision, one because um, they're so different, and two because they give me different things

and offer different things. Music I think will always be something that I want to do first and ironically didn't do first. But um, it's always just like since I've been little, my favorite thing in the entire world. But I just can't imagine my life without acting. Um yeah.

I actually also don't know if I'd be able to do music without my acting in a weird way, umn be able to Okay, got it, they kind of feed off each other and well Austin and Nellie was totally It's funny I say that because I think, yes, in some ways, if I just had one to focus on, um like, if acting wasn't on the table and I just had music, that would give me all the time in the world and um and opportunities to just focus on music. But I kind of I just I don't know.

I feel like I need both in my life to feel fulfilled. How often do you write music? I mean it's that is all over the place, So from every day seen alone. How many songs do you think you've written? Um? It has been a funny year because it's been a lot of releasing stuff so um less making more. Yeah exactly, so a lot of releasing. But I've I've done a bunch of stuff, like written a bunch of stuff by myself, um,

but not much that I've recorded. I've recorded a little bit of music, just kind of like experimenting with other people and co writing with other people. But I'm kind of looking at the year is kind of back to the studio alright, creating a little bit more stuff for sure? Is that like something that you'd want to do more collaborations?

Of course? I love collaborating. Yeah, it's funny, I I yes, yes, yes, but I also wouldn't mind doing, um, some kind of alone work as well, and just recording some of the stuff that I've just written. Would you say it's therapeutic for you for sure? Oh? Yeah, Sammy, it's like super important for my health. I journal a lot, and then I use that stuff that I journal about into my songs. Okay,

it's journaling. Yes, I haven't gotten into it tried. When I like, if I really need to, I do and I feel great, but I can't get myself to like make admit to it. I get that. I'm kind of I'm a similar way. I don't do it every single day, though i'd like to. Um. Yeah, for me, the key is like, don't judge yourself when you're doing it, Like just completely don't judge yourself. No one is reading it, no one should be reading it besides you. UM so

just try your best to get out of your head. Okay, I just would you ever clap with Ross lynch Ya? I think that would just bring back the memory. You should do that. I have flipping love Ross. He's the best. Um yeah, I think it's just we're also busy. We're all all over the place. He's a freaking Vancouver. I mean, I know we all for the Austinity cast and crew of in like dying to get together and do a reunion,

but it's it's crazy with all our schedules. So I know you're saying with the reunion it would be like take I've seen heard you say it would be like take place in like years after. Oh yeah, if we did like a like a full lawn TV movie reunion. Um yeah, I feel like you know, in the finale of Austin Lle we cover a lot of ground. Um, so I would have to kind of be in between where the two starting and points of the finale have

um or happen whatever that sentences grammatically. But um, but like just to get together and hang is tough because we're all over the place. Yeah, I think it would it be like Austin and Alle like rated rum because I'm more grown up and by that time all the fans.

I love that you asked that we would joke on set um in the in in the beginning now kind of throughout the whole series, we would joke a bunch of times about you know, the reunion show on Austen, about being like on HBO and like but just like things have gone real downhill for all that Alley, like Austin has a beer belly, Alley has like there's been a lot of unplanned children, um, and like we would just crack ourselves up, and I'm pretty sure like no one else would think it was funny, but we all

thought it was. You just put it out in the university. I think that's gonna happen HBO. Where are you at? How long there was Austin and Alley? It was, uh, the last episode I think was in Wow Crazy, I know, gone by Son. We're so weird. It's thinking of like we've just lived in a decade. Like I know where were you? I was eight years old? I just which schools? Um, Yeah, where were you in? I was just graduating um middle school? So you were I mean you were kind of about

to start middle school in a few years. I was in like element, I don't know element your school. Oh, now I'm at eleven. That's so weird. I know, I know. I'm like I had braces. Okay, I had braces and I UM was on a show Culture Jackson VP. I was on one episode that was my big thing that year. I loved that UM and I worked a bunch of braces and I was super embarrassed. I was like, oh my god, no one looked at me have braces. I used to want braces. I had races and I hated it.

But like I when I was like younger and I saw like all the teens having braces, I would literally ask my dentist for braces, like, like, had anyone else thought that? Like I used to genuinely when my brother got braces, I was jealous, that is. I was like, hilarious, it's it's because you won't we you can't have totally. And then even at eight, yeah, and then when I had, I was like, get these off of my teeth, and

your teeth are gorgeous, thank you. Well there, yeah, three months and then a few Wait, what was the hesitation you were about to say something about me. It's you tried to plane it so I wouldn't have it, and then I got in Bsilne a few years later. Okay, yes, which I had a great experience with. Your teeth are gorgeous. Oh my god, thank you? Like stop God, Laura, stop

making me blush, making me blush. Wow. You know when I watched your wrong Calm the perfect day with Internet, it brought me back to like the old rom coms that I missed. I what's your favorite wrong calm? Okay, Um, Crazy Stupid Love great? Great if you'd call it's complicated a rom com, but like I love it, right. I think Crazy Stupid Love is my favorite rom calm for sure. I've watched it a million times and I watching a million times to more. What about you? How great? What

was side note? Before? Um? I was just watching Dirty Dancing, which is just I've never seen dirty dancing so good. It's not really a wrong calm. I would say, it's just iconic, um, but it made me think of Crazy Stupid Love when he's like, I do the move. Oh, it's such a good and when they have the fight in the backyard and alma, I just love run Gossling

and Emma Stone together. I know that when they do the whole lift in the apartment, I'm like, oh my god, yeah, what's your favorite round con If you say, oh, there's so many, I like love so many. I love clueless, I love two things I hate about you. Um, you keep making them so clearly. I love that, I really do. Are they as fun to make his air to watch? Yeah? Yeah, I think, Um they're Everything is always just intense, like to film because we're not sleeping and we have stuff

to do, and it can get tense on set. And but with every project I've ever worked on, there's always an aspect of fun, Like there has to be because that's the whole reason why we're doing everything we're doing. UM, and those are definitely particularly fun. I think for a Christmas wish, um, the Greg's Yes, that one was super special because it was just like you felt like you were in Christmas Land. It was wonderful. By the way, I think you should dye your hair pink from that.

Thank you, like you genuinely rocked it. Thank you. Do you ever do that? I'm way too scared to do that, but go for it. I could wear a wig the wig look good, but I think you could pull it off. Like just like I dying my hair every time I do, if i'd like do blonde right, because I've done like the crazies I've ever done is like blonde. Yeah, blonde highlights. I am scandalous. I am so crazy, but it always like just hurts my hair a little bit, and I

didn't like that. Just so you know, Yes, there's this hair mask that actually helps your hair and it dyes it at the same time. Is this magical? It's from I think the brand Moroccan oil. I love Okay hair mass So it helps your hair and it dyes it. So if you ever get it, highlights again and it'll come out over time. So if you ever want blonde again, you can temporarily. I'm putting in quotes diet. I tried it with pink and it worked. How long was your hair pink? Oh? Week or two? It depends on how

much you wash it, But like I loved it. Oh my, this is like a game. I mean, am I doing this? I think I think I'm doing this? Dotted dog? Do you want to do it? Go matching, Let's go, let's do it. I feel like pink we could both rock. Though. Your hair is like I love the color hair is. I know it's it's a newly blonder and something you don't realize how much how much better you feel after sometimes like you get it like a little bit different person.

Do you know what I'm talking Yeah, because you look in the mirror and you're like, whoa, this looks different. And then you're like, wait, I love every single thing about this. So like I'm blonder and just this morning, I've had this hair for a little bit. Now I looked in the hair, It's like, whoa, I'm blont, and like I knew it, it just takes time to register. I know exactly what you mean. You're like, wait, I didn't look like this before, but like I love it.

And then also it's like when you just get like a big hair cut and if your hair is long, you're like, whoa, your hair was so long. It's just like it puts you in a different perspective. I know when I cut all my hair, um, not all of it, but when I like I had, I had a major moment of I just want to change everything in life. I was going through a relationship change, I was getting a new place to move into. I was like changing the labels exactly, so just like cut my hair off.

And the most satisfying I was liberating it was it's literally yes, it was so liberating. I loved it. And then um, I cut it again and I cut it really short and it kind of worked out perfectly, was for the perfect date. But it kind of was around that I was gonna say, you had really short hair in that movie. That was actually a year after I had first cut it. Um, yeah, because I just kept cutting it. I love the and then we went so

short and I was like, wait, no, no, I hate it. Um. So you're growing it back now, yes, yes, and I'm it's actually grown so much. Um. But now I'm a little bit like, okay, well, I love that's growing back, and I'm happy it's growing back, but I'm bored again. I'm like, what can I do? You're gonna do this hair masks now, obviously I'm gonna get hair. It's gonna be great. Well for new music. Are we talking a new hairstyle? I mean, maybe let's do pink hair, new me,

new music, new hair. I am totally down for this. I love it. I'm like you you've been my inspiration Sammy vy d Okay, here's what I'm thinking, tah to me, girl, I'm meant to ask you a deep question, and I would just think about it first. My gosh, pressure is on, right, so after you know, put more music out, probably when if you Grammys, even if you ask hers stop. How do you want to be remembered and what do you want your legacy to be? Ah, that's a great, deep

introspective philosophical question. You're in philosophy. I am majoring in philosophy. I want to be remembered helping people and connecting to people. I think for me, that's the whole reason why I think we're all here is to connect with each other. And if I can create some sort of art um that makes that happen, be it entertainment, be it thought provoking, whatever it is. But being able to connect people and connect to people is something that I definitely want to

be remembered for. And I beyond that, I would think helping people anything I can do to help people. Um. Again, I think it's like everything's a little bit worthless if you're not using your platform or using anything in your life to help other people and connect to people. Laura. I'm so happy, thank you for coming on this podcast and I just read a pleasure. Thank you so much

for having me. Seriously, you're so flipping awesome, Sammy. You've just given me a device from the beginning on just you know, following my dreams, and I'm just so grateful for that and just you, my lab. I flipping love you so much and I'm so happy I got to do this. This is awesome, flipping killing it. Thank you. Thank you guys so much for listening to this episode of the Lesbie Real Podcast. I hope you guys enjoyed it.

Subscribe if you haven't already for a comment. If you feel so inclined to also follow me on Instagram, It's at It's Sammy J. That's I T S S A M M Y J A y E. And don't forget to follow the Let's Be Real podcast account. It is Sammy J dot Let's Be Real. We have some fun giveaways coming. We already had one. It was pretty cool and we have some really fun post so make sure you also follow that. And finally, make sure you follow Laura on all of her socials. It's at Laura Morano

watch Saving Zoe on Netflix. Stay tuned for her music. She's the sweetest person ever. Laura, thank you so much for coming on my podcast. You guys, I'll see you next week.