Kay Panabaker


Stephanie Kay Panabaker is an American zookeeper and former actress. She is best known for her work with the Disney Channel, starring in popular productions like Phil of the Future and Read It and Weep, and her role on the teen drama Summerland.

Early life

Stephanie Kay Panabaker was born on May 2, 1990, in Orange County, Texas, to Donna and Harold Panabaker, III. As children, she and her older sister, Danielle Panabaker, started acting at various community theatres in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. Their family relocated to Los Angeles so the sisters could further their acting careers.
Panabaker graduated from high school, in 2003, at 13 years old and was valedictorian. She graduated from Glendale Community College with an associate degree when she was 15 and from University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts in history when she was 17.

Career

Panabaker began her film and TV career in the early 2000s, with guest roles in popular shows like 7th Heaven, ER, and Angel, and small parts in theatrical releases like Monsters, Inc. and Dead Heat.
As a teenager, Panabaker and her sister found regular work as actors on the Disney Channel. In 2004, she appeared as Debbie Berwick, a friendly cyborg, on Phil of the Future. Her character was written out of the show after the first season. After that, she went onto star in two Disney Channel original films, Life is Ruff and Read It and Weep, the latter in which she acted opposite Danielle. In 2006, Panabaker appeared in the Disney Channel Games, on the same team as Zac Efron, Anneliese van der Pol, Moises Arias, Dylan Sprouse, and Shin Koyamada. Her final appearance on the Disney Channel came in 2007, with a guest appearance as Amber on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.
From 2004 to 2005, Panabaker starred as Nikki Westerly, a teen girl who moves to the fictional Californian town of Playa Linda to live with her aunt, portrayed by Lori Loughlin, after the death of her parents, on the WB drama Summerland. Panabaker acted alongside fellow teen idols Zac Efron, who played her love interest, and Jesse McCartney, who played her brother. The series ran for two seasons. In a 2016 interview with Naperville Magazine, Panabaker said working on the show wasn't a good experience, and that producers asked her to lose weight, despite her not even weighing 100 lbs at the time.
Panabaker remained in Los Angeles and continued to act for several years after the conclusion of Summerland, but said her passion for acting never returned. After Summerland, she continued to make one-time appearances in popular TV shows like Grey's Anatomy, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Ghost Whisperer, and returned to theatrical films, starring in Fame, the 1980 teen musical drama of the same name, in 2009, and in Little Birds, which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, in 2011.
In 2010, Panabaker joined the main cast of the sci-fi drama series No Ordinary Family, playing Daphne, a 16-year-old who becomes telepathic after surviving a plane crash. While the show's early episodes were positively received by audiences and critics, later episodes, which saw Daphne and her family take on more traditional action hero roles and focused less on their family dynamic, weren't as well-received and ABC decided not to renew the show for a second season.
Her final acting role was as Rosa in Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva la Fiesta!.

Personal life

Since 2016, Panabaker has been a zookeeper for Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2001Monsters, Inc.Garbage MonsterVoice role
2002TemptationJamie SaviniShort film
2002Dead HeatSamantha LaRoche
2007Moondance AlexanderMoondance Alexander
2007Nancy DrewGeorge Fayne
2007A Modern Twain Story: The Prince and the PauperElizabeth
2009FameJenny Garrison
2010The Lake EffectCelia
2011Little BirdsAllison
2012Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva la Fiesta!RosaVoice role and final film role

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2002The Jamie Kennedy ExperimentKelly2 episodes
2002Port CharlesSara1 episode
2002ERMelissa RueEpisode: "The Letter"
20027th HeavenAlice BrandEpisode: "Regarding Eric"
2002–2003AngelMesektet 2 episodes
2003The DivisionSusie JenkinsEpisode: "Cold Comfort"
2003The Brothers GarcíaCarrie BauerEpisode: "Moving On Up"
2004–2005SummerlandNikki WesterlyMain role
2004–2005Phil of the FutureDebbie Berwick13 episodes
2005Mom at SixteenYoung Macy Television film
2005MediumElishaEpisode: "Penny for Your Thoughts"
2005Life Is RuffEmily WatsonDisney Channel original television film
2006American Dragon: Jake LongCheerleader LaceyVoice, episode: "Bring It On"
2006Disney Channel GamesHerself / ContestantPart of Red Team
2006Read It and WeepJamie BartlettTelevision film
2006–2011CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationLindsey Willows6 episodes
2007The WinnerVivicaEpisode: "Single Dates"
2007Two and a Half MenSophieEpisode: "Tucked, Taped and Gorgeous"
2007The Suite Life of Zack & CodyAmberEpisode: "First Day of High School"
2007CustodyAmanda GordonTelevision film
2007WeedsAmeliaEpisode: "He Taught Me How to Drive By"
2007Boston LegalAbby HoltEpisode: "The Chicken and the Leg"
2007Ghost WhispererMarlo SinclairEpisode: "Bad Blood"
2008Grey's AnatomyEmma AndersonEpisode: "All by Myself"
2009Happy CampersDylanTelevision film
2009A MarriageMaddy GabrielTelevision film
2009Lie to MeEmily Lightman Episode: "Pilot"
2009MentalAysnley SkoffEpisode: "Manic at the Disco"
2010Brothers & SistersYoung Kitty WalkerEpisode: "Time After Time"
2010Secrets in the WallsLizzieTelevision film
2010–2011No Ordinary FamilyDaphne Nicole PowellMain role
2011CyberbullySamantha CaldoneTelevision film
2011Law & Order: Special Victims UnitVicki HarrisEpisode: "Spiraling Down"; final TV role
2011---

Music video

YearArtistSongNotes
2006Jordan Pruitt"Outside Looking In"From No Ordinary Girl and Read It and Weep

Awards and honors

Panabaker previously held a Seat on the National Board of the Coalition for Quality Children's Media. As of 2020 this was no longer the case.
YearAssociationCategoryNominated workResult
2003Young Artist AwardsBest Performance in a TV Drama Series – Guest Starring Young ActressER rowspan=3 Nomitated
2004Young Artist AwardsBest Performance in a CommercialYouth Anti-Smoking PSA-
2005Young Artist AwardsBest Performance in a Television Series – Recurring Young ActressPhil of the Future-
2005Young Artist AwardsBest Performance in a TV Series – Leading Young ActressSummerlandrowspan=2 Won
2007Temecula Valley International Film FestivalRising Star Award-
2008Young Artist AwardsBest Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young ActressMoondance Alexanderrowspan=2 Nomitated
2008Young Artist AwardsBest Performance in a Feature Film – Young Ensemble CastNancy Drew -