# Kay Panabaker

Stephanie Kay Panabaker (born May 2, 1990) is an American zoologist and retired actress. She is known for her roles as Jenny Garison in the 2009 reboot of Fame, Debbie Berwick on Phil of the Future, and Nikki Westerly on Summerland. She is the younger sister of actress Danielle Panabaker.

## Early life

Panabaker was born in Orange, Texas, to Donna (née Mayock) and Harold Panabaker. Following in older sister Danielle's footsteps, she started acting at various community theatres in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. In Naperville, Illinois she attended Crone Middle School for sixth grade, and moved to Los Angeles at the start of seventh grade.
Between projects, Panabaker focused on academics. She graduated from high school as the valedictorian when she was 13 years old. Kay received two academic scholarships from Glendale Community College, where she studied acting and was on the Dean's list. She graduated with an associate degree with honors when she was 15. She was accepted by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), History Program as a junior and completed her Bachelor of Arts in history before she turned 18.

## Career

Panabaker has guest-starred in several television dramas and soap operas. She portrayed Alice Brand in 7th Heaven, Melissa Rue in ER, Sara in Port Charles, Carrie Bauer in The Brothers García, Ellisha in Medium, and Lindsey Willows in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, to name a few. At 21, she was completely convincing as a 14-year-old runaway forced into prostitution on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In film, she appeared in Dead Heat as Sam LaRoche; and did some voice work in the Disney/Pixar film, Monsters, Inc.. Panabaker's breakout role came when she starred in The WB's Summerland as Nikki Westerly, in the 2004–05 season. She also appeared as George in Nancy Drew (2007) alongside Emma Roberts and Amy Bruckner.
Panabaker had a recurring role in Phil of the Future as strait-laced Debbie Berwick, a friend of and foil to Pim Diffy (played by Amy Bruckner). She starred in Life Is Ruff as Emily Watson alongside Kyle Massey and Mitchel Musso. In July 2006, she starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Read It and Weep (based on the book How My Private Personal Journal Became a Bestseller), in which her sister Danielle also stars. In 2006, Panabaker was in the first Disney Channel Games, on the Red Team with Zac Efron, Anneliese van der Pol, Moises Arias, Dylan Sprouse, and Shin Koyamada as part of the Disney Channel's So Hot Summer!. Her films include Moondance Alexander and The Prince and the Pauper with Dylan and Cole Sprouse. Panabaker starred in the remake of Fame as Jenny, an actress; the film was released in theaters on September 25, 2009. She also played the teenaged Kitty Walker on Brothers & Sisters.
Panabaker starred in the ABC sci-fi drama series No Ordinary Family, which ran for a single season ending in 2011 after 20 episodes. In 2011, Panabaker played Samantha Caldone in the ABC Family film Cyberbully.
After playing Rosa in Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva la Fiesta in 2012, Panabaker retired from acting. She went on to study zoology at UCLA, and as of 2016 works as a zookeeper at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

## Personal life

On February 6, 2022, Panabaker announced that she had married Yoni Yates.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2001 | Monsters, Inc. | Garbage Monster | Voice role |
| 2002 | Temptation | Jamie Savini | Short film |
| 2002 | Dead Heat | Samantha LaRoche | |
| 2007 | Moondance Alexander | Moondance Alexander | |
| 2007 | Nancy Drew | George Fayne | |
| 2007 | A Modern Twain Story: The Prince and the Pauper | Elizabeth | |
| 2009 | Fame | Jenny Garrison | |
| 2010 | The Lake Effect | Celia | |
| 2011 | Little Birds | Allison | |
| 2012 | Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva la Fiesta! | Rosa | Voice role and final film role |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2002 | The Jamie Kennedy Experiment | Kelly | 2 episodes |
| 2002 | Port Charles | Sara | 1 episode |
| 2002 | ER | Melissa Rue | Episode: "The Letter" |
| 2002 | 7th Heaven | Alice Brand | Episode: "Regarding Eric" |
| 2002–2003 | Angel | Mesektet (The Girl) | 2 episodes |
| 2003 | The Division | Susie Jenkins | Episode: "Cold Comfort" |
| 2003 | The Brothers García | Carrie Bauer | Episode: "Moving On Up" |
| 2004–2005 | Summerland | Nikki Westerly | Main role (26 episodes) |
| 2004–2005 | Phil of the Future | Debbie Berwick | 13 episodes |
| 2005 | Mom at Sixteen | Young Macy (uncredited) | Television film |
| 2005 | Medium | Elisha | Episode: "Penny for Your Thoughts" |
| 2005 | Life Is Ruff | Emily Watson | Disney Channel original television film |
| 2006 | American Dragon: Jake Long | Cheerleader Lacey | Voice, episode: "Bring It On" |
| 2006 | Disney Channel Games | Herself / Contestant | Part of Red Team |
| 2006 | Read It and Weep | Jamie Bartlett | Disney Channel original television film |
| 2006–2011 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Lindsey Willows | 6 episodes |
| 2007 | The Winner | Vivica | Episode: "Single Dates" |
| 2007 | Two and a Half Men | Sophie | Episode: "Tucked, Taped and Gorgeous" |
| 2007 | The Suite Life of Zack & Cody | Amber | Episode: "First Day of High School" |
| 2007 | Custody | Amanda Gordon | Television film |
| 2007 | Weeds | Amelia | Episode: "He Taught Me How to Drive By" |
| 2007 | Boston Legal | Abby Holt | Episode: "The Chicken and the Leg" |
| 2007 | Ghost Whisperer | Marlo Sinclair | Episode: "Bad Blood" |
| 2008 | Grey's Anatomy | Emma Anderson | Episode: "All by Myself" |
| 2009 | Happy Campers | Dylan | Television film |
| 2009 | A Marriage | Maddy Gabriel | Television film |
| 2009 | Lie to Me | Emily Lightman (scenes deleted) | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2009 | Mental | Aysnley Skoff | Episode: "Manic at the Disco" |
| 2010 | Brothers & Sisters | Young Kitty Walker | Episode: "Time After Time" |
| 2010 | Secrets in the Walls | Lizzie | Television film |
| 2010–2011 | No Ordinary Family | Daphne Nicole Powell | Main role (20 episodes) |
| 2011 | Cyberbully | Samantha Caldone | Television film |
| 2011 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Vicki Harris | Episode: "Spiraling Down"; final TV role |

### Music video

| Year | Artist | Song | Notes |
| 2006 | Jordan Pruitt | "Outside Looking In" | From No Ordinary Girl and Read It and Weep (single to promote the movie) |

## 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.
Awards and nominations :
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2003 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a TV Drama Series – Guest Starring Young Actress | ER (episode: "The Letter") | Nominated |
| 2004 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a Commercial | Youth Anti-Smoking PSA | Nominated |
| 2005 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a Television Series – Recurring Young Actress | Phil of the Future | Nominated |
| 2005 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Leading Young Actress | Summerland | Won |
| 2007 | Temecula Valley International Film Festival | Rising Star Award | | Won |
| 2008 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young Actress | Moondance Alexander | Nominated |
| 2008 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a Feature Film – Young Ensemble Cast | Nancy Drew (shared with rest of cast) | Nominated |