Bella Thorne
Annabella Avery "
Bella"
Thorne (born October 8, 1997) is an
American teen actress, singer, and
model. She is a
child model and
actress with appearances in more than 20
films and
television series and more than 60
commercials, she is best known for her role as the aspiring young dancer, CeCe Jones on the
Disney Channel original series
Shake It Up! co-starring
Zendaya.
Early life
Bella Thorne was born on October 8, 1997 in
Pembroke Pines, Florida.
[1] She is the youngest of four children,
Kaili (born in 1992),
Dani (born in 1993), and
Remy (born in 1995), who are also actors and models.
[1] Thorne, who is of Italian, Cuban and Irish descent originally spoke Spanish as her first language growing up, although she has forgotten it due to not using it.
[2]
Career
Thorne's first film appearance was an uncredited role as a sidelines fan in the 2003 film
Stuck on You. She has since appeared in film and television projects including
Jimmy Kimmel Live!,
Entourage,
The O.C. (as a younger version of
Taylor Townsend), the third-last episode of
October Road (as Angela Ferilli, the pre-adolescence crush of the main characters; her older brother
Remy also guest-starred in the same episode as a younger
Eddie Latekka), and five episodes of
Dirty Sexy Money (as Margaux Darling).
[4] In 2007, Thorne appeared as a young girl plagued by supernatural visions in
The Seer.
In 2008, Thorne starred alongside
Christian Slater and
Taylor Lautner in the short-lived drama series
My Own Worst Enemy, for which she won a
Young Artist's Award for her portrayal of the character Ruthy Spivey; Thorne described her
Enemy casting as a major breakthrough as this was the first recurring role in her career. She then appeared in the ten-episode
web series Little Monk, which depicted characters from the series
Monk as children. In 2009, she filled the role of the vengeful antagonist in the horror film
Forget Me Not.
[5]
In 2010, Thorne joined the cast of HBO's
Big Love in its fourth season, replacing Jolean Wejbe in the role of
Bill Henrickson's daughter Tancy 'Teeny' Henrickson (though she had actually auditioned for a different role). She also guest starred on
Wizards of Waverly Place, as
Max's girlfriend Nancy Lukey.
[1] In addition, Thorne took on a supporting role in the family drama
Raspberry Magic.
Thorne enjoyed an extensive career as a
child model. Since appearing in her first pictorial for a parenting magazine at the age of 6 weeks, Thorne has starred in
television ad campaigns for
Digital Light Processing,
Publix, and
KFC, and appearing in print ads for brands including
Barbie,
ALDO K!DS,
JLO by Jennifer Lopez, Kaiya Eve Couture, LaSenza Girl,
Tommy Hilfiger,
Ralph Lauren,
Guess?,
Target,
Justice and
Mudd for
Kohls. She also modelled for
Sears back to school.
[1] In an interview with
Seventeen magazine, Thorne described her appointment as the spokesperson for
Texas Instruments as her big break, but candidly admitted that she has lost much more projects than she has booked and credited the support of her family for helping her get over disappointments.
Thorne currently co-stars on the
Disney Channel sitcom
Shake It Up!, (originally titled
Dance, Dance Chicago). Thorne plays Cecelia "CeCe" Jones, a dancer with heavy ambitions for a career in the spotlight.
[6] The show is a
buddy comedy centered around a teen dance show (in a show-within-a-show format) co-starring Thorne and 14-year-old
Zendaya.
[7] The multi-camera series began production in Hollywood, California, in July 2010 and premiered on November 7, 2010 on Disney Channel. While she had a substantial portfolio of work in television and film, Thorne had no experience in professional dancing before being cast. After signing onto the show in October 2009, she began taking three dance classes every night.
[8]
Personal life
Originally from
Pembroke Pines, Florida, Thorne has been living with her family in
California since early 2006.
[1] Her interests include dancing, playing soccer, spending time with her family and playing with her two dogs, a
Cocker Spaniel and a
wolf hybrid, six cats and a turtle.
[1] She also admits to being a collector of
hardcover books, listening to 80s music, and using
YouTube as a research tool for getting into character. Thorne is an avid supporter of the
Humane Society, the
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and The Nomad Organization, which provides education, food and medical supplies to children in
Africa.
[1][5]
Thorne lost her father to a vehicle accident in 2007.
[5] Thorne disclosed her father's passing in a live interview on the local television talk show
"View From The Bay" in December 2008.
[5]
Thorne was diagnosed with
dyslexia in
second grade.
[5] She is currently being
homeschooled after previously attending a public school, where she had suffered
peer abuse.
[5] Thorne improved in her learning after attending a
Sylvan Learning center and is currently reading and writing a grade ahead.
[5][8][9] Thorne also talked about her dyslexia in an April 2010 interview with
American Cheerleader Magazine, and explained that she overcame her dyslexia by rigorously reading everything she could find, including the labels of cereal boxes.
[10][11]
Filmography
Awards and Nominations
