Disney Channel is the jumping-off point for many of today’s superstars (just looks at Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato). Another powerhouse actress/singer joins the ranks of Disney’s alumni, Sabrina Carpenter. While Sabrina’s branched out into many different roles over the past few years, her time as Maya Hart on the quirky series Girl Meets World will always be one of our favorites. Sabrina’s mentioned the role of Maya will always have a place in her heart – even though now she’s moved past Disney Channel to star in movies and headline her own concerts.
Sabrina Carpenter was born in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, alongside her older sisters Sarah, Shannon, and Cayla. Sabrina has always had a passion for music, posting videos of her singing on YouTube as early as age ten. Her father even made her a purple music studio to practice in – which paid off because in Sabrina placed third in The Next Miley Cyrus Project, a singing competition run by Miley Cyrus. Sabrina began her acting career in 2011, booking small parts. It wasn’t until 2013 that Sabrina was cast as Maya in Girl Meets World alongside Rowan Blanchard as Riley.
We love Maya in Girl Meets World because of how relatable she is. Maya isn’t great at school, she’s from a broken home, and she struggles with a mountain of teenage insecurities. There are moments on the show when Maya isn’t always fun and peppy; sometimes, she’s overwhelmed by the hurt in her life. But it’s incredibly valuable to see a flawed character like Maya fight and fail, make mistakes and learn from them. And then laugh off her awkwardness with the support of her best friend, Riley. We love that Maya isn’t perfect because we’re not either.
Sabrina Carpenter continues her music career while on Disney Channel with the song “Smile”. That song was for the album Disney Fairies: Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust. Her debut single “Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying” premiered on Radio Disney in 2014. She followed that up a year later with her debut album Eyes Wide Open. Since then, Sabrina made three more albums and gone on several tours.
Sabrina uses her music to express parts of her that might not be obvious to the public. Underneath the put-together Disney image she that still lingers, Sabrina struggles with anxiety. She decided to tell her story through her music after her fans inspired her when they told her their stories about struggling with their mental health. Sabrina took a leaf out of Maya’s page and showed the world her flaws and her insecurities – but most of all, who she really is.
Sabrina’s been able to pair her love of singing and acting in several projects. These include the Netflix dance comedy Work It and on Broadway as Cady Heron in Mean Girls. Sabrina also lent her voice and acting abilities to the new film Clouds, where she plays the talented singer-songwriter, Sammy Brown. Clouds shows Sabrina in a more thoughtful role as a girl who has to deal with the grief of watching her best friend die of cancer. Sabrina plays the role with humor and gives a very real portrayal of Sammy’s sorrow.
We’re sure there’ll be many more projects featuring the talents of Sabrina Carpenter in the future, and we can’t wait to listen and watch them all. Do you have a favorite Sabrina Carpenter project? Let us know in the comments.
