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Elizabeth "Liz" Egan Gillies (born July 26, 1993) is an American actress, singer and dancer. She is best known for her role as Jade West in Victorious.
Early Life
Gillies was born and raised in Haworth, New Jersey. She is of Irish and Italian descent. Along with her mother, father, and 98 year old grandmother, she also has a younger brother named George. At the age of 10, she became lifelong best friends with Kristin McNamara, and the two were also included in a friend group of 7 other girls acknowledged to be a "gang" by the faculty. She went to her prom with a friend named Nick, and left her high school in order to continue pursuing show business.
Career
2007-9: Acting beginnings
Gillies began her acting career at age twelve when she went to a local open casting call and started appearing in commercials for companies such as Virgin Mobile. She also received roles in The Black Donnellys. She starred in The Clique as Shelby Wexler. She was cast in Harold, as a supporting character. In summer 2008, she was cast as Lucy Dunn in a Goodspeed production of Jason Robert Brown's new musical about growing up, 13: The Musical, which was her largest role at the time. Later that year, 13 moved to Broadway, which made it the first Broadway production to have an all teen cast. She received the two big numbers "Opportunity" and "It Can't Be True" along with smaller parts in other songs, such as the title song, "Hey Kendra" and "Getting Ready". This was where she met one of her best friends, Ariana Grande, as they were castmates and shared a dressing room. 13 was a huge success until its closing on January 4, 2009.
2010-12:
In March 2010, the Nickelodeon sitcom Victorious premiered where Gillies starred as Jade West, the antagonist and frenemy to Tori Vega (played by Victoria Justice). This was where she gained most of her popularity and her fanbase grew. She appeared on several songs on the Victorious soundtrack including a duets with both Victoria Justice ("Take a Hint") and Ariana Grande ("Give it Up"). She also helped write and sing her character's solo, "You Don't Know Me ." Gillies also voiced Daphne on the animated series Winx Club and recorded Winx Club's official song, "We Are Believix". She has guest starred in White Collar as Chloe, Big Time Rush as love interest Heather Fox and was a contestant on the Nickelodeon game shows BrainSurge and Figure It Out.
On August 10, 2012, it was announced that Victorious will be ending after three seasons. Gillies wrote about the news on her Twitter, saying, "All good things must come to an end, and Victorious is no exception. Don’t be afraid that we’re all going to drop off the face of the earth, because we’re not. It might be the end of an era, but it’s the start of many new chapters for all of us."
2013-present
After a couple of months, Gillies returned to the world of show business after a break. On August 14, 2013, she guest starred on an episode of The Exes called "Prelude to a Kiss" as Tracy. On October 10, 2013, she played a live show at Genghis Cohen, a restaurant in Los Angeles. She performed her own new material along with covers. Original works included: "It Won't Stop" and "No Way to Love Me." She later was featured on Ariana Grande's cover of Santa Baby.
Gillies reprised her role of Jade West on Nickelodeon's spinoff of Victorious, Sam and Cat, in the episode "#TheKillerTunaJump." On June 16, 2014, she starred as Mandy in the indie horror movie Animal produced by Flower Films. She has also filmed a thriller set to premier on the Lifetime network called Killing Daddy on July 7, 2014. She stars as the main character, Callie Ross.
Gilies has also recently filmed the pilot for a possibly new FX show known as Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll, where she also stars as the main character, Gigi. Another member of this project includes Denis Leary, he doubles as a writer for the show and a cast member.
Gillies still maintains her YouTube account, LizGilliesOfficial, where she uploads covers of popular songs by the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, and many more. She has also covered songs with Max Schneider (Somewhere Only We Know) and again Ariana Grande (The Christmas Song).
Currently, Gillies is continously working on and perfecting her debut album with alternative rock music.
She also has a YouTube account called LizGilliesOfficial, where she uploads covers of popular songs including: Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones, You and I by Lady Gaga, For No One by The Beatles, Jealous Guy by John Lennon, Father and Son by Cat Stevens and One and Only by Adele. She has covered songs with Max Schneider (Somewhere Only We Know) and Ariana Grande (The Christmas Song).
Currently, Gillies is working on an album with alternative rock music.
Trivia
Main article: Elizabeth Gillies Trivia
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Harold | Evelyn Taylor | Supporting role |
| 2008 | The Clique | Shelby Wexler |
Minor role |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–present | Victorious | Jade West | Main role |
| 2011 | iCarly | Jade West | iParty with Victorious |
| Winx Club | Daphne | 9 episodes, Voice only | |
| Big Time Rush | Heather Fox | 1 episode, "Big Time Secret" | |
| 2012 | White Collar | Chloe Woods | 1 episode, "Upper West Side Story" |
| Figure It Out | Herself | 3 episodes, Panelist |
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 13 | Lucy Dunn | Original Broadway cast |
Music videos
| Year | Main Artist | Song | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Victoria Justice | "Freak the Freak Out" | Cameo |
| 2011 | Victoria Justice | "Beggin' on Your Knees" | Cameo |
| 2011 | Victoria Justice | All I Want Is Everything | Cameo |
| 2011 | Mickey Deleasa | Time In The Day | Cameo |
| 2012 | Victoria Justice | Make It In America | Cameo |
| 2012 | Max Schneider & Elizabeth Gillies | "Somewhere Only We Know" | Duet |
| 2012 | Elizabeth Gillies | "We Are Believix" | Lead Singer |
Discography
| Year | Song | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Give It Up (with Ariana Grande) | Victorious: Music From the Hit TV Show | Lead Vocalist |
| I Want You Back (With the Victorious cast) | Backing Vocals/Additional Vocals | ||
| All I Want is Everything (With the Victorious cast) | Backing Vocals | ||
| Leave It All To Shine (With the Victorious and iCarly cast) | Backing Vocals/Additional Vocals | ||
| 2012 | Don't You (Forget About Me) (With the Victorious cast) | Victorious 2.0: More Music From the Hit TV Show | Backing Vocals |
| Take A Hint (With Victoria Justice) | Lead Vocalist | ||
| Shut Up 'N Dance (With the Victorious Cast) | Backing Vocals/Additional Vocals | ||
| Five Fingaz to the Face (With the Victorious Cast) | Additional Vocals | ||
| "You Don't Know Me" | Victorious 3.0: Even More Music From the Hit TV Show | Lead vocalist | |
| We Are Believix | None | Lead Vocalist |