Victoria Justice: from child celebrity on TV to teen star in Hollywood
Born in 1993, Victoria Justice first became interested in acting at the age of eight. After moving to Hollywood with her family in 2003, she enrolled at the Millikan Academy of Performing Arts in Los Angeles and began appearing in commercials for brands such as Ralph Lauren, Peanut Butter Toast Crunch and Ovaltine.
Justice made her television debut at the age of ten in an episode of “Gilmore Girls.” She got her first significant break by landing a pivotal role on the Nickelodeon series “Zoey 101,” in which she was introduced in the second season as a new student, Lola Martinez, an aspiring actress who wanted to win an Oscar before her birthday. nineteen years. .
She continued to appear as a guest on shows like Disney’s “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.” She also landed her first TV movie role in the thriller “Mary,” in which she played a young woman affected by visions of Mary Magdalene. She made a cameo in “When do we eat?” e she played the character of Rose in the Hallmark movie “Silver Bells.”
Victoria Justice finally made her film debut with a cameo in “Unknown.” She continued to impress audiences on “Zoey 101” in 2006 and 2007, preferring to focus on her TV appearances and put her film aspirations on the back burner, though she did play a supporting role in the film “The Garden.” .
In mid-2007, Justice released a promotional single, a cover of Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles”. This was her first attempt to show her singing skills in front of the audience. However, she shied away from highlighting her singing or acting skills in movies, preferring to focus on “Zoey 101” until the series ended in March 2008.
Justice’s career took a step forward as she leveraged six years of popularity and experience to secure guest appearances on numerous shows including “The Naked Brothers,” “iCarly,” “The Troop” and the game show “BrainSurge.” The release of the Nickelodeon musical “Spectacular!” made 2008 a good year for her, in which she played the lead role and performed three songs. This movie became one of the most popular Nickelodeon movies of all time.
She seemed poised for a momentous leap from TV to movies when she landed a role in the thriller “The Kings of Appletown.” The film, in which she starred alongside Dylan and Cole Sprouse, was originally intended for a theatrical release but ended up making its way to television after a limited release in 2009.
Justice capitalized on the setback by landing the lead role of Tori Vega on the Nickelodeon series “Victorious.” The series portrays the ups and downs in the lives of young people honing their talents at a performing arts high school. Justice wowed the audience with her portrayal of a talented girl who wins a place at school after her less-talented older sister falls ill during auditions. The show also offered her the opportunity to re-highlight her singing skills on television.
Justice furthered her TV stardom by playing a girl who transforms into a werewolf in another hit Nickelodeon made-for-TV movie, “The Boy Who Cried Werewolf.”
The end of “Victorious” in 2012 marked the beginning of Justice’s most serious attempt to take his career to the next level. She landed the lead role in the coming-of-age comedy “Fun Size” and a major role in “The First Time.” This time, her fan base seemed to be eager to see her on the big screen. Justice has also released two singles and a duet on iTunes to prove her pop star credentials.
In “Fun Size,” she plays the role of a caring and responsible teenager desperately torn between going on a Halloween date with the coolest and most popular guy in school and taking care of her mischievous little brother during his trick-or-treating. rounds. Like all teenagers handling responsibility for the first time, she takes the easy path, only to lose her brother. She faces many adventures while searching for her brother, but manages to track him down before her mother finds out about her. At the end of the movie, Wren (Justice) not only finds her brother, but also learns a lot about responsibility, love and life in general.
The film, Justice’s first collaboration with a major movie studio, is the perfect launch vehicle for a tween celebrity who, like her hordes of fans, is transitioning from adolescence to adulthood. For many years now, Justice has followed the same path that Hilary Duff and Miley Cyrus took to become movie stars. Her role in “Fun Size” may mark the perfect beginning for her movie career.