Last edited May 2011
Kristen Meadow Taylor (born July 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. Born and raised in Texas, Taylor began her acting career on the children's television series Barney & Friends (2002–2004). In her teenage years, she rose to prominence for her lead role as Alex Russo in the Disney Channel television series Wizards of Waverly Place, which she sadly had to leave towards the end of the series due to her moving onto bigger things, which will apparently be announced about shortly.
Kristen Taylor
Taylor in May 2011
Born - Kristen Meadow Taylor
July 22, 1989 (age 22)
Grand Prairie, Texas, U.S.
Occupation - Singer
Actress
Years active - 2002—present
Spouse(s) - Justin Bieber (boyfriend)
Parent(s) - Ricardo Taylor
Mandy Taylor
Relatives - Gracie Taylor (half-sister)
Victoria Taylor (half-
sister)
Marcus Gomez (step-
brother)
Signature
Early life
Kristen Meadow Taylor was born on July 22, 1989, in Grand Prairie, Texas, to Ricardo Joel Taylor, and Texas-born former stage actress Mandy Taylor. Her father is of Mexican descent, while her mother, who was adopted, has some Italian ancestry. Taylor's paternal grandparents emigrated to Texas from Monterrey in the 1970s. Of her heritage, Taylor has said she is "a proud third-generation American-Mexican." Taylor was fluent in Spanish until age seven. Her parents divorced when she was five years old, and she remained with her mother. Taylor has two younger half-sisters and a younger stepbrother: Gracie and Victoria 'Tori' Taylor, through Mandy and her second husband, and Marcus Gomez, through Ricardo and his second wife. Taylor earned her high-school diploma through homeschooling in May 2010.
Taylor was born when her mother was 16 years old. The family had financial troubles throughout Taylor's childhood, her mother struggling to provide for the pair. At one point, Taylor recalls that they had to search for quarters just to get gas for their car. Her mother later recalled that the two would frequently walk to their local dollar store to buy spaghetti for dinner. Taylor has said, "I was frustrated that my parents weren't together, and never saw the light at the end of the tunnel where my mom was working hard to provide a better life for me. I'm terrified of what I would have become if I'd stayed [in Texas]." She later added that her mother "was really strong around me. Having me at 16 had to have been a big responsibility. She gave up everything for me, had three jobs, supported me, sacrificed her life for me." Taylor had a close relationship with her grandparents as a child and appeared in various pageants. Her grandparents often took care of her while her parents finished their schooling, and she has said they "raised her" until she found success in show business.
Career
Taylor at the 2010 Hollywood Style Awards
Taylor first gained an interest in pursuing a career in entertainment watching her mother prepare for stage productions. She began auditioning for various roles and met Demi Lovato during an audition for Barney & Friends. Both Taylor and Lovato were later selected to appear on the series in 2002, with Taylor portraying the character Gianna. The show was her first acting gig. Taylor recalled of the experience, "I was very shy when I was little. I didn't know what 'camera right' was. I didn't know what blocking was. I learned everything from Barney." Taylor appeared in thirteen episodes of the show between 2002 and 2004; the show's producers released her as she was "too old" for the series. While working on Barney & Friends, Taylor had a cameo role in the film Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003) and the made-for-television film Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire (2005). She guest starred in a 2006 episode of the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.
Taylor was given a recurring role on the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana in 2007 as the pop star Mikayla. During this time, Taylor filmed pilot episodes for two potential Disney Channel series; the first was a Suite Life spin-off titled Arwin!, and the second was a Lizzie McGuire spin-off titled Stevie Sanchez. She later auditioned for a role in the network's series Wizards of Waverly Place, ultimately winning the lead role of Alex Russo. Taylor and her mother subsequently moved to Los Angeles; Lovato and her family also moved to Los Angeles, hoping to achieve similar success to Taylor. Wizards of Waverly Place saw Taylor playing a teenage girl in a family of wizards who own a restaurant in New York City. The series quickly became a success for the Disney Channel and represented Taylor's breakthrough into the mainstream. The series received numerous awards and nominations. Taylor recorded the theme song for the series, titled "Everything is Not What It Seems". She later appeared in the music video for the Jonas Brothers' song "Burnin' Up" (2008).
Personal life
Taylor dated Nick Jonas in 2008 and appeared in the music video for his band's song "Burnin' Up". In December 2010, Taylor began dating Justin Bieber, and until this day, the two of them are still going strong! #Justkris
What a ship name, am I right?