Kay Panabaker
Birth nameStephanie Kay Panabaker
Birth dateMay 2, 1990 (age 36)
Birth placeOrange, Texas, U.S.
OccupationZookeeper · actress
Years active2000–2012 (acting)
2016–present (zookeeping)
Alma materGlendale Community College
University of California, Los Angeles
RelativesDanielle Panabaker (sister)

Stephanie Kay Panabaker[1] (born May 2, 1990)[2] is an American zookeeper and former actress. She is best known for her work with the Disney Channel, starring in popular productions like Phil of the Future (2004–2006) and Read It and Weep (2006), and her role on the teen drama Summerland (2004–2005).

Early life

Stephanie Kay Panabaker was born on May 2, 1990, in Orange County, Texas, to Donna (née Mayock) and Harold Panabaker, III.[3] As children, she and her older sister, Danielle Panabaker, started acting at various community theatres in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. Their family relocated to Los Angeles so the sisters could further their acting careers.

Panabaker graduated from high school, in 2003, at 13 years old and was valedictorian.[4] She graduated from Glendale Community College with an associate degree when she was 15 and from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a Bachelor of Arts in history when she was 17.[3][5][6]

Career

Panabaker began her film and TV career in the early 2000s, with guest roles in popular shows like 7th Heaven, ER, and Angel, and small parts in theatrical releases like Monsters, Inc. and Dead Heat.[7]

As a teenager, Panabaker and her sister found regular work as actors on the Disney Channel. In 2004, she appeared as Debbie Berwick, a friendly cyborg, on Phil of the Future. Her character was written out of the show after the first season. After that, she went onto star in two Disney Channel original films, Life is Ruff (2005) and Read It and Weep (2006), the latter in which she acted opposite Danielle. In 2006, Panabaker appeared in the Disney Channel Games, on the same team as Zac Efron, Anneliese van der Pol, Moises Arias, Dylan Sprouse, and Shin Koyamada. Her final appearance on the Disney Channel came in 2007, with a guest appearance as Amber on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.

From 2004 to 2005, Panabaker starred as Nikki Westerly, a teen girl who moves to the fictional Californian town of Playa Linda to live with her aunt, portrayed by Lori Loughlin, after the death of her parents, on the WB drama Summerland. Panabaker acted alongside fellow teen idols Zac Efron, who played her love interest, and Jesse McCartney, who played her brother. The series ran for two seasons. In a 2016 interview with Naperville Magazine, Panabaker said working on the show wasn't a good experience, and that producers asked her to lose weight, despite her not even weighing 100 lbs at the time.[8]

Panabaker remained in Los Angeles and continued to act for several years after the conclusion of Summerland, but said her passion for acting never returned. After Summerland, she continued to make one-time appearances in popular TV shows like Grey's Anatomy, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Ghost Whisperer, and returned to theatrical films, starring in Fame, the 1980 teen musical drama of the same name, in 2009, and in Little Birds, which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, in 2011.[9]

In 2010, Panabaker joined the main cast of the sci-fi drama series No Ordinary Family, playing Daphne, a 16-year-old who becomes telepathic after surviving a plane crash. While the show's early episodes were positively received by audiences and critics, later episodes, which saw Daphne and her family take on more traditional action hero roles and focused less on their family dynamic, weren't as well-received and ABC decided not to renew the show for a second season.[6][10][11]

Her final acting role was as Rosa in Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva la Fiesta! (2012).[12]

Personal life

Since 2016, Panabaker has been a zookeeper for Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida.[13][14]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes[10][15]
2001Monsters, Inc.Garbage MonsterVoice role
2002TemptationJamie SaviniShort film
Dead HeatSamantha LaRoche
2007Moondance AlexanderMoondance Alexander
Nancy DrewGeorge Fayne
A Modern Twain Story: The Prince and the PauperElizabeth
2009FameJenny Garrison
2010The Lake EffectCelia
2011Little BirdsAllison
2012Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva la Fiesta!RosaVoice role and final film role

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes[10]
2002The Jamie Kennedy ExperimentKelly2 episodes
Port CharlesSara1 episode
ERMelissa RueEpisode: "The Letter"
7th HeavenAlice BrandEpisode: "Regarding Eric"
2002–2003AngelMesektet (The Girl)2 episodes
2003The DivisionSusie JenkinsEpisode: "Cold Comfort"
The Brothers GarcíaCarrie BauerEpisode: "Moving On Up"
2004–2005SummerlandNikki WesterlyMain role
Phil of the FutureDebbie Berwick13 episodes
2005Mom at SixteenYoung Macy (uncredited)[citation needed]Television film
MediumElishaEpisode: "Penny for Your Thoughts"
Life Is RuffEmily WatsonDisney Channel original television film
2006American Dragon: Jake LongCheerleader LaceyVoice, episode: "Bring It On"
Disney Channel GamesHerself / ContestantPart of Red Team
Read It and WeepJamie BartlettTelevision film
2006–2011'Lindsey Willows6 episodes
2007The WinnerVivicaEpisode: "Single Dates"
Two and a Half MenSophieEpisode: "Tucked, Taped and Gorgeous"
The Suite Life of Zack & CodyAmberEpisode: "First Day of High School"
CustodyAmanda GordonTelevision film
WeedsAmeliaEpisode: "He Taught Me How to Drive By"
Boston LegalAbby HoltEpisode: "The Chicken and the Leg"
Ghost WhispererMarlo SinclairEpisode: "Bad Blood"
2008Grey's AnatomyEmma AndersonEpisode: "All by Myself"
2009Happy CampersDylanTelevision film
A MarriageMaddy Gabriel
Lie to MeEmily Lightman (scenes deleted)[citation needed]Episode: "Pilot"
MentalAysnley SkoffEpisode: "Manic at the Disco"
2010Brothers & SistersYoung Kitty WalkerEpisode: "Time After Time"
Secrets in the WallsLizzieTelevision film
2010–2011No Ordinary FamilyDaphne Nicole PowellMain role
2011CyberbullySamantha CaldoneTelevision film
Law & Order: Special Victims UnitVicki HarrisEpisode: "Spiraling Down"; final TV role

Music video

YearArtistSongNotes
2006Jordan Pruitt"Outside Looking In"From No Ordinary Girl and Read It and Weep (single to promote the movie)

Awards and honors

Panabaker previously held a Seat on the National Board of the Coalition for Quality Children's Media. As of 2020 this was no longer the case.[16]

YearAssociationCategoryNominated workResultRef.
2003Young Artist AwardsBest Performance in a TV Drama Series – Guest Starring Young ActressER (episode: "The Letter")rowspan=3[17]
2004Best Performance in a CommercialYouth Anti-Smoking PSA[18]
2005Best Performance in a Television Series – Recurring Young ActressPhil of the Future[19]
Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Leading Young ActressSummerlandrowspan=2[19]
2007Temecula Valley International Film FestivalRising Star Award[20]
2008Young Artist AwardsBest Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young ActressMoondance Alexanderrowspan=2[21]
Best Performance in a Feature Film – Young Ensemble CastNancy Drew (shared with rest of cast)[21]

References

  1. ^ "Kay Panabaker | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Archived May 9, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved Feb 11, 2020.
  2. ^ "Kay Panabaker". www.facebook.com. Retrieved Feb 11, 2020.
  3. ^ "Kay Panabaker". Biography. TV Guide. Archived October 6, 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 2, 2013. Has worked with various children's organizations, including Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Young Storytellers Foundation, and Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation.
  4. ^ Nathan Southern. "Kay Panabaker". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
  5. ^ "Kay Panabaker". Hollywood.com. Archived December 8, 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
  6. ^ Rice, Lynette (May 12, 2010). "Breaking: ABC picks up 'No Ordinary Family' starring Michael Chikilis". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 13, 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
  7. ^ "Kay Panabaker". Credits. TV Guide. Archived October 22, 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
  8. ^ Adamson, Sarah Knight. "Naperville magazine". Naperville Magazine. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  9. ^ "Kay Panabaker". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
  10. ^ "Kay Panabaker: Biography". TV.com. Archived February 2, 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  11. ^ Cotter, Padraig (2019-10-26). "No Ordinary Family Season 2: Why It Didn't Happen". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  12. ^ Staff, A. O. L. (2016-07-15). "Remember Kay Panabaker from Disney Channel's 'Read it and Weep'? You'll never guess what she's up to now". www.aol.com. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  13. ^ "Disney Channel Stars Then and Now - Page 2". E! Online. Retrieved 2025-09-22.
  14. ^ Waslaski, Casey (June 2, 2016). "Remember Kay Panabaker from Disney Channel's 'Read it and Weep'? You'll never guess what she's up to now". AOL. Archived October 19, 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  15. ^ Southern, Nathan. "Kay Panabaker". AllMovie. Archived January 6, 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  16. ^ "CQCM Board and Staff". National Board. KidsFirst.org. Archived April 5, 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
  17. ^ "Twenty-Fourth Annual Young Artist Awards". Young Artist Awards Foundation. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  18. ^ "25th Young Artist Awards". Young Artist Foundation. Archived from the original on August 2, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  19. ^ "26th Young Artist Awards". Young Artist Foundation. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  20. ^ Ryan, Helen. "Better with Age – Temecula Valley International Film and Music Festival Grows Up". LAsThePlace. Archived July 5, 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  21. ^ "29th Young Artist Awards". Archived from the original on July 6, 2008.