Meaghan Jette Martin () (born February 17, 1992) is an American
actress
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek ...
and
singer
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
known for her work in film, television, and theatre. She is best known for her starring role in the
ABC Family
The American cable television, cable and satellite television network that is now known as Freeform (TV channel), Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through several different owners (and s ...
television series, ''
10 Things I Hate About You'' as Bianca Stratford. She is also well known for her role as Tess Tyler in the
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
television films ''
Camp Rock
''Camp Rock'' is a 2008 American musical television film directed by Matthew Diamond from a screenplay by Karin Gist, Regina Hicks, Julie Brown, and Paul Brown. The 73rd Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), the film stars Demi Lovato, Joe ...
'' and it’s sequel ''
Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam''. She has also had guest starring roles in
''House'' and
''Jessie'', and played the recurring role of Julie #2 in multiple seasons of
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's television series
''Awkward''. Martin also starred as Jo Mitchell in
Mean Girls 2
''Mean Girls 2'' is a 2011 American teen comedy television film directed by Melanie Mayron, and serves as a sequel to the 2004 film ''Mean Girls''. The film premiered on ABC Family on January 23, 2011, and released direct-to-video on February ...
. Martin is also known for lending her voice for
Naminé in the video game series ''
Kingdom Hearts
is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (originally by Square (video game company), Square). It is a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company and is under the leadership of Tetsuya ...
'' as well as voicing and motion-capturing Jessica from the video game ''
Until Dawn
''Until Dawn'' is a 2015 interactive drama horror game, horror video game developed by Supermassive Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. Players assume control of eight young adults who have to survive on B ...
''. In 2019, Martin made her professional London stage debut in ''
The Actor's Nightmare'' at the
Park Theatre in London.
Early life
Martin appeared in several community theater productions in Las Vegas such as
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a fictional character created by List of Scottish novelists, Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and Puer aeternus, never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending ...
and performed for her Showteam and later made her professional theater debut as Kendra in the Los Angeles production of ''
13'' by
Jason Robert Brown
Jason Robert Brown (born June 20, 1970) is an American musical theatre composer, lyricist, and playwright. Brown's music sensibility fuses pop-rock stylings with theatrical lyrics. He is the recipient of three Tony Awards for his work on ''Parad ...
, directed by
Todd Graff
Todd Graff (born October 22, 1959) is an American actor, writer and director, best known for his 2003 independent film ''Camp'' and his role as Alan "Hippy" Carnes in the 1989 science fiction film ''The Abyss''.
Early life
Graff was born in New ...
.
[Disney Channel, undated.]
Camp Rock – Meaghan Jette Martin
Accessed October 9, 2008.
Acting
![MeaghanJetteMartinApr09](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/MeaghanJetteMartinApr09.jpg)
Martin started her acting career in 2007, in television programs such as Nickelodeon's ''
Just Jordan
''Just Jordan'' is an American television sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon as a part of the network's TEENick lineup. The series debuted on January 7, 2007, and was canceled on August 23, 2008, with 29 episodes produced.
Since the series' cancel ...
'' and CBS's ''
Close to Home'', as well as a guest stint in the
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
series ''
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody
''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody'' is an American sitcom created by Danny Kallis and Jim Geoghan. The series aired on Disney Channel from March 18, 2005, to September 1, 2008. The series was nominated for an Emmy Award three times and was also ...
''. Martin was eventually cast as the lead antagonist Tess Tyler in the Disney Channel original movie, ''
Camp Rock
''Camp Rock'' is a 2008 American musical television film directed by Matthew Diamond from a screenplay by Karin Gist, Regina Hicks, Julie Brown, and Paul Brown. The 73rd Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), the film stars Demi Lovato, Joe ...
'', starring
Demi Lovato
Demetria Devonne Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992), known as Demi Lovato, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), Lovato rose to prominence for pl ...
and the
Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers () are an American pop rock band. Formed in 2005, they gained popularity from their appearances on the Disney Channel television network. They consist of three brothers: Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Nick Jonas. Raised in W ...
. Martin was selected by ''TV Guide'' in 2008, as one of the "13 Hottest Young Stars to Watch".
[TVGuide.com reveals tomorrow's tween stars today, overlooks mini Clay Aiken](_blank)
(July 2, 2008). ''MTV Buzzworthy''. Accessed June 21, 2009. She was the online host for the 2008 ''
Disney Channel Games
''Disney Channel Games'' are a ''Battle of the Network Stars''-based annual television series that aired on the Disney Channel during the summer from 2006 to 2008. Phill Lewis was the co-host of the first two editions in 2006 and 2007, and Brian ...
''.
Martin voiced the character
Naminé in all subsequent releases in ''
Kingdom Hearts
is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (originally by Square (video game company), Square). It is a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company and is under the leadership of Tetsuya ...
'' series, replacing
Brittany Snow
Brittany Anne Snow (born March 9, 1986) is an American actress. She rose to prominence after appearing in the CBS soap opera ''Guiding Light'' (1998–2001), for which she won a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress and was nominated for two ...
, who did not return to the series.
Martin starred in the ABC Family sitcom
''10 Things I Hate About You'' as Bianca (originated by
Larisa Oleynik
Larisa Romanovna Oleynik (; born June 7, 1981) is an American actress who became a teen idol in the 1990s.
Born in Santa Clara and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, Oleynik began her career as a child actor, first appearing ...
in the
film version
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...
) and received rave reviews for her performance in the series. Mike Hale of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' described Meaghan as "the high point of an excellent ensemble". She also played the role of Megan Kennedy in the independent film ''
Dear Lemon Lima
''Dear Lemon Lima'' is a 2009 family comedy feature film written and directed by Suzi Yoonessi. Based on her short film of the same name and developed with the support of Film Independent and its Filmmaker Labs, this film is about a 13-year-old h ...
'' which received the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the
Woodstock Film Festival
The Woodstock Film Festival is an American film festival that was launched in 2000 by filmmakers Meira Blaustein and Laurent Rejto with the goal to bring high quality independent film to the Hudson Valley region. The festival takes place each fa ...
. Martin returned to reprise her role as Tess Tyler in ''
Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam'', premiered on September 3, 2010, on
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
. In 2011, Martin played the main character Jo Mitchell in the television film ''
Mean Girls 2
''Mean Girls 2'' is a 2011 American teen comedy television film directed by Melanie Mayron, and serves as a sequel to the 2004 film ''Mean Girls''. The film premiered on ABC Family on January 23, 2011, and released direct-to-video on February ...
'', the sequel of the 2004 film ''
Mean Girls
''Mean Girls'' is a 2004 American teen comedy film directed by Mark Waters and written by Tina Fey. The film stars Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfried (in her film debut), Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, Amy Poehler and Fe ...
''. Martin also played the role of Aubrey in the feature film ''
Sironia.''
On June 16, 2011, Martin appeared for one night in Super Summer Theatre's live production of "Annie" at Spring Mountain Ranch in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the role of ''Star-To-Be''. Martin is also starring in the web series ''Wendy'' as the title character alongside
Tyler Blackburn
Tyler Jordon Blackburn (born October 12, 1986) is an American actor, singer and model. He is best known for playing Caleb Rivers on the hit Freeform series ''Pretty Little Liars'' and its spin-off, '' Ravenswood''. He most recently starred as Ale ...
. ''Wendy'' is a dark twist on 'Peter Pan'. The series premiered on macys.com on September 15, 2011.
In 2013, Martin appeared in the film adaptation ''
Geography Club
''Geography Club'' is a 2003 young adult novel by American author Brent Hartinger. It is the first book in '' The Russel Middlebrook Series''. The novel follows a group of high school students who feel like outsiders, some because of their se ...
'' as Trish, earning a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role at
L.A. Outfest. ''
Entertainment Tonight
''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Para ...
'' wrote "Every year sees the release of one film so culturally important it should be required viewing. This year, that film is Geography Club".
Later in 2013, she appeared in the thriller ''The Good Mother'' which aired on
Lifetime Channel
Lifetime is an American basic cable channel that is part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a subsidiary of A&E Networks, which is jointly owned by Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company. It features programming that is geared towar ...
and was cast as Julie #2 in
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's ''
Awkward
Awkward may refer to:
* Awkwardness or embarrassment, an emotional state of intense discomfort with people
* ''Awkward'' (TV series), an American teen comedy series
* ''Awkward'' (album), a 2001 album by Ty
* ''Awkward'', a 1999 graphic novel by ...
'', replacing
Sophie Tilson.
Martin voiced and motion-captured the character of Jessica in the PlayStation 4 exclusive ''
Until Dawn
''Until Dawn'' is a 2015 interactive drama horror game, horror video game developed by Supermassive Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. Players assume control of eight young adults who have to survive on B ...
'' opposite
Rami Malek
Rami Said Malek (; , ; born May 12, 1981) is an American actor. He is known for portraying computer hacker Elliot Alderson in the USA Network television series ''Mr. Robot'' (2015–2019), for which he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outs ...
and
Peter Stormare.
Played the role of Sharon opposite
Evan Peters
Evan Thomas Peters (born January 20, 1987) is an American actor. He is known for his multiple roles on the FX anthology series '' American Horror Story''; as Detective Colin Zabel in the HBO crime drama limited series '' Mare of Easttown'', w ...
and
Juno Temple
Juno Temple (born 21 July 1989) is a British actress. She has appeared in the films ''Notes on a Scandal'' (2006), ''Atonement'' (2007), ''The Other Boleyn Girl'' (2008), ''The Three Musketeers'' (2011), ''The Dark Knight Rises'' (2012), '' Mag ...
in the drama feature film ''
Safelight
A safelight is a light source suitable for use in a photographic darkroom. It provides illumination only from parts of the visible spectrum to which the photographic material in use is nearly, or completely insensitive.
Design
A safelight usua ...
,'' written and directed by Tony Aloupis.
Martin trained as an actor in London, England. In September 2016 she graduated from the
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA)
The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) is a drama school located in Hammersmith, London. It is the oldest specialist drama school in the British Isles and a founding member of the Federation of Drama Schools.
LAMDA's Principal i ...
. After re-locating permanently to the UK, it was announced on April 9, 2019, that Martin would make her professional London stage debut in ''
The Actor's Nightmare'' by Tony award-winning playwright
Christopher Durang
Christopher Ferdinand Durang (born January 2, 1949) is an American playwright known for works of outrageous and often absurd comedy. His work was especially popular in the 1980s, though his career seemed to get a second wind in the late 1990s.
...
. The show is a dark satire exploring the entertainment industry. She starred in the world premiere production which played at London's
Park Theatre, July 16 – August 10, 2019. The show received mixed reviews, though Martin received unanimously positive reviews for her performance, with ''
The Stage
''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those wh ...
'' writing "Meaghan Martin - best known for film work - makes a strong stage debut here, nailing her part as a stand-up comic desperate for approval, wincing anxiously every time her laugh track plays".
Michael Billington of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' called Martin's performance "Chilling", writing: "Meaghan Martin plays, with a marvellous mix of ingratiation and panic, a collapsing standup who pleadingly asks: 'Do you find me funny or disturbing?' On a lighter note, Martin also appears to great effect as a Hollywood hustler meeting a dithering dramatist".
Martin starred in award-winning short films ''Wives of the Landed Gentry'' and British political satire ''Bad News'' which premiered at the 2020
London Independent Film Festival
The London Independent Film Festival is a British film festival that takes place annually in April. It was founded by Erich Schultz and specialises in low-budget independent films. It offers a screenplay competition and distribution fair.
Hist ...
at
Vue Cinema West End. Martin played Henrietta in the video game Kosmokrats with actor Bill Nighy. Martin also appeared in ''Naked Times'' directed by Jake Kuhn, premiering at the
Cannes Straight 8 Film Festival.
In December 2020 Martin played Lucy in the LGBTQ+ drama radio series Hell Cats for
Audible
Audible may refer to:
* Audible (service), an online audiobook store
* Audible (American football), a tactic used by quarterbacks
* ''Audible'' (film), a short documentary film featuring a deaf high school football player
* Audible finish or rush ...
, directed by
Kate Saxon
Kate Saxon is a British freelance theatre, TV and games director who lives in London. She was Associate Director of Shared Experience theatre company from 2000–2012 and is currently an Associate Artist of the company.
Theatre
Saxon directed P ...
, alongside
Adetomiwa Edun,
Jonathan Bailey
Jonathan Stuart Bailey (born 25 April 1988) is an English actor. Known for his comedic, dramatic, and musical roles on stage and screen, he is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award and a nomination for a Evening Standard Theatre Award.
Ba ...
, and
Erin Doherty
Erin Rachael Doherty (born 16 July 1992) is a British actress. She played the young Princess Anne in the third and fourth seasons of the Netflix drama ''The Crown'', and Becky in the BBC/Amazon Prime drama ''Chloe'' (2022).
Early life and ed ...
. The series was a Critics Pick for
The Sunday Times
''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
. Martin filmed the short ''Before Seven'' directed by the Ray Sisters, starring in the lead role of Sage in the film.
In March 2021, Martin played Julie in a reading workshop by 3 hearts canvas of the play Smoke by Kim Davies, at the
Arcola Theatre in London. The play is a modern adaptation of ''
Miss Julie
''Miss Julie'' ( sv, Fröken Julie) is a naturalistic play written in 1888 by August Strindberg. It is set on Midsummer's Eve and the following morning, which is Midsummer and the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist. The setting is an estate of ...
'' exploring sexual consent at a BDSM party in New York. Martin starred in the 1950s drama short ''Tap Twice.''
In January 2022 it was announced that Martin will star in the UK premiere of the play ''Never Not Once'' at the
Park Theatre running through February and March 2022, in a cast including
Flora Montgomery
Flora Anne Selina Montgomery (born 4 January 1974) is a Northern Irish actress.
Early life and family
Montgomery was born at her family's ancestral home in Greyabbey, County Down, the daughter of William Howard Clive Montgomery, OBE, of Rosem ...
and Amanda Bright. Martin plays Eleanor, who is described as "bright, funny and completely happy apart from one small thing: she wants to know who her father is". The play is a "searing new drama about the families we choose and the secrets that can pull them apart" and was the winner of the Jane Chambers Award for Feminist Writing and Eugene O'Neil Award in America.
''Never Not Once'' received positive 4 and 5 star reviews from critics including ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'',
''WhatsOnStage'', ''The Upcoming'', and ''London Theatre''. ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' called the play "Gut-wrenching, weighty and forceful - a visceral interrogation of the lasting effects and consequences of rape". ''The Upcoming'' said "This is a play for our time, the topics it discusses resonate in every corner of society". Critics praised Martin's "superbly acted" performance. ''Everything Theatre'' called Martin "spine-tingling and uncomfortably brilliant" and ''
The Arts Desk
''The Arts Desk'' (theartsdesk.com) is a British arts journalism website containing reviews, interviews, news, and other content related to music, theatre, television, films, and other art forms written by journalists from a variety of tradition ...
'' praised a "pitch-perfect Meaghan Martin". ''
London Theatre'' wrote "Eleanor is very believably acted by Meaghan Martin with a terrific sense of energy and disbelief at the havoc she has unleashed by her quest for the truth".
''WhatsOnStage'' described Eleanor as "imbued with irresistible warmth and energy by Meaghan Martin".
In March 2022 it was announced that Martin would star in the upcoming British rom-com feature film ''Ten Dates'', alongside a cast including
Rosie Day
Rosie Jane Day is an English actress, director and writer. She is known for her roles as Mary Hawkins in the Starz series '' Outlander'' and Sarah Jessica Parker's daughter in the comedy film '' All Roads Lead to Rome''. She starred as Tina Pem ...
,
Rhiannon Clements
Rhiannon Grace Clements (born 1 December 1994) is an English actress. Whilst studying at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, Clements began starring in various theatre productions, and went on to be awarded Best Stage Actor at the Spotlight ...
and Sagar Radia. The film is due for release in 2023.
Martin is set to star as Julie in the London Première of the play ''Smoke'' by Kim Davies, which will run at the
Southwark Playhouse
Southwark Playhouse is a theatre in London, located between Borough and Elephant and Castle tube stations.
History
The Southwark Playhouse Theatre Company was founded in 1993 by Juliet Alderdice and Tom Wilson. They identified the need for a h ...
in February 2023. The production is said to be produced by Katy Galloway Productions and will feature Martin's real-life partner Oli Higginson in the opposite role of John. Smoke is a modern adaption of Miss Julie set at a BDSM party in New York City, and will be co-directed by Polina Kalinina and Júlia Levai. The play is described as a "piercingly witty and sometimes painful exploration of gender, sexuality and desire".
Music
Martin recorded two songs in ''Camp Rock'', "Too Cool" and "2 Stars". Martin sang a version of "
When You Wish Upon a Star" for the 2009 re-release of Disney's ''
Pinocchio
Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...
'', as well as appearing in the related music video. The song debuted at number fifty-two on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart, becoming her first and only chart single. It has since peaked at number thirty-seven.
Martin also recorded a version of the
Olivia Newton-John
Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...
song "
Magic
Magic or Magick most commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces
* Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic
* Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
" for the
''Wizards of Waverly Place'' soundtrack. Martin has partnered with
Build-A-Bear Workshop
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. is an American retailer headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri that sells teddy bears and other stuffed animals and characters. Customers go through an interactive process in which the stuffed animal of their choice ...
for their "Love.Hugs.Peace" movement. For the ad campaign, Martin recorded a special version of "Let's Talk About Love". Martin also recorded two songs in ''Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam'', "Tear it Down" and "Walkin in My Shoes", alongside the ''Camp Rock'' co-star Matthew "Mdot" Finley. Martin also appear on the collaborative song "It's On", which features the co-stars of the film. All songs appear in the
soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
of the film.
Martin appeared in the music videos "
Remember December
"Remember December" is a song by American singer Demi Lovato for her second studio album, '' Here We Go Again''. It was written by John Fields, Lovato and Anne Preven, and produced by Fields. The song was released in Europe as the album's s ...
" by Demi Lovato and "It's On" by the cast of ''Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam''. Martin did not join the
Jonas Brothers: Live in Concert tour, with Demi Lovato and the ''Camp Rock 2'' cast, because she was filming ''Mean Girls 2''.
Personal life
Martin became engaged to British actor Oli Higginson in May 2016. They were married on September 24, 2016, in London, UK.
Martin lives in East London.
Filmography
Film
Television
Web
Video games
Theatre
Radio
Discography
Other appearances
Other credits
Music videos
As lead artist
Guest appearances
Awards
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Meaghan
21st-century American actresses
American child actresses
American child singers
American women pop singers
American women pianists
American stage actresses
American television actresses
American video game actresses
American voice actresses
Living people
Actresses from Las Vegas
American film actresses
21st-century American women singers
21st-century American pianists
21st-century American women guitarists
21st-century American guitarists
21st-century American singers
1992 births