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Allie Gonino

Let it Be.

Allie Gonino, lives by these words coined by one of her musical heroes. As a stunningly gorgeous, talented and determined young rising star in Hollywood, Allie Gonino is a true triple threat: singer, dancer, and actress. This summer marks the premiere of Allie’s first lead acting role. Debuting on August 15th, she stars as Laurel Mercer, the sarcastic and witty younger sister in the new ABC Family series, “The Lying Game.”

Born in Texas as the youngest of four, Allie knew what she wanted out of life, very early on. Although none of her siblings are in creative fields, the arts have always been a strong and varied passion for her. Growing up, Allie studied ballet, hip-hop, and jazz, and participated in school musicals regularly. She attended a private arts magnet school until seventh grade where she was surrounded by peers with driven spirits, and lofty goals (Olympic champ Nastia Liuken was a
classmate.)

At the ripe age of four, an unexpected encounter with the pre-fame country group Dixie Chicks was the trigger that jumpstarted Allie’s move into music and acting. The meeting ignited a spark in her and after watching Martie Maguire play the fiddle. Allie asked her mom for violin lessons and although initially, her mom encouraged piano over violin (as she thought it would be easier), Allie was determined to play the violin. By the age of seven, Allie’s mom agreed to the violin lessons, and shortly after, she conquered the instrument. At nine, Allie’s family friends noticed her exceptional singing voice and encouraged her to perform. She auditioned at The Garland Opry (where LeAnn Rimes got her start), and was soon performing on stage. Over the next couple years, Allie joined the Dallas Youth Orchestra, and was singing at various festivals,sporting events, and other venues around Texas. Allie knew music was in her blood and she says
it is her biggest influence in every aspect of life.

To be a musician wasn’t the only passion that came early on to Allie, however. She credits the classic film, the “Wizard of Oz,” for her love for theater and acting. In fact, Allie says, “I owned the entire Dorothy outfit, right down to the ruby red slippers and reenacted the film at home regularly.” Her drive and talent grew past her hometown of Fort Worth, and by the time she was 16, Allie and her mom decided to make the move to Los Angeles.

The Stunners marked the next chapter in Allie’s career. In 2007, Allie’s representative received a phone call from Colleen Fitzpatrick, (a.k.a. pop singer Vitamin C) who was looking to start an all-girl singing and dancing pop group and was very interested to have Allie as a member. After several meetings and conversations, Allie agreed to be part of the group (which also featured Lemonade Mouth’s Hayley Kiyoko) and the rollercoaster ride began. The Stunners were signed to Columbia Records initially, and later on to Universal Republic. During their run, they released an EP and four music videos (two of which they wrote, directed, and produced themselves- sans record label), performed their single “Santa Bring my Soldier Home” on The Today Show and The Wendy Williams show, contributed to Nickelodeon’s “iCarly” soundtrack, and were played on numerous Top 40 radio stations. In summer 2010, they opened for Justin Bieber’s My World Tour. It was at this time when Allie chose to turn down a starring role on the hit TV show “Glee,” to remain faithful to her music group.

The Stunners parted ways, and Allie booked her new TV series, so now she has shifted her main focus to acting. Her prior credits include: Nickelodeon’s “Unfabulous,” Disney’s “The Suite Life on Deck,” and “Cory in the House;” Fox’s “Lie to Me,” and Lifetime’s “Rita Rocks.” She also was a recurring star on ABC Family’s series “10 Things I Hate About You.” When she isn’t working, Allie enjoys reading Deepak Chopra, hiking, yoga, and dance. She has recently become interested in meditation and she is environmentally conscious. Other causes close to her heart are advocating for foster children, and Avaaz, an organization that deals with crises around the world.

In addition to the violin, Allie also plays the fiddle and the mandolin. Her musical influences include Coldplay, The Beatles, The Dixie Chicks, The Beach Boys, and Lady Gaga, amongst others, and she names Oprah Winfrey as her greatest role model. She is currently writing new music with her former band mates of Los Angeles’s indie rock band Mr. Adventures while filming the first season of “The Lying Game.” She splits her time between Los Angeles and Texas.