Meet Vanessa Marano, an actress who you might already recognize for her role as Bay Kennish on ABC Spark’s SWITCHED AT BIRTH. She’s also the sister of Laura Marano, a.k.a Ally Dawson from AUSTIN AND ALLY. The Magazine caught up with Vanessa to talk about the show’s highlights, being in the media industry with her sister and her contributions to Global Green USA. Check out what she had to say!
THE MAG: What’s your favourite thing about being on SWITCHED AT BIRTH?
Vanessa Marano: I really love show. I truly get along with the cast and the crew members which makes it an awesome work environment. My favourite part is the use of sign language on the show, the awareness it brings to the deaf communities and the opportunities it has given deaf actors to perform and be on a television show that features them heavily. It’s really cool. I gained the knowledge of sign language from SWITCHED AT BIRTH. I went into the show without having that ability and the show gave me the opportunity to learn something new. What I also learned is that there are different sign languages per country. British sign language, Spanish sign language, American sign language… and the list goes on!
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from your co-stars while being on set?
Everyday we learn something from each other. We have talented people on our show. Marlee Matlin won an Oscar, D.W. Moffett and Lea Thompson have been working for many, many years on various projects, as did Katie Leclerc. I think we learn from the past experiences of our co-stars and I think it’s nice to be with a group of people who understand that professionalism is also highlighted by having a good time. We pride ourselves on working 12 hours a day, five days a week, and enjoy every second of it.
SWITCHED AT BIRTH is in its third season right now. What was the most memorable episode you have filmed?
We have a really big episode coming up – episode 8. I can’t talk too much about it but it is definitely memorable. We try to do a big episode every year. We previously did a wedding episode and an all American Sign Language episode too. This one, episode 8, is very different for the show and for anything I’ve ever done in my whole life, which was interesting. Tune in!
If you could play any other character other than Bay, who would it be and why?
I kind of want to play Toby. He’s sort of an enigma. There’s always something different happening. He isn’t on screen for a while and then all of a sudden he’s there in your face! I think he’s a hard character to play, and I give Lucas (Grabeel) total props on how he portrays him so brilliantly. But I think it would be interesting and fun to do.
We’ve also heard that you’re currently in the works for a new film, SENIOR PROJECT. Can you tell us a bit about that?
SENIOR PROJECT is about a group of kids who are very different and have to work on the last project of the year. It’s heartfelt, with characters learning about each other but with comedic beefs. It highlights the stress of senior year, when you’re trying to figure out where you’re eventually going and who you are. What was exciting about that project and the reason why I wanted to do it was because my really good friend Meaghan Martin got a part in it as well and I was really excited to work with her. I couldn’t wait for us to be in a project together.
Being a familiar face to both the TV and film industries, which one do you prefer?
Both are great. They are actually so different, so you can’t really compare them. It’s not like comparing theatre to film or theatre to television. Theatre is so much broader and there’s time to rehearse. There’s an emphasis on rehearsal processes and you’re doing it in front of people, immediately seeing the reactions from the audience. The show also changes every single night.
With film, you are tracking a character from start to finish. You’re conscious of the art you’re making with the character. You spend a lot more time shooting the scenes and it’s more hands-on for the director. With television, you are tracking a character for an extended period of time and you get a new storyline every single week. The hours are longer and you see the same people everyday. They are so different, but working for both gives you in the best of both worlds!
Speaking of acting and the industry, what’s it like having another family member in the industry? Do you see each other often, or get the chance to work with one another?
Our first job we did was together, on a show called WITHOUT A TRACE. We played sisters and that was the only time we’ve ever worked together. We tend to stick with our separate projects. I love having someone else in my family be in the industry. It is really nice to have someone to talk to, and to share stories regarding any similar or different experiences. I don’t think I would enjoy acting as much as I do now if we were not doing this simultaneously.
In light of Earth Day coming up, I wanted to quickly ask you about your contributions to Global Green USA. What inspired you to help dedicate time to this foundation?
A friend of our family was working with the foundation. She invited my sister and I to participate in a few of the events that they were doing. You sit there and you hear about the environment and how important it is to care about the changes that are going to affect our children and children’s children if we continue to damage the environment. It’s hard to not want to get involved with a foundation like that. That pretty much motivated me to do it. I challenge anyone to hear a conversation about what we do to planet earth and how it affects everyone or everything and not want to get involved and help out.
Do you have anything else that you would like to say to the readers of The Mag?
Thanks for watching SWITCHED AT BIRTH! I truly think in the entertainment industry we are nothing without the people who support and watch us. I am thankful for those people and I appreciate them.
Thank you, Vanessa!