Paula Brancati is a Canadian actress best known for her role of Jane Vaughn on Degrassi: The Next Generation from seasons seven to nine, as Jenny Zalen on Being Erica, and as Cally Stone on Dark Oracle. Brancati was born in Markham, Ontario, Canada. She studied "Improvisation and Musical Theatre" with CharActors Theatre Troupe, jazz and ballet with the AB Dance School, and voice lessons at her high school. Brancati also attended St. Elizabeth Catholic High School in Thornhill.
Brancati starred in the ABC Family original movie, Desperately Seeking Santa, as Marissa Marlet, alongside Nick Zano and Laura Vandervoort. She also had small roles in Jump In! (2006) and Cow Belles (2006). She was also in The Blobheads (2003) as Melissa, Kevin Hill (2004) as Shelby Hacker, Life With Derek (2005) as Vicky, and Veritas: The Quest (2003) as Young Hayley.
Paula's film debut came in 2003 in the feature Cold Creek Manor alongside Sharon Stone and Dennis Quaid, and in that same year, she made her professional theatre debut with the Canadian Stage Company in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. In 2006, Paula was nominated for a Gemini Award for Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series for her work on the Emmy-winning YTV series, Dark Oracle. In 2009, she starred alongside three of her fellow Degrassi actors in the Toronto production of the award-winning off-Broadway play Dog Sees God and was nominated for two Dora Awards.
Trivia
- Paula is a Gemini.
- Paula is Italian.
- Her top 6 tearjerker episodes are, according to her:
- Paula is a fan of Al Pacino and Julia Roberts.
- During her time on Degrassi, she took piano and voice lessons.
- She played the small role of Veronica in Radio Free Roscoe. One of the episodes in which she appeared was "How to Lose a Girl". (Nathaniel Stephenson had a main role on the show, while Lauren Collins and Jake Epstein also had small roles.)
- She played Kerry-Anne on Heartland in the episode "Ghost from the Past".
- She is Raymond Ablack's celebrity crush.
- She and Raymond Ablack both guest starred in the Life with Derek episode "Truman's Last Chance," which is a show that stars Jordan Todosey, Michael Seater, Joy Tanner, and John Ralston. These actors played Adam Torres, Michael Raye, Lara Coyne, and Miles Hollingsworth II in Degrassi, respectively.
- Her favourite Degrassi character is Craig Manning.
- She is friends with Nina Dobrev, Shannon Kook-Chun, Adamo Ruggiero, Chloe Rose, Dalmar Abuzeid, Raymond Ablack and Jake Epstein.
- Paula also auditioned for the part of Emma but was called back years later to audition for either Holly J., Anya, or Jane. She chose Jane because she "really dug" her.
- She stated in her interview for Straight Talk with Adamo Ruggeri she had to have someone chase her around a building because her running was poor, on the show Dark Oracle.
- She previously starred in Dark Oracle with former Degrassi actor Alex House as twins, though the two didn't share any scenes in Degrassi, because he was only in season 5, and she didn't come on the show until season 7. House played Marco's boyfriend Tim.