Filipino-American singer and actress Lalaine Paras was born on June 3, 1987 in Burbank, California. The youngest of four children, she is usually credited only by her first name, and she has resided in Los Angeles. Her parents were originally from the Philippine provinces of Batangas and Pampanga, before emigrating to the United States. Her acting career began with the roles of Eponine and Young Cosette in the Broadway classic Les Miserables. She has also starred on several commercials, some of them being for Microsoft and Burger King.
Lalaine Paras has also worked on a number of other television and film productions. In 1999, she was given roles in made-for-TV movies like Border Line and the Wonderful World of Disney’s version of Annie, before she landed a role alongside AJ Trauth in You Wish! in 2003. From 2001 to 2004, she played the best friend of the title character in Lizzie McGuire, alongside Hillary Duff. She has since appeared as a recurring character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She was cast as Chloe, a young Slayer-in-training who eventually commits suicide. In 2004, she made a cameo appearance in the Disney Channel movie The Cheetah Girls. That year, Lalaine starred in the drama The Promised Land. She was also known for her voice work, which can be heard on films like Inspector Gadget and Lolita. Lalaine, proud of her Filipino heritage, went to the Philippines as well. She made guest appearances on the GMA Network, even hosting her own Filipino travel show titled Flipside. In 2007, she was cast in Her Best Move with Leah Pipes and Scott Patterson. She has also worked with Radio Disney, even releasing her own independent album Lalaine: Inside Story. She even performed on the soundtracks of the films You Wish! and Pixel Perfect. In 2008, she landed the role of Jan in the action film Royal Kill, starring Pat Morita and Eric Roberts.