Sabrina Carpenter’s Rise: From Disney Star to Hollywood Contender

While Sabrina Carpenter’s recent Grammy victories and chart-topping hits have firmly established her as a musical powerhouse, many fans were first introduced to her through their television screens. The multi-talented performer began her Hollywood journey as a child actor, building an impressive filmography that spans television, streaming platforms, and feature films—a foundation that may yet play a significant role in her entertainment future despite her current music focus.

“I go to the movies and I get really jealous of the people in the movies,” Carpenter recently confessed in a Cosmopolitan UK interview, hinting at a potential return to acting. “I’m like, ‘Oh, I want to be in a movie.’ And then I go to concerts and I get jealous of people onstage. I’m like, ‘Oh, I want to be onstage.’ I think that’s a good sign,” according to Cosmopolitan.

Early Roles: Building a Foundation

Carpenter’s acting career began at age 11 with a guest appearance on NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” in 2011, a common starting point for many New York-based actors. This early dramatic role showcased her natural talent and laid the groundwork for a series of small parts in productions like “The Goodwin Games” and a guest appearance on “Orange Is the New Black.”

Her breakthrough came in 2014 when she landed the role of Maya Hart, the fierce best friend of Riley Matthews (Rowan Blanchard) on Disney Channel’s “Girl Meets World.” The series, which ran for three seasons until 2017, established Carpenter as a recognizable talent and coincided with the launch of her music career through Disney’s Hollywood Records, as detailed by Billboard.

Diverse Film Projects Showcase Range

As Carpenter’s Disney tenure concluded, she began strategically selecting film roles that would help transition her image from child star to serious actress. Her filmography includes supporting roles in significant projects like “The Hate U Give” (2018), where she played Hailey, a friend whose relationship with the protagonist reveals unconscious racial bias.

Carpenter has also headlined multiple Netflix productions, including the dance competition film “Work It” (2020), which she executive produced, and both installments of the “Tall Girl” franchise (2019, 2022). Her performance in the independent road trip drama “The Short History of the Long Road” (2019) earned critical recognition, winning the Jury Award for “Best Performance” at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, according to IMDb.

Broadway and Beyond

Carpenter’s performing versatility extended to Broadway in early 2020 when she made her debut as Cady Heron in “Mean Girls.” Though the COVID-19 pandemic cut her run dramatically short after just two performances, the brief stint demonstrated her willingness to explore different entertainment mediums and challenge herself artistically.

In interviews, Carpenter has expressed that while music allows her complete creative control, acting continues to appeal to her artistic sensibilities. “Music is the only career that is fully, 100 percent me,” she told Billboard in 2021, though her continued acting projects suggest she values the different forms of creative expression, as Billboard reports.

Future Directions

As Carpenter’s music career reaches new heights with her Grammy wins and sold-out arena tour, industry observers speculate about potential returns to acting that might complement her established music success. Other music stars like Lady Gaga and Janelle Monáe have successfully balanced recording careers with selective, high-profile acting projects.

Carpenter’s existing relationships with major platforms like Netflix and Disney+ could provide natural avenues for future projects, while her increased industry clout might open doors to more prestigious film opportunities. At just 25 years old, with both commercial appeal and critical respect, Carpenter possesses the rare versatility to potentially excel in multiple entertainment spheres simultaneously.