For anybody who has watched the popular teenage drama series, Pretty Little Liars , the name Janel Parrish will certainly ring a bell. But for those who have not, then introductions are in order. Janel Parrish is an American actress, dancer, singer, and songwriter. She has featured in several movies, TV series and stage productions such as Bratz, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, Hawaii Five-0, Bay Watch, Les Miserables, Spring Awakening and Grease . She is most popular for her role as Mona Vanderwaal, the mysterious villain in the popular series , Pretty Little Liars . Parrish is also a good dancer and came third at the 2014 edition of Dancing with the Stars.
Janel Parrish Bio (Age and Ethnicity)
Janel Meilani Parrish was born on the 30 th of October 1988 in Oahu, Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mom is Chinese while her dad is of European descent. She, therefore, has a mixed ethnicity comprising of Chinese and European. She spent her formative years in Hawaii, studying at Moanalua Elementary School and Moanalua High School.
Janel Parrish fell in love with acting at the age of 6 when she saw a production of the musical, The Phantom of the Opera . She dreamt of becoming an actor, just like those she had seen on stage. In order to realize her dreams, she took acting, singing and dancing lessons and began playing the piano. She entered several local talent hunts and her fame spread through her local community.
Her dreams came true in 1996 when she was cast to play a young version of the orphan, Cosette, in the musical Les Miserables. She embarked on a country-wide tour with the company and also performed on Broadway. Her good showing in Les Miserables brought her roles in other theatrical productions ( To Kill a Mockingbird ) as well as a TV series, Baywatch . As her acting career gained momentum, Parrish decided to leave school, at the age of 14, and relocate to L.A. to pursue acting full time.
Janel Parrish got a well-deserved break in 2007 when she landed a role as one of the main protagonists in the musical comedy, Bratz . Even though the movie was not a commercial success, it helped propel her to fame. Since Bratz, Parrish has gone on to appear in several movies ( Celeste and Jesse Forever, Fired Up!, Triple Dog, Hell Is Where The Home Is, Tiger ) and TV series ( Pretty Little Liars, Hawaii Five-O , Drop Dead Diva, High School Possession, Rush Hour and Rosewood ). Janel Parrish has also not forgotten her theatre roots and has taken part in several productions such as Grease , A Walk to Remember: The Musical, and Cruel Intentions: The Musical, Spring Awakening . Parrish has won four Teen Choice Awards as TV villain of the year for her role in Pretty Little Liars. She won the awards in 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2017.
Parents
Janel Parrish comes from a family of four. It includes her mom, Joanne (who is of Chinese descent) and her dad, Mark Phillip (who is European). Her parents were formerly bodybuilders. Parrish also has a sister named Melissa Nohelani. Melissa is eight years her senior and served in the U.S. Army. Her family is highly supportive of her acting career. When she decided to pursue acting fulltime, the entire family relocated to L.A. so that she could have a chance of fulfilling her dreams.
Who is Her Boyfriend?
The Pretty Little Liars star is not just in a relationship but is also married. Her husband’s name is Chris Long and he is a chemical engineer. We do not know how they met but their relationship started in September 2016. They dated for a year before getting engaged in Toronto, Canada in October 2017. Their wedding took place in Parrish’s home state of Hawaii on the 8 th of September 2018. Parrish’s elder sister, Melissa was her maid of honor while Chris’ brother officiated the ceremony. The beautiful ceremony was attended by some of her Pretty Little Liars co-stars and the couple honeymooned in Hawaii.
Height
The beautiful Parrish boasts of a svelte figure. She is 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 110lbs or 50kg. Her hair is dark brown in color while her captivating eyes are light brown in color. Parris is also a musician and has released three songs so far. They are “Rainy Day” (2007), “Heart Made of Stone” (2015) and “Senseless” (2015). She has also sang backup for other musicians and contributed to the soundtracks of some of her movies and TV series. In fact, on her wedding day, she and her husband marched down the aisle to a song she had specially written for him.