Ariana Joan Grande born June 26, 1993 is an American actress. She currently plays the role of Cat Valentine on Victorious.Grande was born and raised in Boca Raton, Florida. She is of Italian descent, half Sicilian, half Abruzzese. Her older brother is actor-producer Frankie Grande. She studies voice with Eric Vetro. As a child, Grande began performing at Boca Raton’s former Little Palm Theatre for Young People. A few years later, she started to perform in Fort Lauderdale Children's Theater (FLCT).
In 2008, Grande played the role of Charlotte in the musical 13 on Broadway, for which she won a National Youth Theatre Association Award. When she joined the musical, Grande left her high school, North Broward Preparatory School, but continued to be enrolled. The school sent materials to her for study with tutors.She played the role of Miriam in the first reading of the forthcoming musical Cuba Libre composed by Desmond Child. Grande teaches music and dance to children in South Africa each year as a member of "Broadway in South Africa".
In 2009, she was cast as Cat Valentine on the Nickelodeon television series Victorious. Then she dyed her hair in the words of Ariana "red velvet cupcake" or Magenta. In 2009 and 2010, Grande performed at Birdland jazz club in New York City with Miranda Sings.
