Bridgit Mendler

Bridgit Claire Mendler (born December 18, 1992) is an American actress and singer. She starred in the films Alice Upside Down (2007), The Clique (2008), Labor Pains (2009) and Lemonade Mouth (2011). In 2009, Mendler signed with Disney Channel and played Juliet van Heusen on Wizards of Waverly Place. Following the positive reception to her character, she landed the role of Teddy Duncan on the Disney series Good Luck Charlie, which ran from April 2010 to February 2014. Subsequently, Mendler portrayed Candace in the NBC sitcom Undateable (2015–2016), Ashley Willerman in the ABC/CMT musical television series Nashville (2017), and Emmy Quinn in the Netflix comedy series Merry Happy Whatever (2019). As a singer, Mendler released her debut studio album Hello My Name Is... (2012), with the hit single "Ready or Not", and an EP Nemesis (2016). She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Radio Disney Music Award, and nominations for a Young Artist Award, eight World Music Awards, and three Shorty Awards. Mendler has links with several philanthropic projects and humanitarian causes. From 2010 to 2012, she served as ambassador to nonprofit First Book, which encourages reading, and Give with Target with retail chain Target, to raise funds to reform schools in the United States. Since 2017, she has been a student and researcher with the MIT Media Lab. As of 2022, she is working on her PhD from MIT's Center for Constructive Communications and Social Machines group. Early life Mendler was born in Washington, D.C. She is the daughter of Sandra (née Ford) Mendler and Charles Mendler, and has a younger brother named Nicholas. She moved with her family to Mill Valley, California, at the age of eight. It was there where she first expressed interest in acting and began working in plays. When she was eight years old, Mendler began taking part in local roles in both dramatic and musical theatre, and became the youngest performer in the San Francisco Fringe Festival. When she was 11 years old, she hired an agent to help her get acting jobs. Mendler is the niece of psychologist Christine Blasey Ford. Career