Elizabeth Egan Gillies was born in Haworth, New Jersey, on July 26, 1993, to Dave and Lorrie Gillies. She has one younger brother, born 1996. ... Gillies' acting career began at age 12, when she started going to local open casting calls. She quickly began appearing in commercials for companies such as Virgin Mobile. Elizabeth Egan Gillies was born in Haworth, New Jersey, on July 26, 1993, to Dave and Lorrie Gillies. She has one younger brother, born 1996.[6] Gillies has stated that she has Irish ancestry, and an Italian grandmother and great-grandmother.[3][7]
Gillies' acting career began at age 12, when she started going to local open casting calls. She quickly began appearing in commercials for companies such as Virgin Mobile.[8] She left high school in her freshman year to pursue acting and participated in an online high school program.[9] Her first television role was as a recurring character in The Black Donnellys. She has stated that she was not allowed to watch the finished show in its entirety because her parents felt it was not appropriate for her at the time. She appeared in three episodes.
