Laura Marano On The Intense Underwater Filming In Above & Below, Broadway Dreams, and an Austin & Ally Reunion

Laura Marano is diving into new territory… literally.

The actress takes on one of her most physically demanding roles to date in Above & Below, an action-packed shark thriller that required the team to navigate a lot of underwater challenges. Speaking with Pop Culture Planet’s Kristen Maldonado, Marano opened upabout the wild realities of filming underwater, her New York Stage debut, and whether she’d ever return to Austin & Ally.

One of the biggest surprises while filming was limitations of recording under water. “You can't record sound under water,” she told me, explaining that they would go over the scene above water, record a scratch track, and then mime to that track playing while doing the actual scene. Then months later they’d re-record the audio after the scene was edited together. “That was a wild experience because you had to do the scene three different times in three different ways. When recording it after the fact, vocally, I had to create that same energy. So I'm like doing jumping jacks. I'm hyperventilating in the vocal booth. It was intense. And I wasn't even underwater at that point. Everything about this movie, intense is the word to use for sure.”

Best known for her role in Disney Channel’s Austin & Ally, this film took her out of her comfort zone in the best way. “I really was excited about the prospect of doing something I hadn't done before. I wanted to do something that was physically challenging. That was part of the appeal for me with the role,” Marano said. “And then obviously working with Antonio Banderas was very high on why I wanted to do this film.”

Between working with Antonio Banderas and filming in the Canary Islands and Bulgaria, Marano said “it was checking off all of my boxes.” But that doesn’t mean she wasn’t nervous. “I was scared to do it. I was nervous because I hadn't done something like this before. [But] I think that's how I knew I had to do it because it very much felt like, ‘Oh, this is something that is going to make me grow as a person and as an artist.’ And it really did.”

While Above & Below pushed Marano physically, she’s currently challenging herself in an entirely different way with her New York stage debut as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre in the off-Broadway 20th-anniversary revival of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

The experience has already taught her something important: she really, really loves theater. “I love it so much. You kind of don't know if you're going to actually love doing something until you do it. There's been plenty of things in my life that once I've done it, I'm like, "Oh, I’m glad I did it. Won't do this again,’” Marano laughed. “Meanwhile, doing theater and doing this musical has made me just feel like I really want to keep doing this and do more roles and do more theater.”

The demanding schedule has also taught her how crucial it is to take care of herself. “Your voice gets really affected by so many little things and so you have to have your ducks in a row health-wise and be on top of taking care of yourself,” she said.

And if she could choose her next dream Broadway role, Marano already has a couple in mind. “Maureen from Rent. That is one of my dream roles,” she said. “I love that musical so much.”

She also has her eye on Penny from Hairspray. “I just love doing comedic parts. Especially right now, there's so much darkness, so it's nice to lean into some comedy.”

Between Above & Below and Spelling Bee, it’s all about the balance. “There's been other times in my life where I've done a lot of comedy and I want to lean more into drama, which is why Above & Below was so fun for me because it really was super dramatic, super intense,” she explained. “As an artist, I love to not do anything for too long. So now after doing this drama intense film, let's lean into the comedy for a little bit.”

For fans who grew up watching Marano as Ally Dawson, the actress isn’t closing the door on a reunion. As Austin & Ally approaches its 15th anniversary, Marano and her former cast mates are open if the story makes sense. “Of course,” she said when asked if she would consider reprising Ally. “I think we’ve all said that we would be down for it if it made sense plot-wise.

The original cast and creative team still mean so much to her. “I love everyone who is a part of that project,” she said. “At the end of the day, any of these reboots really is a love letter to fans first and foremost. You just want to make sure that you're doing that right.”

If the The Lizzie McGuire Movie is an indication, Marano knows exactly what kind of reunuon she would want, teasing a trip to Europe or Hawaii. “I think The Lizzie McGuire Movie did it so right and that’s the model I always want to follow,” she said.

Up next, Marano is hoping to reunite with her sister Vanessa Marano professionally. There’s no news just yet on their film When We Collided, which Vanessa would direct and Laura would star in. But Laura is especially eager to act opposite her sister again. “I am dying to work with Vanessa again as actress to actress. We are dying to do a romantic comedy together ‘cause I just think we would have the best time ever. She’s my best friend. She’s the best person on Earth. So I’m always wanting to work with her.”

From an underwater thriller to the stage and even potential to the role that made her a household name for a generation of Disney Channel fans, Marano is clearly embracing all sides of herself. And that’s exactly the point. “Comedy and drama. Got to have the balance,” she said.

Above & Below hits VOD on August 25.