# Cassie Scerbo
**Cassie Scerbo** (full name Cassandra Lynn Scerbo; born 1990) is an American actress, singer, and producer best known for playing Lauren Tanner on the gymnastics drama *Make It or Break It* (2009–2012) and Nova Clarke in the *Sharknado* film franchise (2013–2018).[1](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/cassandra-scerbo/bio/3000120443/) • [2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/41518/cassie-scerbo) Born on [Long Island](https://www.edgepedia.org/long-island), New York, she began in music and teen film before moving into genre and adult roles, and in recent years has added producing credits and nonprofit work against bullying.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2628561/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name / birth | Cassandra Lynn Scerbo, born 1990 in Long Island, New York, United States[1](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/cassandra-scerbo/bio/3000120443/) |
| Signature TV role | Lauren Tanner, aspiring Olympic gymnast, in *Make It or Break It*, 47 episodes, 2009–2012[2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/41518/cassie-scerbo) |
| Signature film role | Nova Clarke in five *Sharknado* installments, 2013–2018[2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/41518/cassie-scerbo) |
| Breakthrough | Brooke in *Bring It On: In It to Win It* (2007)[4](https://www.syfy.com/people/cassie-scerbo) |
| Early career | Sang with the group Slumber Party Girls from 2006; first screen appearance in *Hitters Anonymous* (2005)[1](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/cassandra-scerbo/bio/3000120443/) |
| Producing and advocacy | Executive producer of the school-safety documentary *Code Red*; Vice President of the California nonprofit Boo2Bullying[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2628561/) |
| Recent lead | Josephine "Jo" Beckett in the Western horror film *The Wolf and the Lamb* (2026), also executive producer[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2628561/news/) |
## Early life and start in entertainment
Scerbo was born in Long Island, New York, in 1990, and her parents are Italian, her father from Calabria and her mother from Sicily.[1](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/cassandra-scerbo/bio/3000120443/) • [6](https://www.kinopoisk.ru/name/1284377/) She attended [Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School](https://www.edgepedia.org/marjory-stoneman-douglas-high-school) in [Parkland, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/parkland-florida).[7](https://www.valeorine.com/reference/cassie-scerbo) Her first on-screen appearance came in the 2005 film *Hitters Anonymous*, and in 2006 she began singing with the musical group Slumber Party Girls.[1](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/cassandra-scerbo/bio/3000120443/)
## Breakthrough and teen roles
Her breakthrough came in 2007 with *[Bring It On: In It to Win It](https://www.edgepedia.org/bring-it-on-in-it-to-win-it)*, the fourth installment of [Universal Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/universal-pictures)' cheerleading franchise, in which she played Brooke.[4](https://www.syfy.com/people/cassie-scerbo) • [8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/cassie_scerbo) She followed it with the 2008 comedy *Soccer Mom*, playing Tiffany.[4](https://www.syfy.com/people/cassie-scerbo) • [9](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-213094/filmographie/)
ABC Family then cast her in the original drama *Make It or Break It*, which premiered on June 22, 2009. She played Lauren Tanner, an ambitious and competitive aspiring Olympic gymnast, and went through an extensive training program to prepare for the part; the series ran for three seasons and 47 episodes through 2012.[4](https://www.syfy.com/people/cassie-scerbo) • [2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/41518/cassie-scerbo) • [10](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/make-it-or-break-it) Reviewers of the show described Lauren as one of its central antagonists, a wealthy and unsportsmanlike gymnast whose father buys her way onto a rival team, a characterization that made Scerbo closely associated with the "mean girl" roles of her early career.[10](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/make-it-or-break-it) • [11](https://www.womansworld.com/entertainment/celebrities/cassie-scerbo-talks-new-movie-she-works-in-the-taylor-sheridan-world-exclusive)
During this period she also appeared in the films *Teen Spirit* (2011, as Amber Pollock) and *Not Today* (2012), and made guest appearances on *10 Things I Hate About You*, *Hot in Cleveland*, and *CSI: Miami*.[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/cassie_scerbo) • [2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/41518/cassie-scerbo) She voiced Heidi Weinerman in the animated series *[Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja](https://www.edgepedia.org/randy-cunningham-9th-grade-ninja)* for its first two seasons.[9](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-213094/filmographie/)
## Sharknado and genre work
In July 2013 Scerbo starred as Nova Clarke, a bartender turned shark-fighting fighter, in Syfy's television movie *Sharknado*, which became an unexpected viral hit and earned her a People's Choice Award nomination.[4](https://www.syfy.com/people/cassie-scerbo) • [12](https://abcnews.com/amp/US/sharknado-storm-hits-internet/story?id=19646684) She reprised Nova in *Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!* (2015), *Sharknado 5: Global Swarming* (2017), and *The Last Sharknado: It's About Time* (2018), appearing in five installments of the franchise in total.[2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/41518/cassie-scerbo) • [4](https://www.syfy.com/people/cassie-scerbo) In a 2017 interview she said the role came naturally to her as a self-described tomboy, describing Nova as determined and unafraid.[13](https://www.mckenziemorrell.com/cms-assets/Cassie%20Scerbo%202017.pdf)
Genre work became a recurring thread. Her credits include *Bering Sea Beast* (2013), Blumhouse's *Truth or Dare* (2017, as Alex Colshis), *The Perfect Soulmate* (2017), *Agoraphobia* (2015), *Requiem for a Scream* (2022), and *Amp House Massacre* (2024).[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/cassie_scerbo) On Rotten Tomatoes her highest-rated film is the original *Sharknado* at 78 percent with critics.[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/cassie_scerbo)
## Television work after Make It or Break It
Scerbo continued in television with guest and recurring parts: Heather in two episodes of *Baby Daddy* (2014), Brianna Barton in *Bad Judge* (2014), Lauren M in MTV's *Mary + Jane* (2016), Vanessa in three episodes of ABC's *Grand Hotel* (2019), and Cheyenne in *9-1-1: Lone Star* (2020).[2](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/41518/cassie-scerbo) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2628561/) She has said she chooses between television and film based on the script rather than the medium.[14](https://www.scifivision.com/interviews/1959-cassie-scerbo-talks-baby-daddy)
## Producing and advocacy
Beyond acting, Scerbo executive produced the school-safety documentary *Code Red: Youth of the Nation* alongside Conor Riley and [Bailee Madison](https://www.edgepedia.org/bailee-madison), which streams on Amazon, and she serves as Vice President of the California state nonprofit Boo2Bullying.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2628561/) The connection to school safety is personal: she attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the site of the 2018 mass shooting.[15](https://www.bmaherwrites.com/pdfs/cassie%20scerbo_compressed.pdf)
## Recent work
Scerbo stars as Josephine "Jo" Beckett, a schoolteacher and single mother in 1870s Montana Territory, in the Western horror film *The Wolf and the Lamb*, directed and written by Michael Schilf and released in select theaters and on digital on April 24, 2026, by Samuel Goldwyn Films; she also serves as one of its executive producers.[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2628561/news/) She has described the part as a departure from her earlier typecasting, noting she had never played a mother before, and in interviews has framed the film as a story about a mother's love as much as a horror Western.[11](https://www.womansworld.com/entertainment/celebrities/cassie-scerbo-talks-new-movie-she-works-in-the-taylor-sheridan-world-exclusive) • [16](https://www.awarenowmedia.com/story-feed/beyond-the-box) Her other recent credits include *The Fall* (2024, as Tiffany League), the animated film *Under the Boardwalk* (2023, voice roles), and *The Plus One* (2023, as Marie James), along with executive producer credits on *Mini War* (2026).[17](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/cassie-scerbo/) • [8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/cassie_scerbo)
## References
1. [Cassandra Scerbo Biography, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/cassandra-scerbo/bio/3000120443/)
2. [Cassie Scerbo, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/41518/cassie-scerbo)
3. [Cassandra Scerbo, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2628561/)
4. [Cassie Scerbo, SYFY](https://www.syfy.com/people/cassie-scerbo)
5. [Cassandra Scerbo News, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2628561/news/)
6. [Касси Скербо, Кинопоиск](https://www.kinopoisk.ru/name/1284377/)
7. [Cassie Scerbo, VALÉORINE](https://www.valeorine.com/reference/cassie-scerbo)
8. [Cassandra Scerbo Movie List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/cassie_scerbo)
9. [Cassie Scerbo Filmographie, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-213094/filmographie/)
10. [Make It or Break It Parents' Guide, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/make-it-or-break-it)
11. [Cassie Scerbo Talks New Movie 'The Wolf and the Lamb', Woman's World](https://www.womansworld.com/entertainment/celebrities/cassie-scerbo-talks-new-movie-she-works-in-the-taylor-sheridan-world-exclusive)
12. [The Social Climber: 'Sharknado' Storm Blows Through Internet, ABC News](https://abcnews.com/amp/US/sharknado-storm-hits-internet/story?id=19646684)
13. ['Sharknado' Star Cassie Scerbo Talks Nova Clarke, Fan Fest News](https://www.mckenziemorrell.com/cms-assets/Cassie%20Scerbo%202017.pdf)
14. [Cassie Scerbo Talks Baby Daddy, SciFi Vision](https://www.scifivision.com/interviews/1959-cassie-scerbo-talks-baby-daddy)
15. [Her Feature: Cassie Scerbo](https://www.bmaherwrites.com/pdfs/cassie%20scerbo_compressed.pdf)
16. [Beyond the Box: Interview with Cassandra Scerbo, AwareNow](https://www.awarenowmedia.com/story-feed/beyond-the-box)
17. [Cassie Scerbo, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/cassie-scerbo/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames S to Se*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license