Brittany Raymond

{{Short description|Canadian actress and dancer (born 1995)}} {{Infobox person | name = Brittany Raymond | image = | caption = Raymond at | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|02|24}} | birth_place = Brampton, Ontario, Canada | death_date =  | other_names = | occupation = {{Hlist|Actress|dancer}} | education = | years_active = 2013–present | television = ''The Next Step'' <br> ''Dare Me'' | website = }} '''Brittany Lynn Raymond''' (born February 24, 1995) is a Canadian actress and dancer. She is best known for her role as Riley in the Family Channel series ''The Next Step''<ref name="stuff">{{Cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/88706657/the-next-step-for-disney-star-brittany-raymond|title=The Next Step for Disney star Brittany Raymond|work=Stuff.co.nz|date=January 27, 2017}}</ref> and Cori Ross in the USA Network series, ''Dare Me''.<ref name="auto" />

==Career== From 2013 to 2017, she starred in the Family Channel series ''The Next Step'', portraying the role of Riley. As part of promotion for the series, she has performed in Canada,<ref>{{Citation|title=Canada|date=December 29, 2021|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Canada&oldid=1062533333|work=Wikipedia|language=en|access-date=December 30, 2021}}</ref> the United Kingdom,<ref>{{cite news|title=Live shows are the Next Step for hit TV show|url=http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/whats-on/theatre-and-comedy/live-shows-are-the-next-step-for-hit-tv-show-1-8425480|work=Blackpool Gazette|date=March 7, 2017}}</ref> Australia,<ref name="Newcastle">{{cite news|title=The next step in television for teens|url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/4424543/the-next-step-in-television-for-teens/|work=Newcastle Herald|date=January 27, 2017|location=Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia|access-date=March 21, 2017|archive-date=March 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315042200/http://www.theherald.com.au/story/4424543/the-next-step-in-television-for-teens/|url-status=live}}</ref> and New Zealand.<ref name=stuff /> From 2015 to 2016, she portrayed Riley in the spinoff series, ''Lost & Found Music Studios''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/watch/lost-and-found-trailer|title=Lost & Found Music Studios - Lost & Found Music Studios is back!|last=|first=|date=|website=BBC|access-date=March 23, 2020|archive-date=September 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190924000638/https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/watch/lost-and-found-trailer|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2019 and 2025, she reprised her role of Riley for ''The Next Step Christmas Special'', airing on CBC Gem and in the series finale in season 10. She began appearing in the USA Network series ''Dare Me'' as Cori Ross.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/07/dare-me-willa-fitzgerald-herizen-guardiola-marlo-kelly-star-usa-pilot-1202433698/|title='Dare Me': Willa Fitzgerald, Herizen Guardiola & Marlo Kelly To Star In USA Pilot|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva|date=July 25, 2018|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=June 23, 2019}}</ref>

Aside from being a dancer, she also writes often and helped co-write the scripts for two web-series she was in: ''Australianaire$'' and ''Graped''. She starred in each of these alongside friend and business partner whom she started the production company "Knuckles on Four" with, Brennan Clost. The two have produced a six-episode mini web-series, ''Australianaire$'' in 2020 as well as a short film, ''Almost Twenty'', in 2021.

In 2016, she started the YouTube channel, "Jo and Britt" with high school friend Joelle Farrow, whom she met in Grade 12 Writer's Craft Class, bonding over Shaquan Lewis. The two did promotional events and had sponsorships with Google through their Pixel Phone. They also went to the UK for meet and greets to interact more with fans. In the time that Jo and Britt was running, they created merch, (clothing, notebooks, and phone cases) on their Threadless website.

== Personal life == Raymond was born on February 24, 1995, in Brampton, Ontario,<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last1=Clay |first1=Chris |date=March 13, 2017 |title=Brampton actor Brittany Raymond brings home Canadian Screen Award |url=http://www.bramptonguardian.com/whatson-story/7188404-brampton-actor-brittany-raymond-brings-home-canadian-screen-award/ |work=The Brampton Guardian}}</ref> to parents, Paula and John Raymond, alongside older sister Samantha. Her mother is of Portuguese descent.<ref>{{cite web |last=Raymond |first=Brittany |title=Questions Finally Answered - Q&A |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehNxLtGk4ig |website=YouTube |date=27 February 2016 |access-date=July 10, 2022}}</ref> She danced at Joanne Chapman School of Dance,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wall of Fame|url=https://joannechapmandance.com/wall-of-fame|access-date=December 30, 2021|website=Joanne Chapman Dance|language=en-US}}</ref> where she mastered her art. She moved to Georgetown, Ontario, when she booked ''The Next Step'' at age 17 after dancing competitively since the age of six.

At the end of 2016, she was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, where she had to have a surgery to remove part of her intestine. Currently, she is in remission. During that time, she took up knitting and writing more. She has been dating Benjamin Dunlop, a photographer from Brisbane, Australia since they met at the 5th Canadian Screen Awards in 2017, when she won the Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series award for her role as Riley in ''The Next Step''.<ref name=":1">[http://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/canadian-screen-awards-nominations-1.3938015 "Orphan Black, Schitt's Creek, Kim's Convenience up for Canadian Screen Awards"]. CBC News, January 17, 2017.</ref><ref name=":0" /> The two live in an apartment overlooking Downtown Toronto with their cat Sauble.

==Filmography==

=== Film === {| class="wikitable" !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- |2015 |''The Next Step Live: The Movie'' |Self |Documentary film |- |2016 |''Transitions'' |Savannah |Short film |- |2018 |''Extracurricular'' |Miriam Randall |Film |- |2019 |''Waiting'' |Lynn |Short, self written film |- |2021 |''Almost Twenty'' |Unnamed |Co-written short film |- |2024 |''Sway'' |Jade | |}

=== Television === {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2013–2017, 2019, 2025 | data-sort-value="Next Step, The" | ''The Next Step '' | rowspan="2" | Riley | Main role; 135 episodes <ref>Main role (seasons 1–4); guest role (season 5, Christmas Special, season 10 finale)</ref> |- | 2015–2016 | ''Lost & Found Music Studios'' | Recurring role |- | rowspan="2" |2016 | ''Graped'' | Cindy | Unsold TV pilot |- | ''Taking the Next Step'' | Herself/Judge | Reality dance competition show (judge); recurring |- | 2019–2020 | ''Dare Me'' | Cori Ross | Recurring role |- | rowspan="2" |2021 | ''Chateau Laurier'' | Unnamed | Guest appearance |- | data-sort-value="Hardy Boys, The" | ''The Hardy Boys'' | Lola Burton | 4 episodes |- | 2023 | ''Fellow Travelers'' | Kimberly Fuller | 3 episodes |}

=== Web === {| class="wikitable" !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- |2020 |''Australianaire$'' |Cleo, Beth, various extras |Self produced web series during COVID-19 pandemic |}

== Awards and nominations == {| class="wikitable" !Awards !Year !Category !Work !Result !{{Ref heading}} |- | rowspan="2" |Canadian Screen Award |2015 | rowspan="2" |Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series | rowspan="2" |''The Next Step '' |{{nom}} |<ref name=":2">[http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/entertainment/article_d58545f4-c771-11e4-8e89-c3cffb98362b.html "Kelowna is the next step"]. ''Kelowna Daily Courier'', March 10, 2015.</ref> |- |2017 |{{won}} |<ref name=":1" /> ''<ref name=":0" />'' |} ==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|nm5250845}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raymond, Brittany}} Category:Canadian television actresses Category:1995 births Category:Canadian female dancers Category:Canadian people of Portuguese descent Category:Actresses from Brampton Category:Living people Category:Canadian Screen Award winning actors Category:People with Crohn's disease