Dara Renee

Dara Reneé Brooks was born on November 7, 2000, in Los Angeles, California. Her early career began at age two, appearing in various commercials and print campaigns. She later moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where her mother, Kimberly Brooks, established “Encouraging Youth to Dream,” a non-profit performing arts school. Growing up, Dara Reneé trained and performed in numerous stage productions such as “Annie,” “West Side Story,” “The Wiz,” and “Grease.” She attended John Paul Regional Catholic School in Milford Mill before returning to California to complete high school at Charter High School of the Arts (CHAMPS) in Van Nuys.

Reneé made her acting debut in 2018 as Savannah in the Disney Channel Original Movie “Freaky Friday.” The following year, she secured a recurring role as Stunts in the fifth season of the ABC series “Black-ish” and also appeared in a guest role on “The Kids Are Alright.” Her career progressed significantly with her casting as Kourtney Greene in the Disney+ series “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” which premiered in November 2019. This role, initially conceived as a minor character, was expanded to a series regular due to her performance. She contributed creatively by arranging the series’ version of “Bop to the Top” and later had her original song, “Here I Come,” featured in the third season. In 2021, she began hosting “Disney’s Magic Bake-Off” and guest-starred in an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy.”

In 2022, it was announced that Reneé would join the cast of “Descendants: The Rise of Red” as Uliana, the sister of Ursula. This film was released in 2024. She is also actively pursuing her music career as an independent artist, writing and producing new music. Her work across television, film, and music showcases her diverse artistic capabilities and commitment to the performing arts.