Lara Jill Miller
The former child star whose voice launched a thousand cartoons after her early fame on a classic 80s sitcom.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American actress·Birthday: April 20·Generation X
Biography
Lara Jill Miller stepped into America's homes as the brainy, bespectacled Samantha Kanisky on 'Gimme a Break!' in the 1980s, a role that defined her early career. After the show ended, she stepped away from the spotlight to attend college and law school, earning a degree from Fordham University School of Law. Rather than practicing law, she found her way back to performing, but this time behind the microphone. She carved out a substantial second act as a voice actor, lending her distinctive, energetic voice to a vast array of animated series and video games. From the magical world of 'The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy' to the preschool phenomenon 'Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!,' her vocal work has become a subtle but pervasive part of contemporary animation.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Lara was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Lara Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Lara's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played Samantha 'Sam' Kanisky for six seasons on the popular NBC sitcom 'Gimme a Break!'
- Built a prolific second career as a voice actor in animation, with roles in series like 'The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy' and 'Clifford the Big Red Dog.'
- Voiced the title character in the long-running children's series 'Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!'
- Earned a Juris Doctor degree from Fordham University School of Law.
Did You Know?
She is a licensed attorney in the state of New York.
She provided the voice for 'Lambie' in the Disney Junior series 'Doc McStuffins.'
She reprised her role as Sam Kanisky for a guest appearance on the TV Land series 'The Exes.'
She played Kathy, a recurring character, on the sketch comedy 'The Amanda Show.'
“I went to law school because I wanted to understand the rules of the world.”
