[5] A Los Angeles agent signed Gillam after seeing her star as Rizzo in a theater production of the musical Grease.

[6][7][8] Following her 2010 high school graduation, Gillam moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.

After seven days there, she landed the prime role as Bee in the DreamWorks 2011 major movie remake of the 1985 comedy horror film Fright Night.

That year, she also originated the regular role of Amy in the ABC Family fantasy drama series The Nine Lives of Chloe King.

[11] In 2012 through 2013, Gillam was cast as April Young, a recurring character in The CW's supernatural drama The Vampire Diaries,[12][13] and appeared in 10 episodes of the fourth season.

[28][29][30][15][31][32] That year, she also appeared in three episodes of the black comedy-horror TV series Scream Queens on Fox as Mandy, and was a beauty gangleader named Alice in Paul Solet's punk rock revenge segment of horror comedy Tales of Halloween.

[40][41] In 2014, Phipps appeared in the Austin & Ally episode "Directors & Divas"[22][23] and performed "The Pilot and the Mermaid" with Ross Lynch.