Dever was born in Phoenix, Arizona.[3] At the age of five, she began her interest in the performing arts with her parents sending her to an acting school. She also participated in gymnastics, ballet and skating, until she focused on acting. Her family then moved to Dallas, Texas, where she enrolled at the Dallas Young Actors Studio in a month-long acting program. Honing her acting skills at the studio, she booked a number of commercials, before moving to Los Angeles.[3]
Dever's first notable acti