Ely LaMay was born on February 19, 1989 (born Ashley Nicole LaMay) in Fremont, Michigan. Her Mother, Cathy Queen, is Filipino, and Ely is also Native-American and French. She spent much of her childhood devoted to dance and music until high school, when she started working with a summer youth theater. It was in this program that she found her true passion for acting. At 19, Ely flew to Los Angeles to take a workshop and she never got on her returning flight, staying penniless and without knowing anyone in Los Angeles, to pursue acting. Since then, she has taken classes and continues to work consistently as an actress.