It’s highly possible you’ve been a Drew Seeley fan for years and didn’t know it, as his most famous vocal performance to date has been lending his singing voice to Zac Efron’s character, Troy, in the first High School Musical film.
But now, the hunky actor is stepping out of Zac’s shadow and starring opposite Disney sweetheart Selena Gomez in the DVD Another Cinderella Story.
“I really do feel validated in a different way now that I can step out front in center,” Drew tells OK!. “I’ve been waiting a really long time for this.”
And though you’d think Drew, who also co-wrote the Emmy-nominated HSM song "Get Your Head in the Game," might have a chip on his shoulder about all the fame Zac has achieved in recent years, you’d be wrong.
“I feel like Zac was cast right for that,” Drew says. “I think he was really good in the film and obviously his career is blowing up and I wish him the best. I think everything happens how it’s supposed to happen.”
Their paths crossed again after that first HSM film when Drew was called on to take on the role of Troy in the live "High School Musical Tour" because of Zac’s commitment to film Hairspray. And, remembers Drew, it wasn’t easy being the only un-original cast member.
“In every town I had to win over the crowd,” He recalls to OK!. “Most people were like, ‘Where’s Zac? Here’s everybody else.’ But I was the first one to get on stage every night and I think by the end of the first song I won over the crowd.”
Drew even says there’s definitely a possibility of the two Troy’s working together. “I would love to work with Zac,” says Drew. “I feel like that would be really fun with the history of everything. If the script is right and the project is right, why not?”
In his new movie with Selena — a sequel to 2004’s Cinderella Story, starring Chad Michael Murray and Hilary Duff — Drew is once again stepping into a part where he’s just asking to be compared to the previous film’s star.
“We expected it to be decent or even bad, but it’s actually really good,” Drew says. “I think this movie surpassed everybody’s expectations of how it was going to be.”
And while common sense would say that the movie’s kiss scene with 16-year-old Selena would be more awkward for her than for 26-year-old Drew, he insists he was the nervous one!
“Her mom was standing right there the whole time,” Drew tells OK!. “But we’re both acting professionals so we got through it.”
Drew’s had more acting roles lately. He recently wrapped the Adam Sandler-produced thriller Shortcut with Desperate Housewives star Andrea Bowen and James Franco’s younger brother, Davy Franco.
But what’s one thing he’s most proud of? “My mom’s jazzercise class used ‘Get Your Head in the Game,’” Drew says. “That was cool.”
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