Posts Tagged ‘hsm’
Cover Story: Ashley Tisdale Revealed
May 27th, 2009 / Author: OK! Staff
OK! Interview: Drew Seeley
September 30th, 2008
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.”
By Laura Lane
OK! Exclusive: Ashley Tisdale Leaves “Suite Life” Behind
July 26th, 2008 / Author: OK! Staff
For every young actor who makes it big on a children’s show, there ultimately comes a time when they have to shed their teen star past if they want to have any hope of a long and fruitful career. And for Ashley Tisdale, who made a name for herself with the young ‘uns in 2005 on the Disney Channel hit The Suite Life of Zack & Cody , that time is now.
Insiders have been whispering to OK! that Ashley, who just turned 23 on July 2, was getting restless after three years of playing the part of Maddie Fitzpatrick on the show, and that she was looking to leverage her success in the High School Musical movies into starring film roles and a hit singing career.
When reached for comment on this story, a Disney Channel rep tells OK! exclusively that production on the original Suite Life shows has indeed shut down and that, while the rest of her co-stars will be on board when a spin-off of the show, The Suite Life on Deck, premieres this fall, Ashley will not be a part of the cast — though she has shot at least one guest-starring appearance on the show.
Sources tell OK! that Ashley is hoping to spice up her squeaky clean image and land some more "racy" and "edgy" roles — similar to what Jessica Biel did when she left 7th Heaven and went from goody-two-shoes to sex symbol almost overnight.
But Ashley isn’t leaving her ‘tween fans behind completely. In October, they can all line up around the block to see her and her fellow East High students on the big screen in the highly anticipated film, High School Musical 3: Senior Year.
The Darker Side of Zac Efron
November 27th, 2007
While many people, celebs included, wait until after the New
Year to get a new hairstyle or change their look, OK! has learned that High
School Musical hunk Zac Efron, without on-off-on girlfriend and co-star Vanessa
Hudgens, was at the Neil George Salon in
on Monday, getting a jump on his New Year’s resolution with a cut and color.
Except, from what salon insiders tell OK!, the new hairstyle wasn’t exactly the
Hairspray star’s idea.
“He was getting his hair cut for a production,” one witness reveals
to OK!. “And the producers were making him color it. Someone from the
production was with Zac, guiding the stylists through it.” According to
the witness, they even brought a color sample — a darker brown than fans are
used to seeing on the young star’s adorable head — that they’re trying to
match.
With the addition of a last-minute low-light job, the 20-year-old spent nearly
four hours in the salon getting color happy and, during his time in the chair,
bumped into famous patrons Michelle Trachtenberg, telling her he can’t wait for
the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie, and Melanie Griffith, with whom he had a
brief and seemingly vocab-challenged exchange.
“She said, ‘You’re sooo cute.’ and Zac responded, ‘You’re
cute too!’” a witness tells OK!. “And Melanie said, ‘No, but you’re so
entertaining!’ and Zac said, ‘You’re so entertaining too.’ After Melanie walked
away Zac said, ‘Wow! That was so cool!’”
Not cool was the dearth of guy-friendly reads, forcing Zac to ask, “Don’t you
have any magazines for guys to read?” The answer was “no” and the triple threat
passed time thumbing through women magazines, but don’t read too much into
that.
“He was really cute, nice and not pretentious at
all,” the source adds. “I don’t think he’s gay either.”
As of Monday night, Zac hadn’t gone public with the new, darker ‘do, but OK! is just dyeing for a peek!
Vanessa’s Birthday Gift For Zac: You’re Dumped!
October 18th, 2007
After a tumultuous couple of months for Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron, which saw them going through a brief breakup after nude pics of ‘Nessa hit the net, OK! can report that it’s finally over for the High School Musical sweethearts. But this time, it’s Vanessa that’s kicked Zac to the curb — and right before his birthday!
A source close to the dreamy-eyed hunk reveals exclusively to OK! that the deed went down late Wednesday evening, only hours before he was to turn 20. Now, just out of his teens, he’s going around telling friends it’s “officially over.”
One friend tells OK! that Zac is worried Vanessa might have already found a new piece of man candy — though there are no real signs of this being true.
Vanessa’s rep is denying the news. However, no word yet from Zac’s camp on the split, which is interesting when you consider the fact that both stars are represented by the same firm.
Why Doesn’t Disney Have Vanessa’s Back?
October 18th, 2007
After OK! exclusively broke the story Wednesday morning that Vanessa Hudgens had been given the boot from the upcoming High School Musical 3 by Disney, the teen star’s personal publicist (not a Disney employee) seemed to magically appear on every entertainment news site in the world to deny the report.
Of course, that’s what publicists are hired to do and OK! stands by our reporting.
What OK! really wants to know is why — if the story is as false as Vanessa’s rep wishes it were — hasn’t Disney come out in such vigorous defense of the young star of their hugely profitable production?
When originally asked for a comment on the story, OK! was only told the cast, including Vanessa, was “still in negotiations for the feature film,” which they have since repeated to several other news sources, from Fox News to Access Hollywood, apparently refusing to say anything stronger in their defense.
So why wouldn’t Disney just come out with a “We’re standing behind her all the way” comment? “They’re probably waiting to gauge the public’s reaction to the story,” one Hollywood insider explains to OK!. “If HSM fans seem to be okay with moving forward without Vanessa, Disney made the right decision. On the other hand, if there’s some public outcry demanding her return, that’s when you’ll probably see a public statement.”
Well, just judging by the readers of OKmagazine.com, it seems like Disney ought to be extending the olive branch to Vanessa. The overwhelming number of comments on the story were pro-Vanessa, and thousands of supporters flooded the poll, saying they would never watch a High School Musical with her. So, for the sake of the massively popular franchise, Disney had better prick up their ears and listen.
Curtains for Vanessa’s High School Musical
October 17th, 2007
Over a month after frisky nude photos of High School Musical starlet Vanessa Hudgens hit the Internet, OK! can exclusively report that Disney has made up its mind about what to do next and that the 18-year-old actress will not be asked to board the boat for the third HSM film.
“Disney finally decided that they don’t want her back,” an insider reveals to OK!. “They feel that as long as Zac Efron is in the movie, all will be fine. He’s the real star — the household name — and, most importantly, he comes without baggage.”
The source also reports that one of the Cheetah Girls — Adrienne Baillon, 23, or possibly 23-year-old Sabrina Bryan — will take Vanessa’s place. “The producers think that after Dancing With the Stars, Sabrina will be more famous than Vanessa.”
Adding fuel to the fire, Adrienne played coy with OK! when confronted with the information. “I love working with Disney,” she said. “I’m trying to convince Disney to let the whole Disney circle of stars in. I’m just trying to convince Disney to let your Zac and Codys and your Brenda Strongs join High School Musical. We all come in and invade their high school; that would be pretty hot. Put us all together in a feature film!”
Interesting thought — but does “us all” include Vanessa?
