Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 22:55, 4 February 2007

Ashley Michelle Tisdale (born July 2, 1985) is an American actress, singer and model. After appearing in several television roles during the late 1990s and early 2000s, she became known to young audiences for playing Madeline Fitzpatrick on the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Sharpay Evans in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical. Tisdale has also pursued a music career and will release her debut album Headstrong on February 6, 2007.

Early life

Tisdale was born in West Deal, New Jersey Her parents are Lisa Morris and Mike Tisdale, and her older sister is Jennifer, also an actress. Her maternal grandfather is Arnold Morris, the developer of Ginsu Knives; through her grandfather, she is also related to businessman Ron Popeil. Tisdale is Jewish on her mother's side and considers herself Jewish. She was discovered by her current manager, Bill Perlman, at her hometown mall in Monmouth County, New Jersey when she was three. She began acting, appearing in stage productions of Gypsy: A Musical Fable and The Sound of Music at the Jewish Community Center of Monmouth County. She sang for Bill Clinton at the White House when she was twelve years old. During her teen years, Tisdale worked at Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister Co., and Wet Seal stores.

Career

Film and television

During the late 1990s, Tisdale appeared in episodes of several television series, including Smart Guy, 7th Heaven, Grounded for Life, Boston Public, Strong Medicine, Charmed and Beverly Hills, 90210. She had a minor role in the 2001 film Donnie Darko and recurring roles on the sitcoms The Hughleys and Still Standing. Then, Tisdale was cast in the role of Maddie Fitzpatrick on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody after auditioning for the roles of Maddie Fitzpatrick and London Tipton. As the series became popular, Tisdale became a featured performer on the Disney Channel and performed a voice role in Whisper of the Heart. She was also cast in Disney's television film High School Musical, which became a major success for the channel after its premiere on January 20, 2006.

Tisdale originally tried out for Gabriella Montez, but was cast as Sharpay Evans. The role required her to perform several songs, including "What I've Been Looking For," "Bop to the Top," and "We're All in This Together." All three managed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. She has also recorded versions of the songs "Some Day My Prince Will Come" and "Kiss The Girl" (including a music video) for Disney. In addition, she recorded a version of "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" with the other members of the Disney Channel Circle of Stars, and appeared in the Disney Channel Games as captain of the Green Team.

More recently, Tisdale signed a deal with Staples, Inc. to appear in the promotional campaign for the company's "Geared 4 School" sweepstakes that fall. She will star in High School Musical 2, scheduled to air in August 2007.

Music

Tisdale's first solo album, Headstrong, is distributed by Warner Bros. Records and scheduled for release on February 6 2007. Her first single "He Said She Said," written by Jonathan "J.R." Rotem and Evan "Kidd" Bogart, was released on December 19, 2006. There are three versions of the song: the Radio Disney version, which is more appropriate for children; a version which Tisdale sings during the High School Musical tour; and an explicit version which is more "mature" than the other versions. She filmed a music video on January 25, 2007, which will premiere on TRL with the release of her album. Her second single, "Be Good to Me," was released on iTunes on January 9, 2007, with a music video to be played on the Disney Channel and KOL. Her song "Headstrong" was also released on the iTunes store as part of the "He Said She Said" single album.

Filmography

Discography

Albums

Singles

Songs

Soundtracks

TV shows and guest appearances

Interview

this interview is from the star scoop

THE STAR SCOOP: Tell us about yourself. ASHLEY TISDALE: I am a really creative person; I'm really nice and sweet. If you see me, you can totally come up to me, I'll totally say hi. I'm really funny, I try to make people laugh, I love to make people laugh. It's like, such a cool thing in the world is to have people smile and laugh at me. THE STAR SCOOP: How would you compare Maddie from Suite Life and Sharpay from High School Musical? TISDALE: They're totally different. Maddie's like, this girl next door, she's really, really smart, she gets along with everybody, she's always doing something crazy or insane. She's really sweet and Sharpay is just the total opposite. She's the most popular girl, she dresses like she goes to a red carpet event. It's funny because she's mean, but she always has a smile on. But they're totally different. THE STAR SCOOP: Both of these characters are from Disney projects. What is so appealing to you about Disney? TISDALE: I love Disney because I'm really, really young still. I never really felt comfortable, even before I was on Disney, doing any like type of roles that are really mature. I always wanted to work for Disney my whole life. It keeps you with such a safe feeling, that you know, you don't have to show skin, or do any of that stuff, and it's comfortable, and I love the characters I portray. I figure, this is where I want to be right now. I don't want to do all those mature roles right now. I have my whole life to do that. Not right now. THE STAR SCOOP: So how did you get your role as Maddie in the first place? TISDALE: I auditioned for it. I did a couple pilots for a network series, and finally went out for a Disney pilot. I worked with the producer and creator on Smart Guy, I did an episode before, so I went in and actually tested for both roles, London and Maddie. I'm really glad that I ended up with Maddie because for fans to first get to know me, I'd rather them look up to this character who is more like me. Maddie's a lot more like me, rather than for Sharpay or London. Brenda already has been on Disney for a long time, so it's easier for her fans to see that she's not like that. I'm really happy I got it. THE STAR SCOOP: How does the cast get along? TISDALE: We are like a huge family, from the beginning, from the pilot. We only had like a week to shoot the pilot - like we bonded. It was just amazing. I go shopping with Brenda all the time. I always know that I have somebody there for me. THE STAR SCOOP: Tell us about High School Musical, what was it like being involved in something a bit different from what Disney normally does and how you got involved. TISDALE: We recorded two weeks before we started. I literally went on hiatus for Suite Life last summer. I love working, when I'm working I get so bored. I was like, what am I going to do for like a couple months? I don't know what I'm going to do. So for two weeks on hiatus I was already bored. I was like, I need to do something. And suddenly High School Musical came around and I went to audition for it. Like it wasn't given to me. A lot of people think it is because I'm on Disney, but I had to go on audition, and callback. It wasn't like it was handed to me at all. I had to go in there and get it myself. I'm so thrilled and can't believe I was part of this whole big thing. I think kids are going to love it. I think it's something that kids will love. You know each of these characters. Sharpay is the popular girl, who is mean, you know somebody like that. I'm thrilled to be a part of it. It was great. THE STAR SCOOP: Are you getting more recognized now? TISDALE: Yeah, they know me as Ashley because they kind of promote my name. I just went to a Cheetah Girls concert and I could not believe how many people...I got mobbed. It was unreal. In the amphitheater, they were like chanting Ashley. Aly and AJ, who are my really good friends, were like, we thought Ashley Simpson was here, and it was actually me. THE STAR SCOOP: As a Disney Channel cast, do you all know each other? TISDALE: It's like fate that I ended up on there . I've known Raven since I was three. I hadn't seen her for the longest time! Now I'm in the same hallway as her, it's crazy. I've known Aly and AJ since they were really little. We were in acting class together. I've known Brenda since I did a Bette Midler show. Once you're in the business, you kind of just get to know everybody. You audition with these people, you're friends with these people. I always stay friends with everybody. All my friends are in the business because it's kind of hard. A lot of people were jealous and didn't understand. I just get to know all these people. It's kind of cool that we ended up on the same channel. THE STAR SCOOP: Where do you see yourself in the future? TISDALE: I probably want to do some more movies. High School Musical was the first real movie I really did, so, I definitely want to do more movies. But I always, always, want to have a sitcom. I would love to always have a TV show and then do movies on the side as well. And music. I would love to come out with an album one day...I love TV. My goal is to win an Emmy one day, not an Oscar.

Footnotes

1. Tisdale, Ashley. "Fact Sheet". BOP. Retrieved 2006-05-09. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
2. "High School homecoming". The Mercury News. 6/06. Retrieved 2007-06-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
3. Background info on Tisdale's maternal family found at "the New Yorker". The Pitchman. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
4. Tisdale mentioned her family relation on The Jimmy Kimmel Show, May 9, 2006
5. Bloom, Nate (2007-01-30). "All About Ashley". InterfaithFamily.com. Retrieved 2007-01-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
6. "About Ashley". AshleyTisdale.com. 2006-08-25. Retrieved 2007-01-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
7. "July 11, 2006". NJJN - Greater Monmouth County. 2006-07-11. Retrieved 2007-01-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
8. "Ashley Tisdale". The Star Scoop. 12/05. Retrieved 2007-08-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
9. High School Musical Pop-up Edition
10. "Ashley Tisdale 'Kiss The Girl' Music Video". Ashley Tisdale. Retrieved 2006-10-26. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
11. ^ "Just In!". Ashley-Web.org. Retrieved 2007-01-17. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
12. "The Little Mermaid DVD". MySpace. 2007-01-24. Retrieved 2007-01-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

External links

• The Official Ashley Tisdale Home Page
• The Official Ashley Tisdale Official Music Site
• The Official Ashley Tisdale YouTube page
• Template:Myspace
• Ashley Tisdale at IMDb

• 1985 births
• 7th Heaven actors
• American actor-singers
• American child actors
• American child singers
• American film actors
• American television actors
• Disney Channel actors
• Disney Channel Games players
• Hannah Montana actors
• High School Musical actors
• Jewish American actors
• Jewish American singers
• Living people
• Malcolm in the Middle actors
• New Jersey actors
• The Suite Life of Zack & Cody actors