Disney Channel Fans

Ashley Tisdale and Jemma McKenzie-Brown

Source: http://blogs.accesshollywood.com/archives/2008/06/meet-the-fresh-faces-of-high-s.html

Considering this latest incarnation of “High School Musical” has the added line of “Senior Year” to its title, I think we can all be pretty sure this is the last we will be seeing of Zac, Vanessa, Ashley, Lucas, Monique or Corbin in the halls of East High. Unless of course someone wants to make “College Musical.” Instead, should this feature film version of “High School Musical” be a huge hit, I think Disney may keep its franchise alive by introducing us to a brand new class of kids.

That’s exactly why I think such a big deal has been made about the three new cast members making their debut in HSM3. Disney held an international casting search involving over 1,000 teen actors across the United States, Canada, and the U.K. to find three sophomore Wildcats. Matt Prokop, Justin Martin, and Jemma McKenzie-Brown were the lucky three plucked out of near obscurity.

17-year-old Matt’s biggest role to date was a small part in “Hannah Montana”. 14-year-old Justin played Simba in “The Lion King” on Broadway. British born Jemma had a role in a BBC show called “The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard.” After this film comes out October 24th, I have no doubt their names will become as familiar to pre-teen and teenage girls everywhere as the rest of the HSM cast.

I traveled to the set and had a chance to sit down with the three newbie’s who seem to be fitting in with the group quite perfectly. Ashley Tisdale has taken Jemma under her wing. Vanessa Hudgens admits to whipping out her English accent around Jemma. Corbin Bleu has the gang over to his room almost every night to play video games. Everyone is giving the trio tips on how to stay grounded should fame strike. According to Matt their main advice was not let fame go to their heads,

“Be yourself mainly. That’s the one thing they said. With all of the success, just don’t change. Just be who you are and true to yourself.”

Matt, who before this role never sang or danced, plays Jimmie “The Rocket” Zara, a basketball player who idolizes Zac’s character, Troy Bolton. He told me being famous is not why he took this part,

“I think we’re all in it just to be an actor and just enjoy acting more than the fans and the fame. It’s all about a career.”

Justin is Jimmie’s “partner in crime” as he calls it, Donny, who is the basketball teams ball boy. He’s a small little guy with a huge personality who wants to be the next Will Smith or Denzel Washington. Justin’s big personality landed him at the hospital though with a bad bruise while on set a few weeks ago,

“I have no gymnastics or tumbling background and I decided I was going to do a back flip on some cement and it didn’t work out well.”

Jemma comes to East High as Tiara Gold; a British foreign exchange student who has her sights set on Sharpay and becomes her personal assistant. She told me that from the moment the news came out she was cast her life changed,

“My friend wrote me and said just type in McKenzie-Brown in Google. I typed it in and flash, flash, flash. Matt Prokop, Justin Martin, Jemma McKenzie-Brown all over. It was crazy!”

Those Google searches are only going to grow and grow when the film comes out on the big screen this fall!

I think it’s crazy how just being announced as a star in an upcoming DCOM gets people so much attention. Just look at what’s happened to Demi Lovato – And Camp Rock’s still a week away!

Check out the poster! Disney doesn’t seem to be pushing the three new stars, instead relying on the franchise to bring in the fans.

The word “action” will kick-start the new “High School Musical” sequel as the cast and crew of the hit Disney Channel franchise starts filming Saturday at East High School in Salt Lake City.
Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale and Corbin Bleu have reassembled with the rest of the cast and three new cast members for “High School Musical 3: Senior Year,” which will be filmed mostly at the school as well as other Salt Lake County locations. This time, the film is scheduled to open in theaters on Oct. 24 instead of on television.
In the new movie, which will be co-choreographed by Salt Lake City’s Bonny Story, who works for Odyssey Dance Theatre, the Wildcats of East High will be graduating. That leaves lovebirds Troy (Efron) and Gabriella (Hudgens) worrying about their relationship when each goes off to a different college.
The movie will be shot in about 40 days, nearly twice the number of filming days devoted to the first two films, and use the same Salt Lake City-based crew. Kenny Ortega, who directed the first two films as well as the Opening Ceremony for the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Games, again helms the project.

- The Salt Lake Tribune

“High School Musical 3″: The Gang’s Back

School’s in! Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman have all signed on for “High School Musical 3: Senior Year.” But this time, you’ll have to catch East High’s talented teens at a theater near you. Kenny Ortega, who helmed the first two smash TV-movies, will also direct the big-screen threequel, which finds the seniors staging their final big production. Filming begins this spring.

Stephen Battaglio
TV Guide
January 28 2008

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According to Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith (Hollywood Exclusive columnists), Billy Ray Cyrus will begin work on a Hanna Montana feature film in the near future.