Ashley Michelle Tisdale (born July 2, 1985) is an American actress, singer, and television producer. Tisdale's first major role started in 2005 with Disney's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody as Maddie Fitzpatrick and she next played Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series. She made music history by becoming the first female artist ever to debut with two singles simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 with "What I've Been Looking For" and "Bop to the Top".
After the first Emmy-winning High School Musical, she pursued a solo music career and released her debut album Headstrong on February 6, 2007. The album debuted at number five in the U.S. charts, selling over 64,000 copies in the first week, and was later certified Gold. Tisdale later released a music DVD, There's Something About Ashley, including music videos and a documentary about the Headstrong album creation.
She continued her role as Sharpay Evans in High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year. High School Musical 2 was the most-watched basic cable show on record.Tisdale is the voice for Candace Flynn in the Disney Channel original series Phineas and Ferb. In August 2008, Forbes listed her among Hollywood's 10 top-paid young entertainers.
Tisdale is currently recording her sophomore album and will star in 20th Century Fox's new adventure "They Came from Upstairs", set to release on July, 2009.
Tisdale is taking a step away from the spotlight and trying her hand at behind-the-camera work. Tisdale has her own production company, Blondie Girl Productions and is working in two projects, in an association with Disney Channel and FremantleMedia. She is the first actress from Disney Channel ever to executive-produce one of their shows.
Early life:
Tisdale was born in Monmouth County, New Jersey on July 2, 1985, to Lisa (née Morris) and Mike Tisdale, who runs a construction company. She grew up in Ocean Township. Her elder sister, Jennifer Tisdale, is an actress and model, and her maternal grandfather, Arnold Morris, developed Ginsu Knives; through her grandfather, she is also related to businessman Ron Popeil. Tisdale is Jewish.
Career:
1988-2003: Broadway and television appearances:
When she was three, Tisdale was discovered by Bill Perlman, her current manager, at South Shores Mall. On her first audition, Tisdale landed a JC Penney spot and went on to appear in more than 100 commercials as a kid. At the age of eight, she was cast in a leading role in the Broadway musical, Les Misérables, and later toured internationally with the cast of Annie. She began her acting career by appearing in Gypsy: A Musical Fable and The Sound of Music at the Jewish Community Center of Monmouth County. At age twelve, Tisdale sang for american president Bill Clinton in the White House.
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Tisdale made guest appearances in several television series, which included George Lopez, Smart Guy, 7th Heaven, Grounded for Life, Strong Medicine, Charmed, Beverly Hills, 90210 and Bette, where she co-stared with Brenda Song for the first time. For her role in Boston Public she received a 2000 Young Artist Award nomination for "best guest performance in a TV drama". Tisdale had a voice role in the 1998 animated movie A Bug's Life, and a minor role in the 2001 film Donnie Darko. She had recurring roles on sitcoms with The Hughleys in 2002 and Still Standing in 2003.
2004-2006: High School Musical and other roles
Performing "Bop To The Top":
In 2004, 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. While performing on the show, Tisdale received a voice role in Whisper of the Heart, the English-language version of the Japanese animated feature, Mimi wo Sumaseba.
Tisdale was soon cast as Sharpay Evans in Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical. Tisdale had originally auditioned for the role of Gabriella Montez, but was eventually cast as Sharpay because it was felt that her alto voice suited a darker character. Producers did not initially consider her because of her good-girl image on The Suite Life. Tisdale's role in High School Musical required her to perform several songs. Her contributions to the High School Musical soundtrack included "What I've Been Looking For", "Bop to the Top", and "We're All in This Together". All three charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Tisdale made music history by becoming the first female artist ever to debut with two singles simultaneously on the Hot 100 with "What I've Been Looking For" and "Bop to the Top". The soundtrack, on which Tisdale sings lead vocals on several songs, became the top-selling album of 2006. Tisdale appeared in the two episodes of MTV's Punk'd and in the Disney Channel Games 2006.
Her music career developed in 2006. In June, Tisdale signed in a record deal with Warner Bros. Records. Prior to the release of her debut album, Tisdale covered the hit single "Last Christmas" (originally by Wham!) and released it in 2006 as the first single in her deal with Warner Bros. but it failed to chart on U.S. Billboard Hot 100. With Disney, she recorded a version of "Some Day My Prince Will Come" with Drew Seeley for DisneyMania 4 and a version of "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" with other members of the Disney Channel Circle of Stars. She was featured on the music video which was later included on Cinderella: Platinum Edition DVD. Tisdale also recorded a cover version of the song "Kiss the Girl" which was first heard on Radio Disney in September 2006 and shot a music video which premiered on Disney Channel after a The Suite Life of Zack and Cody episode and was later included on The Little Mermaid: Platinum Edition DVD.
Tisdale launched a worldwide tour with the rest of the cast of High School Musical in fall 2006, performing the songs from the soundtrack album as well of three songs from her debut album, which was released on 2007. A DVD and a live album named High School Musical: The Concert were released in 2007, featuring "We'll Be Together", "He Said She Said" and "Headstrong".
Tisdale released a three-song EP by Warner Bros. Records on December 12, 2006 prior to the release of her debut album. The EP was called "He Said She Said" and also included "Headstrong" and her holiday single "Last Christmas". It was released to promote the full length album. The EP was available for purchase during the High School Musical: The Concert.
2007-2008: Headstrong and other projects:
"Be Good to Me" (2006)
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Tisdale's debut single from her first album
"He Said She Said" (2007)
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Tisdale's second single released from her album Headstrong which was her most successful single.
Tisdale's first solo album, Headstrong, was released on February 6, 2007 and was distributed by Warner Bros Records. The album debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 album charts, selling 64,000 copies. Tisdale described Headstrong as a chance for her fans to get to know her better. "I want people to know that I’m a real person, and that I’ve been through normal situations, like crushes and heartbreaks.", said Tisdale. She also admitted that the album was called Headstrong because she is a pretty headstrong type of person.
Though her first single was expected to be "He Said She Said", it was released later, with "Be Good to Me" being released as her first single. Tisdale wrote four songs for the album - "Not Like That", "Suddenly", "Over It" and the bonus track "It's Life". Tisdale re-released "He Said She Said" on September 19, 2007, when the music video premiered on MTV's TRL.
Some promotional singles were released from the album. The songs "Goin' Crazy" and "Headstrong" were released as exclusive singles on Radio Disney, "So Much for You" was released on Australian and Brazilian radios, and "We'll Be Together" was released as a promo single to promote the DVD High School Musical: The Concert. During 2008, "Not Like That" was released as the third official single on european countries and on Brazil, while "Suddenly" was released as the forth single on Germany and Brazil. Both had no official release on the U.S. In late 2008, a european version of the "Be Good to Me" music video was released, with some behind the scenes clips included. The song was finally released as an official single on Europe on October 17, 2008.
Tisdale performing "Not Like That" in the Headstrong Tour Across America.
She reprised her role as Sharpay Evans in High School Musical 2 which premiered on August 17, 2007. She also appeared on the soundtrack, performing several songs such as "Fabulous", "You Are The Music In Me (Sharpay Version)" and "What Time Is It?". Tisdale has a supporting role in the Disney Channel series Phineas and Ferb, voicing Candace Flynn. She also voiced Camille Leon on Disney Channel series Kim Possible. Tisdale also received her first award on Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards UK as "Best TV Actress" by her acting on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.
In 2007, Tisdale released her first music DVD, There's Something About Ashley, with a three-song trilogy comprised by music videos and a documentary about the Headstrong album creation.
The album was re-released for the first time in Christmas 2007 in a Holiday Edition with the standard CD, the DVD There's Something About Ashley in a digipack format, and some other merchandise. The album was re-released again in a limited Deluxe Edition format, released only in Germany with the DVD. Tisdale promoted the album and the DVD in a mini mall-tour in mid-October 2007 in which she had an Ecko Red fashion show and later, performed live three songs in selected American's malls. The album was certified Gold in the U.S. for reaching 500,000 copies shipped and Billboard readers chose it the sixth best album of the year.
On November 12, 2008. Tisdale along with the High School Musical cast performed live a Christmas version of the hit song "What Time Is It?" from High School Musical 2 during the annual event Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade. On November 28, 2007, Tisdale hosted a part of the "75th Rockefeller Christmas Tree" in New York City with Nick Lachey and performed a couple of her singles after a small interview.
"MTV News" confirmed in an interview that her first movie with herself being the star is titled Picture This, which was released on DVD in 2008. In addition to playing the role of Mandy Gilbert, Tisdale is credited as one of the executive producers of the movie. She also covered the 80's hit song "Shadows of the Night" for the film. Tisdale made a special appearance in the credits of the movie Bring It On: In It to Win It, where she performed her single "He Said She Said".
Tisdale reprised her role as Sharpay Evans for the third time in High School Musical 3: Senior Year. She appeared on the High School Musical 3 soundtrack, performing songs such as "A Night to Remember" and "I Want It All". "I Want It All" was released as one of the official singles from the soundtrack, with the song being released on iTunes and video being aired on Disney Channel. Tisdale also presented an award in the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards along with the rest of the High School Musical 3 cast. Tisdale launched a European promotional tour along with the cast of High School Musical 3 to promote the movie. The song "I Want It All", performed by Tisdale, was chosen by the Billboard as one of five songs that were deserving to be nominated to 81st Academy Awards in the "Best Original Song" category.
On December 12, 2008, she hosted the 'Z-100's Jingle Ball in the Madison Square Garden, New York City and also attended the Q102's Jingle Ball 2008 at Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ on December 14. On December 31, 2008, Tisdale joined V Factory and American Idol's runner-up David Archuleta on NewPhoria at McKay Events Center; she was the guest host.
Tisdale hosting NewPhoria at McKay Events Center in Utah on January 1, 2009.
2009-present: Second studio album and future projects:
In an April 2008 interview with Extra!, she stated that she recorded a couple of songs for her next album and after shooting High School Musical 3 she would focus her attention on her second album. In October 2008 Tisdale said she had eighty percent of her album done; the album will be "more rock and edgier." Tisdale's A&R Tommy Page stated in his official website that he is working on Tisdale's second album and it is almost done. Also, he said that the first single will reach radios very soon.
The Hollywood Reporter reported that she will star in 20th Century Fox's new adventure comedy, They Came From Upstairs along with Robert Hoffman and Carter Jenkins, set to be released in theatres in July 2009. Tisdale will be playing Bethany Pearson and she was filming in Auckland, New Zealand. She appeared as Maddie Fitzpatrick as a special guest in a episode of "The Suite Life on Deck" which aired January 16, 2009.
Tisdale is taking a step away from the spotlight and trying her hand at behind-the-camera work. [9] Tisdale has her own production company, Blondie Girl Productions and is working in two projects. She is the first actress from Disney Channel ever to executive-produce one of their shows. In an interview to Live with Regis & Kelly on October 23, 2008, she stated that she is currently working on a Disney Channel series based on her early life working on studio. Tisdale also signed a deal with FremantleMedia (the creator of American Idol) and she is producing a reality show with them.
On February 4, 2009, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Tisdale has collaborated in the production with Jessica Horowitz (and Nickelodeon's Spectacular! writer James Krieg) to create a new animated series titled After Midnight that is currently being shopped around for distribution.
Products and endorsement:
Tisdale was a Ford Models along with Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton.
In October 2007, Tisdale signed a promotional deal for the Eckō Red clothing brand in which she toured malls across the U.S. Tisdale functioned as spokesperson and performed in conjunction with fashion shows hosted at each mall. On March 17, 2008, the 8th Annual American International Toy Fair took place in New York City. Tisdale was among the new celebrity dolls presented at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, She teamed up with Huckleberry Toys to produce a limited edition of dolls modelled after herself. "The Ashley Dolls" are manufactured by Huckleberry Toys and feature outfits from Tisdale's music videos "He Said She Said", "Not Like That" and "Suddenly". She also participated in commercials for Toys "R" Us, T-Mobile, and signed a deal with Staples, Inc. to appear in the promotional campaign for the company's "Geared 4 School" sweepstakes in the fall.
She was the face for Degree Girl in the United States and recorded multiple commercials to promote the product. She covered five 80's hit songs for the promotion of the deodorant. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", "Never Gonna Give You Up", "Time After Time", "Heaven is a Place on Earth" and "Too Many Walls" were available to download in the official site, unlocked only with special codes received in different packages of the deodorant.
Public image and personal life:
Tisdale underwent a rhinoplasty procedure on November 30, 2007. According to Tisdale, this was done for health-related reasons and not out of a belief in plastic surgery; her "septum was 80 percent deviated" and she had "two small fractures on [her] nose", and this was interfering with her breathing. She spoke to People magazine about the surgery, saying that it was important to her to be honest with her fans.
Tisdale on the cover of Shape Magazine.
In January 2007, Tisdale was declared the second Hottest Woman of Pop/R&B by Blender Magazine, which stated, "Tisdale has a gift. Not an angelic voice or a dazzling personality, but an even rarer commodity: millions of "pre-sold" tweens eager to buy her debut album!". In an interview with People, Tisdale confirmed that she had been dating High School Musical dancer and choreographer Jared Murillo since March 2007. In March 2007, Tisdale told Blender that she was drug and alcohol-free, and doesn't smoke and went on to add, "my mom really instilled confidence in me, so I'm not somebody who'd be under peer pressure". She was later voted as number 10 in Maxim's 2008 Hot 100 list. On June 11, 2008, Tisdale was ranked at #94 on Forbes' Celebrity 100 list. She had photoshoots with her High School Musical co-stars, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens for Elle Magazine, and has appeared on the cover of magazines such as Glamour, Seventeen, CosmoGirl!, Vanity Fair, Bravo and Shape. In October 2008, Teen Vogue included Tisdale in the list of the October's Ten Best Dressed in the second position.
On August 5, 2008, Tisdale was included in the list of Forbes Hollywood's 10 Top-Paid Tweens. She was ranked number 6 for the $5.5 million earned. Tisdale made $2.8 million in High School Musical 3. She was recently named one of Teen People's "25 Hottest Stars Under 25."
On December 12, 2008, Tisdale was ranked #17 in the list of Forbes "High Earners Under 30", and was considered by US Magazine as one of the best-dressed celebrities in 2008 along with Natalie Portman, Sarah Jessica Parker and Heidi Klum.[84] On fall January, 2009, Tisdale left Gersh Agency and joined the mothership talent agency in Hollywood, Creative Artists Agency.
-Ashley Michelle Tisdale