Brenda Song says Disney blocked her audition for a Clint Eastwood movie

Daily Mail​

30-06-2025

Brenda Song first came into prominence on the hit Disney Channel show The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and while it launched her career it also hindered her from other roles.
The 37-year-old actress attended the Bentonville Film Festival in Bentonville, Arkansas over the weekend, where she received the Variety Virtuoso Award.
She revealed during her acceptance speech that she was trying to branch out into more adult roles while still on Suite Life, but Disney wouldn't allow it.
One of those movies was director/star Clint Eastwood 's 2008 film Gran Torino, but the Mouse House wouldn't even let her audition for the role.
She ultimately did break out from Disney in 2010's The Social Network, though she added that was another role she had to fight for.
'The character had an intended sexual assault scene, so Disney nixed it. And I was very upset but I was like, "Okay, I guess it didn't work out,"' she admitted, after recently breaking her silence over accusations from ex Trace Cyrus.
When the role for Christy in The Social Network came along, she went straight to the top, approaching Disney Branded Television COO Gary Marsh with a plea.
'I was just like, "I am an actor. When you hired me, I was not a hotel heiress. If I have ever done anything in my personal life to ever draw bad attention to your company, I understand,"' she began.
She added, '"But this is the last season of the show, and this is the opportunity of a lifetime."' And I was so fortunate, they were so supportive.'
'They allowed me to do this film that truly changed my life,' Song admitted of her role in The Social Network.
While Song continued to branch out as an actress, she still kept working quite regularly with Disney.
She reprised her role as hotel heiress London Tipton on The Suite Life On Deck, which followed Zack and Cody (Dylan and Cole Sprouse) on a study abroad program aboard a cruise ship.
Song also opened up about breaking through in Hollywood at a time where there was not as much representation for Asian artists like herself.
'That was the tricky thing growing up, being an Asian-American actress in Hollywood,' Song admitted.
'I was just like, "I am an actor. When you hired me, I was not a hotel heiress. If I have ever done anything in my personal life to ever draw bad attention to your company, I understand,"' she began
'Like if you weren't Jackie Chan or Jet Li — I'm not an Asian man — it was really hard. But I was fortunate to have actors like Ming-Na Wen, Michelle Yeoh and Lucy Liu, who really inspired me,' she added.
She said she worked with Wen when she was around eight years old, adding, 'I'm so grateful because she was so encouraging, so kind and just so supportive.'
The actress also singled out another great role model for her, Night Court star Richard Moll, who she worked with on the Nickelodeon series 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd.
'I remember being so star-struck because he was a very, very large man and I was so intimidated. And he was so kind and so gentle. I feel like that was my first kind of long-term project. So that was really special,' she said of Moll.