Ashley Tisdale says Sharpay Evans is the 'most iconic' High School Musical character
The 39-year-old actress played wannabe stage star Sharpay Evans in the hit Disney film series and claimed more than 15 years after the final instalment was released that her alter-ego has gone on to become the most memorable amongst fans.
She told People: "When I played the character of Sharpay — I think it was probably what made her so funny — was that I truly thought [Sharpay] was the popular girl in school. I thought Sharpay was popular, and I played it like she was popular.
"And [director] Kenny Ortega enhanced that. He really made me feel like I was popular. But what's so funny is that she's not the popular girl. She's the drama queen. And my husband's like, 'That's what's so funny about how you played it. You really thought you were popular."
"Sharpay is — I swear she's mother to everybody — because it's like she just keeps coming back on these memes and people keep talking and doing the songs.
"And I'm just like, I mean, out of everyone in High School Musical, my character is the most iconic. It's so cool."
The High School Musical series initially followed Zac Efron as East High's star basketball player and how he broke free of the high school clique system as he and top student Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens) sought out leading roles in a school play.
Ashley also made her name starring in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody for Disney Channel, and recently reprised her role of Candace in a reboot of Phineas and Ferb, but ultimately "can't believe" that a string of failed auditions led her to a part in a franchise that became such a success.
She added: "I mean, it's so cool … It's really awesome to be a part of these projects that have really been so prevalent in pop culture and to play these characters.
"It's just, you're like, 'Dang, man.' I can't believe out of everything that I auditioned for [...] I got this animation [series] that has lasted this long. Or I was always trying to get a Disney movie, and never got the movie. And then, I got High School Musical.
"Out of all the ones, I get that. This is pretty awesome."
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