OMG! Ashley Tisdale Talks TV and High School Musical 3

Ashley Tisdale is blowing up. Hot on the heels of the High School Musical phenomenon — which has a third installment in the works — Tisdale's got an album out, and her first feature film is on the way. Somehow she's also squeezing in a campaign with Degree Girl deodorant, in which she'll be sharing her OMG moments (that's "Ohmygod!" to the uninitiated and/or over-21 set)  via a new video blog. She'll also be giving her fans a chance to submit their own OMGs for a chance to win a private concert with her in L.A. Tisdale took a few moments out of her busy schedule to talk to us about her most intense on-screen moments, how she deals with increasing media scrutiny, and what's next for Sharpay and the Wildcats.

TVGuide.com: With all the projects you have going on, what drew you to the Degree campaign?
Ashley Tisdale: I was really excited because I think it's important for teenaged girls to be able to say that whenever [they] have that OMG moment — whether it's an exciting moment or an embarrassing moment or a nervous moment — [they have] something that makes you smell good. [Laughs] I wish that when I was in high school, I had a celebrity that I looked up to telling me what the best [way to do that] was. I also love to video-blog, and once you buy the Degree Girl sticks, there will be free downloads of songs I've covered from the '80s.

TVGuide.com: Of the '80s songs, did you have a favorite?
Tisdale: "I Want to Dance with Somebody" by Whitney Houston.

TVGuide.com: Good choice. So, in the pre-High School Musical and Suite Life years, you had some great appearances on various TV shows. Before your video blog comes out, I wanted to find out what your biggest "OMG moment" was on each of them. Let's start with 7th Heaven.
Tisdale: I was really excited because I was Simon's first girlfriend, out of many! It was huge and went on for so long. Actually I had known David Gallagher [who played Simon] for a long time, so I was very excited to work with him.

TVGuide.com: You were also in an episode of Beverly Hills 90210. What was that like?
Tisdale: That was one of my favorites. I actually got to be in a scene with Luke Perry, so that was exciting, and he was so cool. But it was weird, because he'd be off to the side, talking to his kids and stuff. You totally forget about that stuff, because he looks so young! But, yeah, I had a huge crush on him.

TVGuide.com: And then High School Musical came along. What were your scariest or most exhilarating moments with that phenomenon?
Tisdale: I think every single moment with High School Musical was nerve-racking and exciting as well. It was a whole snowball effect, starting with the ratings themselves, and then going into the Billboard charts and getting a Billboard Award for the No. 1 album of the year. Every single moment of High School Musical was an OMG moment. It's been a crazy ride.

TVGuide.com: Do you think there's something unique to being a teenaged girl now that makes it a good time to give them support and advice?
Tisdale: I think teenagers always need support and a little bit of guidance, just because those are the hardest years... when you're trying to find yourself. I just think with school and the cliques and everything that goes on, if you have somebody that you really look up to, you should speak out to them. People think we're perfect, and we're so not that way. I have my bad days and embarrassing moments, and I just want to share that with my fans. I'm not different.

TVGuide.com: As you move from your album to now a new movie, They Came from Upstairs, what are your personal challenges?
Tisdale: I never find doing a movie challenging, except for the work. I miss my family, of course, and I miss friends and everything, but I find the work more challenging. I'm always up for a challenge.

TVGuide.com: With all your success, though, and the success of your HSM cast mates, there's added scrutiny, too. How have you seen the media coverage of yourself change over the years?
Tisdale: I don't really pay attention to the scrutiny. People are going to make up stories about you, and people are going to talk about what you did. But you know why you did it. What's most important to me is being known for what I do in my work. I really could care less about paparazzi following me all the time and seeing what I do every day.

TVGuide.com: In the upcoming High School Musical 3, what can we expect from your character?
Tisdale: I don't know much, because I haven't read the script yet! But I have recorded the songs, so I do know a little bit about it. It is senior year, so there's going to be graduation and prom, but I can't spill much else.

TVGuide.com: How about the songs and music?
Tisdale: All the music is great. They're much bigger productions this time — they're huge — so it's going to be really exciting.

Watch clips of High School Musical in our Online Video Guide.

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