Make that way up — and then back down, with a soft landing.
As a college cheerleader in the new CW series Hellcats (premiering Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT), the former Disney High School Musicalstar is literally flying high.
"I have actually done a flying stunt and a basket toss," says Tisdale, 25, who also has a stunt double for the trickiest moves. "Obviously I don't want to get hurt, but I feel really comfortable. ... I like a challenge."
Tisdale plays fictional Lancer University Hellcats cheer captain Savannah Monroe, who raises eyebrows when she adds an unknown, atypical member to the squad after an injury forces another member out. The actress felt the part was a perfect fit for what is both her first dramatic role and her first regular broadcast series role.
Yes, there's some CW-style drama, but also the high-energy music and dancing that comes along with competitive cheerleading — a natural follow-up to her Disney turn as sassy Sharpay Evans. It's also a move that she hopes will entice her maturing HSM fans to stick with her.
"I feel like music is always in my life with everything. The stuff that I've been part of is always driven by music," says Tisdale, who devoted a post-HSM year to her solo music career. "It's like I am performing on the show. ... I get to have that feeling."
And the opportunity to feel the rush of the competitive sport is surreal. "I'm actually living out my dream as a cheerleader," jokes Tisdale. When she was younger, "I tried cheerleading ... but I wasn't really that coordinated!"
Luckily, Tisdale had some close-to-home help: Her older sister was a high school cheerleader and went on to cheer at Cal State Northridge. "I didn't have the normal going-to-high-school experience, but Jen kind of did all that stuff. The structure of (cheer) dance is so different, and she's been a real big help.
"She's like, 'Oh, my gosh, I can't believe you're out there doing it!' " says Tisdale, who acknowledges the high-stakes level of competition. "They take themselves really seriously. If you miss one practice, you are out. For Savannah, that is her life."
As for Tisdale's own life, it's busy and full, and she even had to celebrate her birthday this summer while on the Hellcats set in Vancouver (she usually does it up in Hawaii). Just don't ask her anything too personal. She confirms she is still dating music video director Scott Speer, but a publicist quickly comes to the rescue and makes it clear Tisdale isn't talking when it comes to her romantic life.
Professional undertakings are a different story, and the self-proclaimed workaholic says she isn't sitting still. "Coming from Disney and the audience I'd had, I'd really wanted to go back to TV. ... Doing movies is a lot of fun, but you're always looking for projects. I'd rather do movies on hiatus and be on TV (regularly)."
For her next hiatus from TV filming, Tisdale has a particular type of film in mind. "I think right now the script that I look for and I want to do is dry comedy. I would love to do like a Judd Apatow kind of film, work with directors that I look up to.
"I want to grow and keep growing. Take baby steps and not go in a completely different direction," says Tisdale, who adds that "all of my success has come from HSM. ... I kind of want to take (fans) along for the journey."
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