5 questions for … Monique Coleman

For most people, repeating high school might not be something to brag about. Not for actress Monique Coleman She stars in the Disney Channel's original movie. High School Musical 2. reprising her breakout role as Taylor McKessie. The original movie was a runaway success, selling more man 6.5 million DVDs. and was the No. 1-selling CD of 2006. Its stars sold out a 42-city national tour. Coleman. who also made it to the top four in 2006 on ABC-TV's hit reality show Dancing With the Stars, chatted with EBONY about why the Taylor McKessie role meant so much to her.

EBONY: The success of the first High School Musical movie took everyone by surprise. Were you surprised?

MC: I think everyone was! But the film has such a positive message. It resonates around the world. The song lyrics are really powerful--"We're All in This Together."

EBONY: What attracted you to the role?

MC: I first felt I might be too old for a Disney role [she's 26], but as an African-American woman, I really wanted the part of Taylor far the girl I was when I was 16. It's important to me to be able to show that the smartest girt in the school is a Black girl! In the sequel, we're going to focus more on the relationship between Taylor and her boyfriend, Chad [played by Corbin Bleu]. She's going to be smart about boyfriends and how they should treat you.

EBONY: How so?

MC: Taylor has all these boyfriend rules, like her Rule No. 3: "All dates are official."

EBONY: Did you enjoy competing on Dancing With the Stars?

MC: It was life-changing. It was the hardest thing to do; at times I wanted to go home. I came into the show as an up-and-comer; my fans were all 11-year-old girls! Being publicly judged was difficult, but I felt like I was inspiring women. It was a powerful, powerful, time in my life.

EBONY: What's next for you?

MC: I'd love to be in an old-fashioned dance musical. I'm interested in films, writing projects and creating opportunities for all of us so that we're not lonely on the red carpet. Head an exhilarating and daunting life!

COPYRIGHT 2007 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning