Goodbye, "High School Musical." Hello, edgier roles. That’s the path that Vanessa Hudgens wants to take in her acting career, as she makes a conscious effort to move on from her squeaky-clean Disney image. In "Bandslam," Hudgens is Sa5m (pronounced Sam, because the "5" is silent), a brooding loner who befriends and falls for dorky Will Burton (played by Gaelan Connell), a new student who has recently transferred to her New Jersey high school.
Will is recruited by popular student Charlotte Banks (played by Aly Michalka) to manage her rock group called I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On, which is preparing to enter a local battle-of-the-bands contest called Bandslam. (The contest winner gets a record deal.) Naturally, Sa5m finds that she has to compete with Charlotte for Will’s time, and lots of teenage angst ensues. The Sa5m character is quite a change of pace for Hudgens, who became famous for playing the brainy student Gabriella Montez in Disney’s first three "High School Musical" movies. Hudgens is also starring in the action movie "Sucker Punch" (due out in 2011) and the teen romance "Beastly," which arrives in theaters in 2010 and is a contemporary reimagining of the "Beauty and the Beast" story.
But that’s not the only reason why actress/singer Hudgens is leaving her wholesome Disney image behind. Her romance with "High-School Musical" co-star Zac Efron is frequently the topic of media gossip. Then there have been the scandals over her self-portrait nude photos that were leaked over the Internet. The first time was in 2007 (she made a public apology for the photos back then), and the latest incident occurred a few weeks after I interviewed Hudgens at the "Bandslam" New York City press junket. So although you won’t see any comments from Hudgens in this article about her latest naked-picture scandal, she did talk about taking a break from making music; why she doesn’t want to be on Facebook or Twitter; and the possibility of working with Efron again.
What’s the best part of performing onstage?
It’s the adrenaline rush you get from it. It’s this high you can’t capture from anything else except from being on that stage with all the people watching you and cheering you on. It’s such a thrill and so much fun. For me, I’ve always felt I’m at home when I’m onstage.
What aspects of Sa5m can you identify with the most?
Growing up when I was in elementary school, I had no friends. I was the biggest loser. So I related to her in that sense. I just kind of did my own thing. I was fine with it. I kept myself occupied. But aside from that, I don’t know. I’m a lot cheerier and bubblier than she is.
You had to learn to play the guitar for you role in "Bandslam." Can you talk about that?
When I came into music rehearsals, I was surrounded by the most incredible musicians. Everybody was so good, and I was so intimidated, because I had no idea what I was doing. I learned the song in about a week, surely but slowly. How else to you learn [to play] a guitar? I guess I didn’t really have to play, but you have to make it look real. I think for our own sake as an actor, you should want to learn.
The music on the "Bandslam" soundtrack spans over multiple generations. How much of the music were you familiar with before doing this movie?
I’m such a big fan of Cheap Trick, so I was really excited when I heard that ["I Want You to Want Me"] was in the movie.
Did you want to be in "Bandslam" because your character in the movie is so different from your Gabriella Montez character in the "High School Musical" movies?
In a sense, somewhat. I love Gabriella. I think it’s a great character, but I am Vanessa. Part of being an actress is being able to play different characters, so for my own peace of mind, I wanted find something different. And yeah, because it was so different, I guess I was drawn to it.
If you could put together you own band, who would you want to be in it? And who would you want to tour with?
There’s a wide range of people. I would tour with …. I love Cheap Trick. They’re great; they’re so much fun. I don’t know who I would have in my band.
Is it true you originally wanted Aly Michalka’s part in "Bandslam"?
Yeah. I read the script and I feel like it was a fun character. But then I thought about it more, and Sa5m would be more different and something different for me to play and something different for people to see, so I think it makes sense.
Is that why you’re also doing the action flick "Sucker Punch"?
Honestly, what I’m doing is for me. I just get bored really easily. I love acting, because I get to play different characters, and I want to try and play as many different characters and do as many different genres as I can. And when "Sucker Punch" came up, I thought it was incredible, it was sexy and action-packed. And I love Zack [Snyder, the director of "Sucker Punch"]. I just want to do as many different things as I can, whether it’s rated PG or R.
Do you get to curse and beat people up in "Sucker Punch"?
Yeah. And I get to curse in "Beastly."
Was the humor in "Bandslam" mostly from writer/director Todd Graff or did you have any input?
I think it’s a little bit of both. We would go into a room with Todd, do a scene and read it and then speak our ideas. It did seem like it was extremely choreographed, because it’s all about the timing and what’s going on, but we rehearsed it a few times. I was happy about that.
What was it like working with Gaelan Connell?
We love Gaelan so very much. He’s adork-able. He’s just awesome. I think that he’s perfect to play Will. He came in and owned it from the get-go. He’s just a lot of fun. He doesn’t give himself enough credit, I feel.
Now that you’ve made "Bandslam," do you think it’s affected your musical tastes and what your next album will sound like? And what music do you listen to in your free time that might surprise people?
I think I have a lot more depth when it comes to music than people think [I would]. Recently, I’ve been into Janis Joplin. There’s this artist called Ricki-Lee who I love right now. I love Kings of Leon and Kasabian. I’m just kind of all over the place. I love alternative, indie. And when I’m feeling up for it, I love Kanye [West] and Lil Wayne.
Musically, I’m [taking time] off. Right now, I really feel like I’m focused on films and everything, and I don’t want to do an album just to do it and do it half-assed. I’m waiting until I’m inspired to do another one.
Have you heard Ashley Tisdale’s album "Guilty Pleasure"? And if so, what did you think?
I think it’s great. I think she did such a good job. She’s really passionate about it. She’d come home — [she laughs] it sounds we live together — and play songs. I was stoked for her. I think she’s doing a great job.
Do you think you’ll reinvent yourself on your next album?
That’s why I’m taking a break. I don’t want to do it half-assed. I want to recreate myself and recreate a sound and really have something to say. That’s the fun part about music. You get to really kind of go off a ledge and do whatever you want with yourself speaking. It’s not just a character. It’s going to be a good minute before anything happens [with me releasing a new album].
Do you ever see yourself having to choose acting over music or vice versa?
Sure. I feel like as of now, people only know me for "High School Musical," and because it’s a musical, they know me as both [an actress and a singer]. So in that sense, I guess I got off easy. But I think if you’re extremely focused on whatever one that it is — like I said, if I do music, I’m going to wait until I can put my full heart into it — I think you can [do] both, if you’re really, really passionate about each of them. But if I had to pick, I’d probably pick acting.
Why?
I haven’t gotten to a place in music where I felt fulfilled, where I feel this is my very own creation. I haven’t gotten there yet. Maybe when I do, my answer might change. As of now, I feel like I’ve been working toward acting longer. It’s always been something I’ve strived a little bit harder for.
Do you think you’ll do other musicals?
Yeah, eventually. I feel like I wanted to accomplish a little bit more as an actress first. And once I feel I’ve gotten to a place where I’m happy with then I’ll definitely do musicals [again], because that’s what I grew up doing. I love them.
What do you think abut Aly Michalka?
I met Aly several times before, just in passing at Disney events. We got along fine. I came to the audition and she was sitting in the audition room and I was like, "Hey!" And we became really close. We have so much fun together. I’m kind of a bad influence on her. I kind of turned her into a shopaholic. But hey, I think every girl is a shopaholic. You’re not going to read about us [me and Aly] fighting and pulling hair. It’s just not going to happen.
Can you talk about the experience of filming in Austin, Texas, which has a really vibrant music scene?
I’ve been really lucky. I’ve been able to shoot in a lot of really fun places. Austin was incredible, because South by Southwest was there when we were there. Me and Aly went to see a Willie Nelson concert, which was so much fun. We saw a bunch of artistic movies, which was great. And just the whole vibe of it. Everybody’s there because they want to be and they love music. It was just a lot of fun. I’ve been in Montreal for the past few weeks, and it’s the same there. The jazz festival is there right now. I love anything that has to do with the arts.
So you didn’t have any horror stories with paparazzi following you around in Austin?
No. It was great.
In "Bandslam," Sa5m and Will work on a visual-arts project for school. Did Todd let you shoot your own things?
Yep. It’s my own work. I’ve always loved making movies. I have the stupidest movies on my computer. I made a scary movie with Ashley [Tisdale] and my little sister. But I think I’m more into photography.
Who have you been inspired by in still photography?
I haven’t gotten that far yet. [She laughs.]
Would you want to work your boyfriend Zac Efron again?
Yeah, of course. If the right thing comes along. We’re not looking for anything, but the fact is, we’re growing up and doing our own thing. We’re doing what we’re drawn to. But if something came up that was great, of course.
What advice would you have for Disney stars on the rise, especially if they end up in a project that becomes as huge as "High School Musical"?
Just hang on. There’s nothing that can prepare you for this craziness that comes with it. It’s a whirlwind, you know? You’ve just got to hold on.
The concert scene toward the end of "Bandlsam" is one of the best parts of the movie. Can you describe what it was like to film it?
It was a great time. We were all up there, playing our instruments, and it was awesome! I’m not a rocker. I don’t do rock, so being up there with a Flying V, doing a Bread song ["Everything I Own"], I felt pretty badass. And I had so much fun jumping around like a crazy person. But hey, it’s all good.
Did you get to meet David Bowie, who has a cameo in "Bandslam"?
Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. It was here in New York. I just went in and I didn’t know what to say, I was somewhat star-struck. I said, "I am such a huge fan of yours." And he said [she says in English accent], "Oh well, thank you, love. How are you?" I said, "I’m fine." We just talked a little bit.
Were you aware that in France, "Bandslam" is called "High School Rock Stars"? How do you feel about that?
I don’t know. I think that once people see the movie, they’ll know that it’s not [like "High School Musical"]. I think the movie is [about] a completely different kind of high school. I think a lot of [movies] set in high school have the words "high school" in [the title].
So much of your audience is into social networking sites, like Facebook and Twitter. Can you explain why you’ve decided not to get involved in that kind of social networking?
I feel like movies, through that, people become so close. I feel like through "High School Musical," they feel like know me personally. When it comes to my separate personal life, I’m really private. That’s part of the reason you really don’t hear me talking about my personal life that much.
And when it comes down to it, when I have nothing to do and I’m not in the public eye, I’m going to let that be. I don’t want to tell everybody what I’m doing all the time, even though I don’t personally think it’s that interesting. When I’m doing nothing, I just want to be on my own.
What about anything official you have on the Web?
I have a music account on MySpace.
What’s next for you?
After "Sucker Punch," it’s just chill-out time.
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