She’s come a long way from her Disney Channel days! Ashley Tisdale rose to fame after starring as Maddie Fitzpatrick on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody before going on to play the iconic Sharpay Evans in all three High School Musical movies, plus her very own spinoff flick. Now, the New Jersey native is married to Christopher French and is a mom to daughter Jupiter.
“I was able to just [have] the normal kind of childhood growing up in Hollywood. All of the pitfalls and stuff you can go through and the fact that I didn’t go through any of that stuff, it’s because of me but because of my parents and how they raised me,” she told Forbes in May 2021 about growing up in the spotlight. “I’m glad I was never having to go through some of the stuff that I know some people have gone through.”
Prior to nabbing her Suite Life role, Ashley had a few acting credits under her belt, but it wasn’t until the fan-favorite Disney series premiered in 2005 that she became a breakout star. Once she belted her heart out as Sharpay in the first HSM film a year later, her career started to take shape. The “Headstrong” songstress continued to bop to the top as East High’s resident mean girl until 2011 when Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure was released. Then, she continued a TV and film career all while releasing music. Over the years, Ashley has dropped three full-length albums — Headstrong, Guilty Pleasure and Symptoms.
Aside from her acting gigs, the mom of one was a judge on season 1 of The Masked Dancer, and launched the Frenshe blog and the Frenshe interior design business. “This isn’t my full-time job. I’m an actress first. I just have a passion for interior design and will continue to help friends and clients when I have the chance,” she told Architectural Digest in April 2021. “It’s really just something I can do that’s not in my direct business that’s a hobby.”
When it comes to continuing her acting career, Ashley has plans to continue acting on TV.
“I think for me, I really still love TV. I really do want to do a series that is very different. I would love to do a single-camera series. I’ve done a lot of multi-cam [series]. I’m always looking to play different characters and really grow and expand in my acting,” she said during her Forbes interview, noting that she’s become “inspired” by her daughter. “It’s just something where I’m excited to be able to bring her on-set and do these experiences with her. It’s like having your best friend. Being able to do it together. It’s not just yourself.”
Scroll through our gallery to see Ashley’s transformation from Disney star to now!
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