It happened! Carlos and Seb shared a smooch during the Friday, June 11, episode of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. And stars Frankie Rodriguez and Joe Serafini are spilling all the tea exclusively to J-14 about the lead-up to their iconic Seblos kiss.
“It was something that our creator, Tim Federle, pulled us aside and was like, ‘We earned it,'” Frankie recalls, noting that it “wasn’t” in the original script. “Of course, we were game and so excited to take part in Disney history, which is crazy to say.”
Joe, for his part, remembers watching the scene for the first time and thinking, “Oh my gosh, we made it. We did it.”
The episode, titled “The Quinceañero,” showed Seb and Gina throwing Carlos the “dance-filled Quinceañero he never had,” per Disney+’s summary. “I think it’s just time that we kind of share these stories,” Frankie tells J-14. “I mean, [Quinceañeros have] been around forever, and it’s been a part of my culture. It was nice to have something so close to me and my upbringing being featured on the show and, you know, showcased to millions.”
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, season 2 of HSMTMTS was pushed back a year, and the actors call it “serendipitous” that their big episode ended up airing during Pride Month. “The fact that how it kind of just happened to be during this month,” Frankie says. “I mean that you can’t make that up.”
Aside from the Seblos kiss, Joe’s Seb also serenades Frankie’s Carlos with a rendition of Miley Cyrus‘ “The Climb,” which was a major moment. “I’ve just been holding onto it, and I’ve been very excited to like share it all,” Joe says. “It’s wild that it’s finally out.”
The actor recalls being “shook” when finding out that he was going to sing the classic tune.
“I was just so excited and also a little scared to, you know, take on such an iconic song that we all know and love for so many years,” Joe shares. “I think they did such a beautiful job with the arrangement and incorporating it into Seb’s story … It was just such an honor and I had such a blast recording.”
All in all, the on-screen lovebirds call “The Quinceañero” a “fun and special” episode to shoot. “It’s definitely a night we’ll remember forever. It was so much fun,” Frankie says. Joe adds, “We were all in it together and it was just, like, we are here for this Quinceañero, and it really was a party.”
As for what fans can expect from Seblos as season 2 continues? “With this show, you never know. There are twists and turns everywhere and surprises,” Frankie teases. “You just gotta keep watching.”
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