OMG, you guys. Peyton List just hit up Bailee Madison‘s podcast, and the two actresses discussed a ton of juicy stuff, including how much pressure they feel to remain role models and what it’s like constantly being compared to other stars.
The 19-year-old Wizards of Waverly Place actress started the discussion, explaining that she feels pressure from kids who watched her on TV, as well as their parents.
She said, “I find that with the Disney fanbase, there’s a sense of — they’re very comfortable to come up and say hi because I think they spend so much of their childhood watching you in a way, but that can also be really hard on a human being.”
Although the 20-year-old Jessie star admitted she never felt quite the same pressure as Bailee did, she still totally understands what it’s like being compared to former Disney stars who’ve notoriously ruffled a few feathers over the years.
“I just feel like you and I, we’re not trying to hide an insane life from the public,” she said. “It doesn’t feel like that much pressure to me, but I have people that come up to me when I’m traveling in small towns. They’re like ‘Don’t turn out like that Britney Spears or that Miley Cyrus.'”
The Bridge To Terabithia actress couldn’t agree more, saying that being a teenager is hard enough, but being a teenager in the public eye is even more difficult.
She said, “I think what’s so hard is that this business is so toxic and draining, as I think any workspace is, but I always say to people — I go, ‘Imagine being a teenager and growing up. That’s hard, right? Being a teenager is a very complicated part of your life. … Now imagine being a teenager under a little microscope, where everything that you do and say, there are hundreds of people out there waiting for you to slip up.'”
TBH, it doesn’t sound like growing up in the spotlight was easy for these two, but now they’ve made it to the other side and they’re both thriving. Peyton, for example, just launched her music career, which was something she waited to do until after she left Disney.
“I was scared to put anything out, but then finally I really fell in love with ‘Liar Liar’ and ‘Dance Till We Die’ and I felt like it was the right time. And also, I didn’t want to be just another Disney girl pursuing a music career … even though they’re all super talented and everything. I just felt like I didn’t want to just be jumping on the bandwagon and following along.”
We know what you’re thinking: Did Disney stop her from releasing music while under contract? Well, the answer is no. Turns out, Peyton was just scared to take the leap and try something out of her comfort zone.
“I felt like I could pursue it more once I left,” she said. “And that was just my own thing. it wasn’t them trying to control me or anything. I just was waiting for the right time and it just felt right.”
We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to hear what else the musician is working on. But don’t worry — she didn’t quit acting. In fact, her movie Anthem of a Teenage Prophet came out on January 11, and she’s also going to be in Season 2 of Cobra Kai. As you can tell, she’s shedding her Disney image one new project at a time, and while we’ll always associate her with Jessie and BUNK’D, we’re so glad she’s finally doing stuff that she’s truly passionate about.
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