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Perth Now
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Brenda Song blocked from movie role by Disney
Brenda Song has claimed Disney blocked her from starring in Gran Torino because of a sexual assault scene. The 37-year-old actress shot to fame as hotel heiress London Tipton in the Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and went on to star in a number of the network's own movies before moving away from child stardom to more adult roles. However, despite her success, Brenda revealed her transition wasn't made easy and she faced difficulties such as missing out on a role she wanted in Clint Eastwood's 2008 drama Gran Torino. Accepting Variety's Virtuoso Award at the Bentonville Film Festival in Arkansas, she recalled: "The character had an intended sexual assault scene, so Disney nixed it. And I was very upset but I was like, 'Okay, I guess it didn't work out.'' Brenda also had to fight for her role as Christy in The Social Network, which also featured a sexually-explicit scene, going to then-COO of Disney Branded Television Gary Marsh to plead her case. She recalled: 'I was just like, 'I am an actor. When you hired me, I was not a hotel heiress. If I have ever done anything in my personal life to ever draw bad attention to your company, I understand. But this is the last season of the show, and this is the opportunity of a lifetime.' "And I was so fortunate, they were so supportive. They allowed me to do this film that truly changed my life.' Brenda - who has sons Dakota, four, and Carson, two, with fiance Macaulay Culkin - was grateful to break into acting at a young age because it was "really hard" for Asian-American women to find success. She said: "That was the tricky thing growing up, being an Asian-American actress in Hollywood. 'Like if you weren't Jackie Chan or Jet Li — I'm not an Asian man — it was really hard. But I was fortunate to have actors like Ming-Na Wen, Michelle Yeoh and Lucy Liu, who really inspired me.' Of working with Ming-Na when she was eight years old, she added: 'I'm so grateful because she was so encouraging, so kind and just so supportive.'
Perth Now
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Ashley Tisdale says Sharpay Evans is the 'most iconic' High School Musical character
Ashley Tisdale thinks her High School Musical character is the "most iconic" of them all. The 39-year-old actress played wannabe stage star Sharpay Evans in the hit Disney film series and claimed more than 15 years after the final instalment was released that her alter-ego has gone on to become the most memorable amongst fans. She told People: "When I played the character of Sharpay — I think it was probably what made her so funny — was that I truly thought [Sharpay] was the popular girl in school. I thought Sharpay was popular, and I played it like she was popular. "And [director] Kenny Ortega enhanced that. He really made me feel like I was popular. But what's so funny is that she's not the popular girl. She's the drama queen. And my husband's like, 'That's what's so funny about how you played it. You really thought you were popular." "Sharpay is — I swear she's mother to everybody — because it's like she just keeps coming back on these memes and people keep talking and doing the songs. "And I'm just like, I mean, out of everyone in High School Musical, my character is the most iconic. It's so cool." The High School Musical series initially followed Zac Efron as East High's star basketball player and how he broke free of the high school clique system as he and top student Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens) sought out leading roles in a school play. Ashley also made her name starring in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody for Disney Channel, and recently reprised her role of Candace in a reboot of Phineas and Ferb, but ultimately "can't believe" that a string of failed auditions led her to a part in a franchise that became such a success. She added: "I mean, it's so cool … It's really awesome to be a part of these projects that have really been so prevalent in pop culture and to play these characters. "It's just, you're like, 'Dang, man.' I can't believe out of everything that I auditioned for [...] I got this animation [series] that has lasted this long. Or I was always trying to get a Disney movie, and never got the movie. And then, I got High School Musical. "Out of all the ones, I get that. This is pretty awesome."
Perth Now
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Jesse McCartney has become a father
Jesse McCartney has become a father - two months earlier than expected. The 38-year-old singer-and-actor - who starred as JR Chandler on the soap opera All My Children before joining the boy band Dream Street - and his wife Katie Peterson welcomed their son Archer James McCartney early on May 7. The little one wasn't due until August 8. In a joint post on Instagram on June 17, the couple announced alongside a series of pictures of baby Archer: "Archer James McCartney took center stage on 5/7/25. "Our sweet Archie couldn't wait to meet us and arrived a bit earlier than expected. We are so in love with him. He loves when mommy reads him a book and when daddy sings him off to sleep. We look forward to bringing him home very soon to meet his big sister Bailey [their dog], who sleeps with his blanket every night. Enjoy some cute pictures of our little fighter, Archer." The couple announced they were expecting their first child together on Valentine's Day 2024. Jesse and Katie tied the knot in October 2021, after almost a decade of dating. Asked what attracted her to Jesse, Katie previously gushed to PEOPLE: "For somebody who's so busy and always on the go, he just has this generous way of prioritising me. "We just make each other laugh. I feel the most comfortable being myself when I'm with him, which I think is really the true tell of when you found your person." Jesse previously told of his plans to start a family amid a musical comeback. Asked if he and his wife had thought about kids, he told Just Jared: "Yeah, we talk about it a lot. And I think that's definitely in the cards in the near future." Jesse - who made appearances on the Disney Channel alongside Miley Cyrus on Hannah Montana and Brenda Song on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody - added that he had been making plans for a comeback tour and celebrating the 20th anniversary of his first hit as well considering a move out of Los Angeles to start a family. He said: "Actually, I'm in the process of discussing that with my team. We talked about possibly going overseas. A couple of these songs are doing really well in Southeast Asia. And there's a big market over there. I think we have a lot of fans over there. So we're thinking about maybe touring over there maybe later in the year, potentially Australia too, because we were supposed to tour there in 2020 before COVID hit. "Then like I said, maybe trying to get something together for the anniversary of 'Beautiful Soul' if we can pull it together in time. "So those are the plans. And, you know, just sort of also personally working on family, trying to maybe start a family and potentially move. We love our home here, but we're thinking of getting something a little bit more family friendly. So real estate is another thing that we're looking into."
Perth Now
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale 'feels weird' about turning 40
Ashley Tisdale "feels weird" about turning 40. The 39-year-old actress - who has daughters Jupiter, four, as well as eight-month-old Emerson with her husband Christopher French - will celebrate her milestone birthday in July but doesn't really have any huge plans to mark the occasion other than a simple dinner with her family and friends. Speaking on 'The View', she said: "It does feel weird, I don't feel 40 and I get told I don't look 40 so I feel like it's just a number. I'm just gonna do something really small. I had a baby eight months ago, Emerson, and I had a baby shower that was this big kind of party so I feel like I already did that. So I'm just doing dinner with my family and friends, making it small." The 'Phineas and Ferb' star initially found fame when she was cast as Maddie Fitzpatrick on the Disney Channel series 'The Suite Life of Zack and Cody' and then found further recognition as Sharpay Evans in the network's 'High School Musical' franchise alongside Zac Efron but joked that by the time her success came about she "wanted to retire" because she had been chipping away at it for so long. Ashley - who launched the wellness brand Being Frenshe in 2022 - said: "At 18, I wanted to retire from acting because I'd done it since I was three! It was one of those things where I'd always followed my intuition, and it's kind of cool to be in this stage of my life where I'm older. With Frenshe, COVID had happened and I really wanted to connect with people and talk about my journey there and talk about my mental health and my journey there. It wasn't like anyone was telling me to do it, I didn't have a manager or agent telling me 'Hey, you should do this now...' It was just like me wanting to do it." When asked about the enduring popularity of her 'High School Musical' alter-ego - who appeared in all three films within the trilogy and then in her spin-off TV movie 'Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure' - Asley admitted that it is "wild" to see the longevity but ultimately puts that down to the fans of the musical series. She said: "Literally, she's always referenced in popular culture still today, which is so wild, but she's an icon and she's very popular obviously but I think that it's such a fun movie and it's a comfort for everyone to go back to it. The fans are what made that."
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song receive custom team jerseys at Los Angeles Lakers–Minnesota Timberwolves showdown
Image credit: NBA/X A host of celebrities made their way to the much-anticipated Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers playoff match on Tuesday, and among them were Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin and fiancée and actor Brenda Song . The two were seated in the front row and got a pleasant surprise as the Los Angeles Lakers Girls gifted them custom team jerseys with their names on them. Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song receive custom Lakers jerseys There were quite a few famous faces in the stands as the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2 of the first-round matchup in the playoffs. Brenda Song, who chose to sport a black Lakers top along with matching pants for the outing, was given a team jersey with her surname 'Song' and number 3 printed on it. Macaulay Culkin, in a plain T-shirt and jeans paired with a blue jacket, was also given a team jersey with number 8 printed on it along with his surname 'Culkin.' The video was shared by NBA's official X page and had fans dropping mixed reactions. An X user reacted, 'Loveeeee seeing Macaulay out and about looking great.' Another said, 'Haha, that's dope! Brenda and Mac getting love from the Lakers Girls with those custom jerseys? Living the dream! #LakersNation.' Praising Brenda, a fan also tweeted, 'BSong knows ball. She's a real one.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo A few fans, however, were disappointed about not being showered with free fan goodies. One commented, 'while die-hard OG purple and gold Laker fans are home watching on television.' Another said, 'ou gotta love to see rich people get free stuff.' Culkin, 44, is one of the most famous child actors in Hollywood for his role in the hit 1990 film Home Alone and its sequel. Brenda, 37, also worked as a child actor in many TV series and films, including playing London Tipton in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. They met in 2017 on the set of the film Changeland, which was released in 2019, and have been together since then. They are now parents to two sons, Dakota and Carson. Also Read: Minnesota Timberwolves vs Los Angeles Lakers attracts star-studded Hollywood crowd including Jack Black There were many other celebrities at the game, including actors Jason Segel, Dustin Hoffman, and Jack Black, at the Arena in Los Angeles. The Lakers defeated the Timberwolves, with LeBron James and Luka Dončić playing pivotal roles in the win. Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India , including match schedules , team squads , points table and IPL live score for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Don't miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap .
