Monique Coleman Looks Back on 'HSM': 'If Those Set Walls Could Talk'

Transcript

00:00I'm sure like so many people probably came to you on set for like advice and

00:03you're like probably like, don't date this person, don't do that, and also tell

00:07your mama. You know what I mean? Like I'm not gonna say who, what, or where, but I was

00:11I was in the car with people the first time they got to drive, you know, with

00:15without like with an adult in the car. I would be the one they'd be like, Mo,

00:19you're going. People lost their virginities, all kinds of things was

00:22happening and I was like, oh my god, talk to your parents, talk to your parents, because

00:26you know, I was able to really see, to see them fully and bridge that gap.

00:32And we went on two tours. We went on a national tour and also an international

00:36tour and there were times where I really was able to see like, hey, they're

00:41actually growing up a little bit and I can kind of stand in that gap and be a

00:45buffer for them between their parents to say like, hey, you can trust them. Yeah. You

00:50know, I'm here and I'm paying attention and you can trust them and also, you

00:54know, being in the room also and being like, don't you act a fool because I'm

00:56in this room with you. I'm like, I don't want to get in trouble. You know, your mom is scary.

01:00If those set walls could talk. If those set walls could talk and we never would. Never would now.

01:04And that's what's so beautiful about, I think, about our dynamics specifically is that we

01:09are, we genuinely care about each other and it doesn't matter how much time

01:13passes, doesn't matter what we've been through, we will always have each

01:17other's backs. Was it hard for you playing, being 25 and playing a 16 year

01:21old? Did you feel like you had to, you know? The only aspect of it that was

01:25difficult is that it was at a time where people were not honest about their age.

01:28Yes. And so I was terrified that Disney was gonna find out and that I was gonna

01:32get in trouble. Okay. And it was interesting. We were, they didn't know

01:36that you were 25 when you signed on for the show? No, because you don't, you didn't

01:39have to tell your age. So interesting. Yeah. And so what was interesting is that I was

01:43showing up to set and like my Mickey t-shirts with like my pom-poms on my

01:46ears, like acting like a little, like a child. Meanwhile, Vanessa and Ashley were in

01:51their Frankie B's with like their little booty cheeks out and I'm like, oh my god!

01:54Because that's actually the truth, you know what I mean? They were like 16 and I think

01:58maybe 20. I was 24 and I was like doing my best to be as young as possible.

02:04Meanwhile, all the young people around me were doing their, you know, were trying to

02:08appear older. And so that was just kind of this interesting gap. I got to say you

02:12took on like kind of like this older sister. Absolutely. I was definitely the

02:16big sister. Yeah. And for me, I actually really enjoy playing younger characters

02:21because I feel like it gives me an opportunity to replay parts of that

02:25experience from a different perspective. Yeah. So it was really fun for me and it

02:29still is fun for me because I don't look my age even now. No, you don't, yeah. And so I'm like, I'm out here in my thirties, you know.

02:36What was their reaction when they did find out how old you were? It was fine. It was always fine.

02:40Ashley did say something on the very first day and I was like, I will snatch you, girl.

02:45Because I was on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody before doing High School Musical.

02:49And she's like, can you believe she's? And I was like, shut up, Sharpie!