'He's Too Much Like My Brother' (original) (raw)

(By Chris Pizzello -- Associated Press)

A: I am. She's so much fun because she is the character you love to hate -- she's the comedic relief. She's dramatic and she's the mean girl; there are so many layers to her. I'm gonna miss her a lot. She has great clothes; she's very smart and she's just fun. You just like to laugh at her.

Q: You have your own production company, Blondie Girl Productions. It sounds like you want to be as active behind the camera as in front of it. Why?

A: I love being creative . . . Producing is just a big learning experience. I know I have pretty good instincts. I know what the fan base likes and what they want . . . I'm actually the first actress [Disney Channel] ever came to to executive-produce one of their TV shows, which is a pilot that I'm doing for them based on my life working at the mall. I'm also working with [production company] Fremantle on either creating a reality show or a scripted show.

Q: I read in Seventeen magazine that your role model is Kate Hudson.

A: Oh no. I said I love Kate Hudson [in] her romantic comedies. I love watching her act -- she's an amazing actress -- but I've never really looked up to celebrities. If [there's] anybody I've looked up to, it's my mom. I just feel that celebrities aren't perfect, you know, and as much as I'm a role model, I'm not perfect, so I've never really looked at someone like that.

Q: In Seventeen, you also say that you've never been attracted to Zac Efron. Isn't that like saying you don't like chocolate or admitting that you don't like puppies?

A: No . . . [laughs]. I've known him for three years before [the first] "High School Musical." He looked like he was 12 years old at the time . . . Yeah, he definitely is cute and everything; I can see why people do think he's hot, but he's too much like my brother. We bicker and everything, it's totally that kind of relationship.

Q: How do you navigate transitioning from Disney [movies] to adult-[oriented fare]?

A: You know, there's not any path that you're supposed to be taking. It's kind of like you're taking your own path and finding out for yourself. Shia LaBeouf -- I would like to emulate his career because he did it so well . . . I feel that I look young for 23 years old and you can't always play young, that's the thing. Once you get into an adult role, you're there for life. After that you can't go back. So I'm very happy with where I am right now.