Monique Coleman is opening up about a heartbreaking moment back in her Disney days…
Fans will likely remember her as Taylor McKessie from the hit High School Musical trilogy, where she played the fictional East High student in all three installments. However, contrary to the franchise’s hit song, We’re All In This Together, the 42-year-old actress just revealed some disappointing details regarding her exclusion from the 2008 film’s press tour. While appearing on Christy Carlson Romano’s Vulnerable podcast Tuesday, the star emotionally explained:
“Disney really broke my heart because when I got to the third movie, in so many ways, I really championed the film. I really always spoke so positively, and I was a black girl playing the smartest girl in school which was a very big deal at that time. And when it came to promoting the third movie, I wasn’t invited on the tour.”
Related: Monique Shares How HSM Co-Star Corbin Bleu Supported Her After Miscarriage
Wow, not being invited despite pouring so much positive energy into the project alone must have been devastating, but to add insult to injury, it seems like she and one other actor may have been purposely singled out, as she revealed:
“And they said something about there not being enough room on the plane, and they only invited Zac [Efron], Vanessa [Hudgens], Ashley [Tisdale], and Corbin [Bleu], and Lucas [Grabeel] and I weren’t included.”
How sad. Like, seriously, what was the reason for that? You’re going to tell us there wasn’t enough room on the flight for two of the movie’s stars?! Unlikely. The actress went on to explain how the betrayal affected her on a personal level, confessing:
“That heartbreak really hit me very deeply and did cause a bit of a depression because it helped me to recognize that I was overly identifying with what I was doing and not who I was. And that was what led me to take that step and say, ‘Maybe this is my five minutes of fame. Maybe this is it in some way. And if that is the case, then what am I going to do with it.’”
However, a strong desire to not “feel reduced to Taylor McKessie,” helped her find strength once again, with her wanting to show others that “your dreams are also possible.”
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But at the end of the day, there seems to be no hard feelings, as she noted:
“I would be so open to working with Disney again. Disney is my alma mater, I tell them all the time, I’d like to come home. Especially with Disney+, there’s so much more opportunity… I would absolutely be so open to a show on Disney. That would be very cool.”
And it looks like her wish has already been granted, as the Christmas Dance Reunion alum previously teased a “nostalgic” cameo in season four of the spinoff, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, promising E! News last month that “it will not disappoint.”
See the full podcast (below):
Are we excited for this cameo? Are we disappointed with Disney for excluding her from the press tour all those years ago? Let us know YOUR thoughts in the comments down below!
[Images via Christy Carlson Romano & Disney/YouTube]
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