ON ASHLEY: Coach; beret, S weater, gold bracelet, Hurley; Bittar; all otherA lexis bracelets, A.V. Max. ashleyashley tisdale tisdalephotographs by kenneth willardt by jane nussbaum HOQQOZZaVS`··bVSZWTS]TbVS^O`bg¸¸/\RVS¸a`WUVb Believe it or not, Ashley Tisdale is known for her hugs. The girl who perfectly plays Sharpay Evans—the iciest, most self-absorbed character in the High School Musical series—hugs her real- life best friends (who also happen to be her HSM costars, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens) with so much excitement and warmth that she actually grabs their faces and smushes them against hers. “Zac always makes fun of me,” she says with a laugh. But somehow, having their personal space invaded by Ashley doesn’t freak people out. Her enthusiasm and love are so genuine that she pulls them in like a magnet. In fact, on the set of High School Musical 3: Senior Year, she barely had a moment alone because everyone wanted to hang out in her trailer and play Guitar Hero! 099 ON ASHLEY: Sweater, ON ASHLEY: Sweater, It would be easy to think all the wrong things about %(/`Sg]c]\S]TbV]aSUW`ZaeV]VOdSbVSW`eV]ZS Coach; beret, Hurley; McQ by Alexander gold bracelet, Alexis McQueen; tank, Ashley. You might, for example, think she shares eSRRW\U^ZO\\SRW\bVSW`VSOR- Bittar; all other Michael Stars; Sharpay’s conniving, spotlight-hogging personality /B(Well, when I was younger, I’d always wonder, What bracelets, A.V. Max. leggings, Sonia Rykiel; belt, Diane von traits—because she’s been acting since she was 3. But wedding dress will I wear? But I’m not constantly Furstenberg; necklace while Sharpay thinks she’s the biggest star in every (worn on wrist), thinking about that now. I haven’t really thought about R.J. Graziano; gloves, room, Ashley is too modest to even realize the magnitude marriage—I feel way too young, and I have too much Carolina Amato. of her star power: She is still shocked that she gets going on. When I’m daydreaming, I’m usually just mobbed by fans when she goes out with her friends for thinking, What should I wear tomorrow? frozen yogurt. While Sharpay never gets the guy because she’s way too in love with herself, Ashley has %(7Tg]c¸`SacQVO`][O\bWQbSZZcaOP]cbg]c` had a boyfriend for two years who is completely crazy TW`abYWaaEOaWbO[OhW\U- about her, singer/dancer Jared Murillo. (He kept her /B(It was awkward and gross! I was 14 and I was at company for nine hours at our photo shoot!) And even this pool party. It was with this other actor who I had though Ashley is so bubbly she’s practically a party, a crush on, and I thought it was going to be awesome— she’s not a paparazzi-loving party girl. She started her but it was just like, Ew, get away from me! career as a child model alongside avid partygoers Mischa Barton and Lindsay Lohan, but after a long day, %(EVObO`Sg]cZWYSeVS\WbQ][Sab]RObW\U\]e- all she really wants to do is curl up on her couch and /B(I’m really old-fashioned, like a guy has to make watch a little reality TV. Ashley might not be trying to get tons of attention, but it’s hard not to notice that this is a major moment for her. Besides HSM 3, she’s I’ve never, starring in the sci-fi comedy They Came From Upstairs, in theaters in February. She sat down with Seventeen to dish about her life, from her ever pretended ashley first kiss to her last year as a Wildcat. %(2WRg]cSdS`W[OUW\Sg]c`QO`SS` to be something e]cZRbOYS]TTbVSeOgWbVOa- /aVZSgBWaROZS(I knew one day, if I kept working, success would come. And I knew if I I’m not. quit, it would never come. So even at a younger age, I was so driven. I was always full-on in control the first move—he has to call me first. I put up a shield of my career, and I’m the type of person who makes a lot at the very beginning, just because I don’t want to her own decisions. get my heart broken. I would never go up to a guy and be like, “Here’s my number.” I’m not someone who’ll tisdale %(EVS`SR]g]ceO\bg]c`QO`SS`b]U]- run after you—you have to run after me! /B(There’s so much I’m excited to do. I’ve always had ideas—like when I was younger, I used to pretend to %(A]POaWQOZZgg]ceO\bVW[b]R]OZZbVSe]`Y write scripts! And I just got into producing—it’s cool /B(I mean, I’ll flirt and stuff, but once it gets to a to be part of the whole creative process, finding the certain point, it’s like, What’s going on? Does he like writers and the cast. I’m the type of person who’s like, me or not? I’m blunt, so at that point, I’ll go up to the Oh, my gosh, that person would be great in this! So I guy and be like, “Dude, you know I like you. I’m hope that five years from now, I’ll be producing lots of flirting with you and you’re flirting back, so is this shows and movies. something?” That way, he has to tell me yes or no. What’s the worst that can happen? Just that he says %(EV]R]g]cZ]]Yc^b]W\6]ZZge]]R- no—and then obviously you two weren’t meant to be /B(I’m a big fan of Kate Hudson. I love her. She’s together, and you can move on. hilarious and down-to-earth—she just cracks me up! Her movies are amazing. And I want to work with %(7be]`YSR]cbeWbV8O`SR6]eRWRg]c[SSb- Shia LaBeouf someday. He’s so good. I also love Julia /B(I was friends with him during the first HSM Roberts and Cameron Diaz: I’m a really big fan of My movie. [He was a backup dancer.] But we were just Best Friend’s Wedding. I’d want my career to go in friends. I wasn’t even looking at him because I ON MILEY: Cardigan, that direction—I really want to do romantic comedies. thought he was too young. But a year later, I noticed Rebecca Taylor; t-shirt, Public Library; skirt, I’m a way romantic person. him, and I was like, Oh, he’s really cute! Chris Han; hat, Miley’s own; necklace, 099 100 Katharine Sise Jewelry. 101 %(EVOb¸abVSVO`RSab^O`b]TRObW\Ug]c- %(2]g]cSdS`USbXSOZ]cabVObSdS`g]\SWaa] /B( I’m always surrounded by good-looking guys, like T]QcaSR]\bVSW``SZObW]\aVW^- ashley Zac Efron. So I have to be with someone who’s not /B(I don’t pay that much attention—it’s stupid to get going to get jealous about any of that, or when I’m caught up in [that stuff]. I live life by working hard at kissing somebody in a scene. what I love to do and being successful at that. I don’t have to be in tabloids, and I don’t have to be the center %(2]Sa8O`SRT`SOY]cbOP]cbbVOb- of anything. Acting is my passion—for me, it was never PSS P]^ /B(He’s very supportive. And if you’re supportive of like, Oh, man, I really want to be famous. If you’re just 8cabeVS\g]cbV]cUVbg]cY\SeSdS`gbVW\UOP]cbVS`aVSbV`]eaOQc`dSPOZZ[[[ me, then I’ll be supportive of you. looking for fame, it will come and go. The truth is, I fun facts:P]^ really want to be known %(2]g]cUSbac^^]`b ON ASHLEY: Dress, for my work—not where Marc by Marc Jacobs; T`][DO\SaaOb]]- scarf, V. Fraas; MP3 I shop or how often I go /B(Yeah. I just love her player, Disney iRiver. to The Coffee Bean. so much. She’s my best PSS^ friend and she’s there for %(0cbg]cO`SW\bVS earliest concert: RSR] P]] me no matter what. I a^]bZWUVb\]e2]g]c Hanson. “I loved them. They looked like girls!” trust her—and we’re TSSZ^`Saac`Sb]PS always honest with each ^S`TSQbOZZbVSbW[S- other. We’re like sisters. /B(Well, I don’t think of You can tell when we myself as a role model, first dog: Blondie. “She disowned miss each other. When I and I’m not perfect, but me when I left to do ETT the first HSM. She’s my was filming in New I’m also not someone who R dad’s dog now!” best Halloween Zealand and she was in goes and does anything : EVE N SLEY. A Texas for a movie, we really crazy. I’m kind of R costume: DE URM N Poison Ivy from would just talk for an boring. But I feel very Batman & Robin. G KI N hour about, like, clothes. comfortable with myself. LI R AGES. TH O M D SE: SE: R %(/`Sg]cXcabOa %(6OaTO[SQVO\USR O H : GETTY I QZ]aSeWbVHOQ- bVSRg\O[WQPSbeSS\ N SO /B(Yeah, I’ve known g]cO\Rg]c`Q]abO`a- N AGE. HA him for so long. He’s so /B(No.