Here’s an interview that Vanessa did with with Alloy in which she talks about her Bandslam character Sam! Thanks to Kimberly Gordon for the link!
Vanessa Hudgens seems like the girl who has it all: not only is she a talented actress, but she also has amazing vocal chops, and Zac Efron as her arm candy! It would be so easy to hate her, but her sweet personality makes that literally impossible. We all know and love Vanessa as the perky and chipper Gabriella in High School Musical, but in Bandslam, we’ll see a whole new side of her. She plays the darker and more mysterious Sam. For deets on her fave weird food combo and her first kiss, keep reading!
Was it a transition going from Gabriella to Sam?
It was exciting. It was fun. I finally got to play with a different kind of character and do something kind of new and different.
Sam talks in monotone. Was it hard to talk without any emotions?
It kind of was because I’m such a giddy person and I laugh at almost everything, so I had to refrain from that. It was a lot of fun, you know? She’s a different kind of person, so it took a lot.
Who do you relate to the most out of all the characters you played so far?
I’m probably somewhere in the middle between Sam and Gabriella. I’m happy like Gabriella, but I’m somewhere in the middle.
Sam loves drinking Coke with Twizzlers. What’s your favorite weird food combo?
I like dipping French fries in a milkshake.
In the movie, Will’s idol is David Bowie. Who is yours?
Angelina Jolie. She’s inspiring and strong, and she has Brad Pitt as her man! She’s pretty incredible.
Sam and Will share an awkward first kiss. What was your first kiss like?
It was a dare. [My friends] dared me to make out with my boyfriend at the time, and I chickened out. I pecked him and it was just really awkward, and we ended up breaking up a week after that.
Did you go to high school or were you homeschooled?
I was homeschooled. Before I did High School Musical. I felt like I was missing out, but as soon as I did that movie, I got to live so much of it! I made really great friends, I had a prom, and I had graduation with people I love and didn’t have any of the drama that comes with the real high school.
HSM has some rabid fans! What was your craziest fan encounter?
Probably in Brazil. I was coming back to LA and I was with Zac, and there was a security team holding hands, circling us and I was like, “Oh gosh, this could be a disaster. We look ridiculous!” As soon as we walk in, I’m about to say, “It’s OK, you don’t have to do it,” when a bunch of fans come running out of nowhere and it became a mob scene. It was crazy.
Are you ever on the opposite end of the spectrum and get star struck?
I don’t necessarily get star struck. I just have great respect for people who I look up to. If anything, it’s exciting and thrilling to meet people who I have listened to or watched for years.
Your Funny or Die video with Zac is hilarious! How did all of that come about?
Thanks! Zac told me about it and he said that it was supposed to be a cool party, so I came along and our friends were there and it was a lot of fun.
We heard a rumor that there were talks of casting you as Leah Clearwater for New Moon. True or false?
It was completely false. I never even talked to anyone about that movie at all. It came out of nowhere. My sister is a big fan of the books, so she’s read almost all of them and I’m friends with Nikki [Reed] who’s in that movie. So she told me about it — and I was like, “It would be awesome to work with you!” But it’s not really happening right now.
Rock out with Bandslam in theatres August 14!