When High School Musical premiered on Disney Channel in 2006, it marked a change for the network. It catapulted the Disney Channel Original Movie brand, thanks to its catchy numbers and cliché, but oh-so-satisfying, plot. It also was notable for its many unforgettable performances by the principal cast.
As the franchise’s legacy has remained in tact over the years, there’s one actress who’s undeniably the unsung hero of the HSM universe — Monique Coleman.
Coleman portrayed Taylor McKessie, the brainiac sidekick to Vanessa Hudgens’ romanic lead. Was she given the juicy love story or epic solos? No. But she held the franchise down, and it turns out that ride-or-die energy wasn’t reciprocated by Disney.
As Buzzfeed reports, while appearing on the Vulnerable With Christy Carlson Romano podcast, Coleman got candid about HSM and talked about the difficulties she faced while portraying McKessie.
One of those struggles was her age difference.
“Corbin and I are nine years apart,” she said, adding “Vanessa and I are eight years apart.”
Coleman “was 24 years old working with 15 and 16 year olds.” Naturally, she had a totally “different perspective” than her castmates.
Later, Coleman shared that she was deeply hurt when Disney executives decided not to invite her on the final film’s promo tour, after she “championed” the project from its inception to its release.
“I feel safe to say this,” she started to recount. “Disney really broke my heart.”
“They said something about there not being enough room on the plane,” she added, noting that she and Lucas Grabeel were the only two cast members of the main group not included.
Coleman’s character was revolutionary at the time, and the actress was disappointed that Disney passed on an opportunity to represent Black girls in their promotion of the film’s last hurrah.
“I was a Black girl playing the smartest girl in school, which was a very big deal,” she said.
It was a tough “heartbreak” for Coleman to process, and she confessed that it lead to significant mental health challenges.
“It did cause a bit of depression, because it helped me to recognize that I was overly identifying with what I was doing, and not who I was,” she explained. “And that was what led me to take that step and say, ‘Maybe this is my five minutes of fame? Maybe this is it?'”
Ultimately, the rejection showed Coleman that she was equating her worth with her work, and that needed to change. She had to reconnect with who she really is, independent of the franchise.
“I always saw myself as more than just someone who was able to book a job. I knew that there were other things that I wanted to contribute in this world,” she stated.
