Hey, Wildcats, this is Bart Johnson and you're listening to gig your Head in the Game.

Hello, so good to see you.

Oh my gosh, I just love to seeing you.

We bumped into each other on an airplane not too long ago.

Yeah.

I was just literally telling my husband that.

He was like, what's this podcast?

And I was like, you you have to remember the plane when I saw Bart and he was like, oh my god, I have musical and I was like, yes, I know, super fun.

I'm excited.

We gotta get together.

We got we gotta do a TikTok.

Right, let's do it.

Let's do it.

I was so sad I couldn't come into like the in person one because I had something.

But I was like, yeah, matter of.

Fact, let me let's start from the beginning, because I'm it's like rushing there just talking to my old friend Molly.

But let me give you a little proper intro, Molly, if I may, Molly Cray, welcome to Get your Head in the Game podcast, where we could relive all of our stories and tell our tales.

And boy, if you've been busy ever since I've seen you last on the set of High School Music, Well I've seen you since.

But I mean, your career has been crazy.

You were young, you were so young when you started.

You've done so many things you've done.

You did a bunch of Disney stuff after high school.

You got a bunch of stuff coming up, and you've been a busy actress.

I want to talk about all of it, and we've got such a short amount of time, but I want to, like, let's start, Let's start from the beginning, if you don't mind, Moll of.

Course, Yeah, anything awesome.

Twelve years old?

Is that where it began?

Like, yeah, I was twelve when then turned thirteen, like I think on set, but I can't.

I can't remember if I turned thirteen, like right before set or on set.

But I was a baby.

You're a baby.

One of the few, by the way, I mean a lot of people were not high school.

We're the youngest.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, Bailey, how old was was she?

Your age?

Yeah?

Bailey is a little bit younger than me, so she was.

I know, she was twelve, So I can't remember if like I was like twelve turning thirteen or like barely thirteen.

Guse were so cute with her, your fellow cheerleader.

I mean We comment sometimes on each other's like instagrams and say with Kelly like her sister amazing.

Yeah.

A studio I just went to was having Bonnie in and I.

Was like, oh my gosh, this is so cool, like all my world's colliding.

Amazing.

For those of you who don't know Bonnie Story, we love body story.

She's one of an amazing car for Chucky and Bonnie Story.

And then she had her two daughters in Last Cheerleaders and they were amazing, and they were in all the movies with Money.

By the way, Molly, you were only gonna be on the first one originally originally.

Yes.

A funny story about that first one is I didn't tell my mom that I was going to the audition, and so I just got a ride from a friend.

And then when I booked it, I.

Was like, hey, Mom, I just booked this movie because it like at the point we didn't know it was like a Disney Channel movie.

Yet I was just like, the director is Kenny Ortega.

I knew nothing.

I was a child, right, So I was like, it's a dance audition.

And then I got the call, got it, and then I got offered the second and third one after the auditions and I was like, oh, shoot, this could be something kind of.

Epic, you know.

Yeah, well you were one of the really we had so many like like amazing, We had a lot of dancers, but we had like some key dancers that were like unbelievable, and you were one of the star dancers, which seemed like it did really well for you, Like it paid off being earlier.

I mean, you're you're charming and you can act, so it's like you had that to go to build on as well.

Yeah, so you also pay like so much like gratitude to Kenny or Tega.

Obviously he got me my first agent.

He called and was like you need to sign her right now, And I was like what does.

That even mean?

You know, I had done like a few like.

Small stuff like I did like a commercial when I was nine and then like a little small like indie, but I didn't know this full lifestyle.

I knew when I was on set of the first high school musical when I watched everyone, I knew that I wanted to do that, but back then, like it wasn't something that was like something that that would make sense for a career, right, Like it was like doctors and lawyers and all of this to to my thing, like I grew up in right.

Yeah, so when he did that, I was like, irma, gird, this is going to be something and yeah no, so I like high school Musical changed my life.

Yeah, yeah, you were along for the for the ride.

You're you're a part of the original cast of Wildcats and everybody knows you from that.

But then it parlaid right into I think was Beach Movie.

The next thing you did.

No, okay, so it went it went high school Musical and then I graduated and then I did so Anything you Can Dance?

Yeah, yes, you didn't really well on that show, Yeah I did.

I made it to the finale, which was really nice.

Well you found but I think you, like we're kind of known as like a fan favorite, like everybody loved you, which it's important when you're an actor, Like it's nice when the fans like you.

And I think something too that Like my story on the show was like I thought that it was because I'm deaf in my left ear.

I thought that that's what they were going to use, but they used high school Musical.

They were like, oh, you were in all the high school musicals, So I was like, oh, yeah, yes.

That's what I did, Like you know what, I thought that was kind of cool.

And then right after that when I got my first acting break was Marguerite Derek's hired me as a dancer for No Strings Attached with Ashton Kutcher, Natalie Portman and then.

The director I then was like, hey, do you act?

And I said yes, and then I became a supporting character on that movie, which started to build my resume, and then did a bunch of like small stuff and then yeah, ten Beach movie right after.

So actually a lot.

Of stuff happened between TV.

I look back on that.

I feel like that was right on the heel of high school musical.

But like it's like a time warp now when those things and I still.

Like look the same age, So just that.

Sounds really confusing.

All you look the same as you did, by the way, twenty years ago.

Twenty about to be thirty five years old, Like that's wild.

When you start the journey at twelve, that sounds like a big number.

Yeah you're still a kid though, there's still a kid.

Yeah, I know, I know.

I remember the thirties, Like I'm so old.

I should have made it by now.

I'm like, are you kidding me?

You're a child?

You're a child?

Yeah, okay, so that's that's that's exciting.

And then well let's talk about let's talk let's back high School Musical because since this podcast is all about we had a great time on this show.

Uh, you were amazing?

Were you when you got hired?

Were you going to be in all the dance numbers?

Was that the idea?

No?

So the first movie I was assigned to being a brainiac with Casey, So the pop block, jam and break and then like the finale stuff.

And then once Kenny started seeing me a little bit more, he added me to a bit more stuff.

And then I like.

I don't want to say upgraded, but like the cheerleaders were the principal dancers, you know what I mean, So.

The cheerleaders and.

Then yeah, I just remember like traveling and getting to like live my dream for months, and it was so cool going down to a place that like was my home.

Obviously, like going up to the high school was really great, but going down to Saint George, I was like, this is like we're famous people vacation and we're just getting like up here.

And like in a movie like That's wild.

You know That's wild.

Number two was right?

What about do you remember your first day on set?

Like rolling in first day on?

That was your first day on to movie any like real movie set, right, yes.

On a big production.

I remember I've always been a very confident person and a very outgoing person.

I think older me is now.

Looking like Okay.

So they said come with like if your hair would be like if you were going to school.

And also this is supposed to be high school, and I barely looked elementary.

And so I was like, oh.

I'm going to do two braids, and I had like the bands that you could totally see you.

I just was so.

Inexperienced, but I was so excited to be there.

I was like, whoa, it was super fun.

Do you have a Do you have a favorite movie?

By the way, one, two or three?

Oh gosh, I get do you get this question a lot?

I get people asking me this question.

Yeah.

Everyone always asks me that, and it's between.

Our friends, you know.

People take also like okay, So with the third one, shoot, I'm I'm missing her name right now, but Sharpay's like person in the third one, So I auditioned for that character.

And Kenny was like, oh.

You're really great for this, but we had put you in the movie too much in the first and second one, and I was like, oh man, but so that one was really cool for me to watch somebody they hired the I audition for acting.

Wise, I thought the like special effects and stuff, and that was really cool.

But I would have to I can't pick one.

The first one was cool because it was like not supposed to be this huge thing, and then it was a phenomenon.

Second one we were like on a vacation.

Third one we got to meet new cast I pick all.

That's all I'm saying.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know.

It's by the way, I spent a lot of time watching actors play the roles I auditioned for.

Yeah, audition for that, Yeah, dagger in the heart there.

I couldn't that couldn't just happen to be a gid on this like the coolest show.

I didn't get.

That's a painful part of the process, though, you know we do that a lot right by Yeah.

Always yeah, Or you get casted in a movie when you've auditioned for like so many different roles, you know what I mean, and you're like, oh that makes sense.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I kind of felt that way.

When I got my part.

I'm like, what, I'm too young to have Sunday So this is Troy Bolton's character.

I'm not too young do that boy.

But then, of course, like you know before, I would have done anything for the part.

Once I get it, I'm like, you're like, how old.

You think I am?

Yeah?

Yeah, I had to been like eleven years old when I had a kid to have that Troy Bolton.

Yeah, but you did so great.

Yeah you were, Oh, thank you.

We have we have the best time, right, Like I wish, uh, I wish I could have been stuck in those more of those dance numbers when you got I would you know, anytime you guys shot a dance or right, show up and just like watch the show.

If I wasn't working that day, I'd show.

Up, yeah, and a little bit of rehearsals now and see like how you how you get them?

You know, well, you know people ask me to do I like, I'll do a talk show or something like, hey, let's do the dance.

I'm like, I was I didn't do the dance in the movies.

Well, you know, I've learned it because people want to do them in tiktoks and stuff.

So I'm like, exactly, yeah, I got that parked down.

Actually, it's the only sport I don't really know, Like I don't really know.

I don't know.

I just I vote for the goal and I'm like cheering for whoever's in the room.

Let's go, team, let's go.

Yeah, I feel the same.

Okay, let's see what what about?

Okay.

So we shot all the movies in uh in Utah, which was really fun because it kind of feels like, uh, you know, you're out of the city and in uh somewhere, although you're you've got roots.

You got roots in Utah.

I grew up there.

Yeah you're up there.

Yeah you know your dad helped me buy my first jeep ever.

Really yeah.

Yeah.

You're shooting Ice Musical three and I'm I'm like, man, I need a jeep so bad.

He's like, I get you, Like, I know a jeep, I dont jeep?

What are you looking for it?

I was like, oh, you know something, you know it looks cool, you know.

I like the day we wrapped High School Musical three, Like he brought the jeep up and I'm like, let's go.

Yeah I had that jeep.

He's like just sold it recently, Like yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah that was That's really cool.

So uh so you're how much how much dance do you feel like you're doing these days?

Like, I mean, I feel like dance gave you a ton of opportunities in the beginning of your career, but like these people got to know you and you're so interesting and you you know, I think when you do like thrillers and stuff like that, like really shows a lot of chops, you know, because the stakes are so high, right, like you gotta you gotta deliver on that stuff.

Have you felt like the dancing like do you feel like am I?

Right?

Like the dancing provided the opportunities.

And literally like I would never have this amazing of a life if I didn't put myself in dance or my mom didn't put me in dance and sacrifice so much.

I genuinely believe that.

I think something that's like mind blowing to me is that I'm still doing it all.

So even just last night, I got back from teaching on a dance convention where eight hundred thousand kids come and I teach classes from ages six to eighteen, like three levels.

Something really cool.

My husband and I owned we opened a dance studio here in Bourbank, California.

It's amazing.

It's like forty five hundred square feet.

We have one hundred and twenty kids.

I still teach every day, and a lot of them are pursuing this type of career, which is nice because if you go to other studios, it's a little bit more competitive based.

But with us, I'm able to give them the kind of aspect of Okay, I started my career at nine years old.

You know, I can get view the tools to audition correctly, maybe not be so nervous, use your dance acting skills with your dance.

So it's been I still dance a lot of my commercials that I've been booking recently.

I'm like the dancer, you know what I mean.

So I still get to do everything.

So it's it's been a wild ride the past couple of years.

But it's like the most grateful thing that I could ever expect.

That's so cool.

I love you get to spend because dancing is like a passion, right, It's like deep in your in your bones.

Thanks Mom, for giving a skill that like actually is you know, you go to college and learn all the stuff that doesn't help you at all in life, then the dancing.

It's funny how life works alas sometimes that's that's great.

And in the dance studio, let's get that name out there.

Yeah, it's called the Crew or Crew Studios.

The dancers are called the crew, but the studio is called Crew Studios.

It's amazing.

We have so many rentals of like even Just Cat's Eye, which one of my students is was on and I was on that Netflix show.

But we have people that are renting there that are big names, Robbie Blue who just want an Emmy, you know, stuff like that where and he's been a dear friend of mine since he was like this big.

So it's just when you get your people around you and you get to build a foundation for them, that's something that I didn't realize I would ever feel.

But it's watching it, I'm like, well, that's why I made it, not because I was in this movie or this movie or all of that.

It's like I get to watch people in a space that I provided live their dreams and that's freaking epic to me.

I think it's so cool and I love it, so yeah.

I love that.

That's so cool.

It's like, uh, it's just it's fun to see people thriving that are just like good people and get hard.

So yes, yeah, it's very cool.

So I'm stoked about that.

You know.

I digress a bit because it has been twenty years and the idea of Molly for the podcast in generals, I want to catch up on your life and I want to know what you're doing, what you're up to, and the projects we can look forward to.

So like, before this podcast is over, I want you to tell us like everything that's coming out where we can find you, and everything you know that's going on, you know, so we can know movies or TV shows or anything you're working on.

And also I started this podcast because it's like it's twenty years.

We got to do something for our fans that have been so good to us.

Do you feel like you've obviously you've been feel like being blessed with like the greatest fans in the world, So like, if there's anything like I'm just trying to tell like some of our favorite stories, maybe some of your favorite memories from set or yeah, something funny you did with the cast?

Or are you know?

Are you still in touch with everybody?

These are the questions that we get ask.

Yeah, yeah, I am.

Actually I was just with Vanessa a few months ago, super fun, right before she moved into her new house.

We went swimming.

We have a really great group of friends before she got pregnant and married and all that stuff.

I haven't seen her since, but she got to meet Jecca, my husband, and that was really really fun.

She was doing amazing looks beautiful.

Fun funny thing is, so I ran into Ashley in to local lake.

I was crossing and she was in her car and I was like Ashley, and she was like Molly, and then she jumped out of her car like at a stop live.

We gave me to her a hug.

Which another fun fact is she her mom was my like adult supervision on set because my mom was working three jobs, so her mom was the one that was kind of my guardian through the whole thing.

So we were super close.

And I didn't know that for all.

I love her mom.

She's hilarious, and and her sister Jen, they're so great.

Yeah, and they're like getting so grown and it's it's so crazy, even Stella, Like with Vanessa, so.

Stella, Stella was like, oh, she's the cutest little I mean, I know she's like she's a full grown woman now, but like forever, in my heart she will be like the most adorable, precious little girl ever.

Sell I'm grown and cool and I'm like, can I.

Be that cool?

Gosh, I can't handle it.

I can't handle it.

She's like kind of everybody's favorite too.

She's she was always on Like Stella was always on set all three movies along with mom and dad and they're totally awesome and uh, but Stella was like, she's like everybody's little sister, right, Like she's the.

Best, the most relatable and like I want to be you, but like I admire you type of thing.

Yeah, so cool, I love.

Yeah.

I haven't seen her since on set, by the way, I've not seen I mean i've seen her.

Yeah, I mean I know she's out doing great stuff, but like I have a her sin her mid person, so yeah.

Yeah, no, she's killing it.

I mean every I feel like, something that's really cool about this project is I feel like everybody that was kind of like in the core group of people have been killing it like they have everything, you know, Broadway, TV, film, you know, studios, like all that kind of stuff.

But I think that's the foundation that we gave each other and like hyped each other up and advice.

For me specifically, I got great advice from people that I admired on on on the film, and so kind of taking that into my adult life has been rewarding obviously.

But I feel like that's everybody at the same.

Time, you know, yeah, yeah, that is it does seem a little unique.

I mean, like a lot of times you see these big hit shows and like half the cast, yeah, like they grew up and did something else like some but like, yeah, everybody, it's like they're doing really like everybody's working.

Yeah, and it's it's really really cool.

And what I think is special about it.

What you just going back to what you just talked about, is even the dancers were valued as much as the actors, and you don't see that a lot nowadays.

You know, like it's usually like the artists and then the dancers or the lead and then the dancers.

And I think that something that we all did, and Kenny did, and Chucky and Bonnie and you like bringing dance to the forefront rather than it just being two actors and then background dancers.

Like we were never called background dancers.

It was like, let me get my cheerleaders in.

Can I get my brainyacs in?

Let me get my skater boys in.

It was never like can I get the background dancers in?

You know, And I think that's something that's really special and made me believe that dance was as important as it was.

Then when I moved to LA I was like, oh, people, aren't this nice?

Like what's this cut through business?

Yeah?

Yeah, it could be so nasty, but yeah, there was not.

This set was pretty special.

And you know, thank Heaven's for Kenny Ortega, right, Like, yeah, he's a guy that's seen it all.

He did news, He's he did hocus pocusy to fourteen years, Michael Jackson Toys, He's done so much, so for him to be here, like we're all like in awe of Kenny, and he sets the tone and it's like we are all like on one team, and yeah, I feel the same way.

It's like me, isn't it like any event that him and I are the same thing at like a Disney Channel thing or something like that.

And even you, like on the airplane, we know each other's names.

We're not like, wait, how do I know you?

And it's not because of a famous project.

It's like, oh no, we had a relationship, you know.

And so Kenny was like Mollie and you were like Mollie.

That's something that's special that not a lot of projects get, you know.

And even directors wouldn't remember their leap, you know.

So I think that's something like the family base of high school musicals really powerful.

And that's in my opinion, what read through the screen that was so relatable that you could be sixty five or age six and you loved the movie.

You know, yeah, yeah, I do.

I see like five year old kids that were like your coach, you know, like, yeah, the movie came out fifteen years before you were born.

I know.

Yeah, it's wild.

And the parents always tell me, like, I was raised on the movie, I'm raising my kids on this movie.

I was like, totally, Yes, it's a great franchise and it's helpful and it's not there's no like innuendos or anything.

It's just pure joy love.

Choose who you want to be.

If you don't want to be a cook, be a basketball player.

If you don't want to be a singer, be a dancer, like you know what I mean, Like you get to choose your own path.

And especially with gen Z coming out and TikTok and all this stuff, like everyone's really you know, proud of that.

So I think that's something that's becoming more popular, is oh, let's support movies like that, you know.

Yeah, yeah, no, I think you're right.

I've always really loved the message of the movies, especially like it's like it's like this larger than life, like you know, fantasy, like almost hyperreality, but like the message is so sweet and so grounded.

It's so so real and so like you know, like everybody during the pandemic was saying, we're all in this together.

You know.

There's just like it's something brought us all together, resonated in our souls, you know, this a little movie like this powerful message.

Yeah I agree.

Okay, So your I was talking to Casey about this, by the way, because she when she was hired, she was going to do just her pop and lock and stick to the status quo dance like that was it.

Like she was gonna do one number and but Kenny Saweron was like, you're amazing.

You're you're coming through the screen, like I want you in more stuff, and I want you on the I want you to be one of the cheerleader.

So he's got this amazing eye for talent and I think he sees who's like coming through the screen and I think kind of felt like you're you're one of those were you?

Was that your first song stick the sas Quo?

That was my first song, and I this is my very first, not very first, My very favorite memory is Vanessa was coming down and like was hitting the trays and then was a moment where he was like, I need a button, I need a button.

He goes you, what's your name again?

I was like moll like because it was like my first day or first yeah, like a major, major day, and he goes, I want you to come and grab and eat a French fry and I was like that.

I was so excited.

It's not good.

I'm letting you know no events.

It was like frozen a little bit, but I remember thinking, wow, like this is going to be a major moment for me.

I don't think that that moment made it in the final edit, but it was something that made me believe that I can get recognized for who I am kind of thing.

So that was that was really really cool, and I was like, I'm going to be the next Lucy McGuire.

Yeah, yeah, that's exciting.

Okay, I'm getting recognized my cool people.

So yeah, I was that's cool.

And I remember that I was there for the shooting of that.

People always ask me, they say, what do you remember like the first time you thought like this seems special, this seems big.

Did you ever have that moment, like any time during shooting where you thought this is bigger than what I thought this is going to be.

Yes, And it was the uh what time is it when we run past and like had all this Uh no, that was second movie, I think.

So I'm trying to wrack my brain.

Summertime.

That was summertime, right, summer summertime.

Yeah, when we were like clicking.

In yeah the clocks.

Yeah yeah.

And I remember, like I remember coming out and seeing the camera and the energy feeling so wild around me, and then seeing everybody in the cafeteria and I was like, whoa, this is something that people like they pray about and they dream about and you know, and I was like, and I'm living it.

This is wild.

It was super cool.

Yeah, it's pretty cool to like see it happening right to beon like you're you're on the set, you're in it, you're in the shot, but you can see it, you can feel and the papers go for it and everybody's it's sync and like doing this amazing opening number and it's like, this is cool, man, this is like you know, we watch movies.

We know when we're in something cooler when it's not.

Yeah, yeah that was that was number two.

Yeah, that was number two, I think actually yeah.

Yeah yeah yeah, because summertime.

I remember when we were filming, We're all in this together, and everyone kept coming into the v and it felt a little bit more powerful from Wildcat Kiki, like so the cheerleaders came and then we all under found it just felt like and we had so many extras, do you remember that.

It was amazing.

Yeah, so many extras and they were so loud and I was like, this is wild.

Yeah.

It was like really ambitious because the schedule only permitted like a day to happen five hundred extras, and like two hundred of them are like going to be semi professional dancing, Like that's that's impossible.

That's like a week to do that, and Kase, he's going to do it in one day.

Yep, yeah, it's amazing.

Yeah, and we did it.

Like I'm trying to remember which songs were in which movie so long ago, I know, I.

Know, I kind of like someone was like, oh, we're all this together.

I'm like, yeah, from number from number one and I was like, we havent to hang on this number one?

Right, that's number one?

Right, I know it's number two.

Because that is right, you know what the fun memory is.

I know this was number two because we were in Saint George and it was the Ukuku and it was so cold that night, but we had to pretend like it was like middle of the summer.

And I remember being like, okay, acting skills so form.

But then like costume would come out with these big rogues and like hot chocolate, and I was like, whoa, this is like literally like this is what movies do.

Like it's so crazy when you when you grew up in a small town, you don't think that that exists.

You just think that it's like part of a movie, and then here you are living it and it's.

I mean, the the whole production and people like write and take care of you and the whole machine.

Yep, it's pretty remarkable, right.

I mean, yes, you see a movie and it's like there's two people on screen, but yeah, there's one hundred and fifty two hundred people watching standing by to do their job.

Oh good, Yeah they were.

Yeah, they yelled cut here comes and make up and order.

Yeah that's experience ever.

Yeah, that's true.

And it's something funny about I swear every time you're doing a scene, like in a pool, you shoot it in the middle of winter and you're like freezing up and then we're shooting the ski ler.

I remember in number one, like where everybody's wearing ski parkas and everything, and it's like everybody swem to death and shoot in the middle of summer, and it's like, oh my gosh.

Yeah, we could ever shoot this like for the right season.

Yeah.

No, I love it all in this together was really fun too.

At the pool when Miley was there, that's when her and I kind of started becoming friends.

Oh tell me about that obviously, Like this is number two.

So number one came out.

It was a big hit that everybody knew what it was, You're gonna have like a surprise, Like the whole thing was like, who's going to be some camp whatever?

And then her and I got put next to each other, were all for one and sun by the pool.

Okay, so when I naturally, when I see a celebrity, I don't like converse because I don't want to.

I don't all be like so I haven't even like when Taylor Swift at the AMAS, Like when I danced for her, I was like, don't talk so with her.

When when we were doing Miley Cyrus like cameo, her and I got put next to each other.

I'll never forget my floral uh dress.

And because I wasn't like running up to her being like, oh my god, I love Hannah Montana or whatever, we became kind of close and she would find me out to California and I went to her parties.

I met like the craziest cool people the I don't remember what like party it was.

It could have been like Verizon or some sort of phone company with like these surfboards.

But I had never had my first kiss.

And Romeo was there and I thought he was so cute and they have to kiss Romeo.

I was like, I can't do it.

I can't okay, yeah, or like like your makeup, you know what I mean, like I got peck or something right right, I'll never forget that and her best friend Tory.

I ended up living.

With wait wait wait wait hey, will you skip over a Romeo?

What happened?

I didn't know.

I couldn't.

I was too nervous, too shy.

But we did hang out.

Yeah, no, I I yeah, I couldn't do I was nervous, very shy.

I ended up sitting with her best friend Tory.

It was a moment.

It was like, uh, we were on the beach, you know, and I was like it was kind of cute.

I was like sixteen, embarrassed.

Like also, I was so sheltered growing up, like I grew up in Utah as a Mormon, and just like you know, I'm.

Getting really put you on the spot here, Molly, all your dating life.

Oh this is exciting.

It's fun.

I mean it's fun to hear you know, like how cute that is.

And like I didn't I didn't know.

I didn't know.

Like you guys hit it off, became such good friends.

Was this like your first experience in La around like La actors in that movie Business Life and and and everybody was cool, like everybody like was good.

I actually think I have a photo.

I can send it to you.

I find it, but I do have it.

It's like, yeah, it's I have a photo of us.

I think it's on set.

I don't.

Yeah it is on set because they had me in like this like side pony with like curly hair.

And that's when we like kind of hit it off.

I can think if I have more photos, but yeah, and I mean we're not like super close anymore.

But nothing bad happened.

We just kind of like had of lives like we were teenagers.

You know, guys are busy, both working, working like crazy.

So she's and but yeah, no, I that was a really fun friendship that I liked.

That's pretty exciting for like a for like a kid, for like a young kid like you.

I'm sure you like you know her for years on TV, but no for sure.

And I was like okay, and then here I am like on this like front House Beach, and but I might I'm not a person to like idolize famous or like rich or anything.

I genuinely like a person And so I always kind of shocked that like this life existed because I only imagined it.

But then here I am a genuine friendship, being like this is kind of crazy, you know what I mean?

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

And she was there.

Form was there for a couple of day or two.

Yeah, literally just a little many cameo for all for one and then uh yeah, we got each other'sers and became close, and that was kind of it.

Oh that's cool.

That's a cute that's a cute story.

And she's obviously she's a rock star and she's amazing, So that's that's a that's that must have been, yeah, must have been.

That must have been so wild, so wild.

That's cool.

Okay, So that was number two.

And and of course that was really like yeah, you guys here I had your little casitas in your your little uh summer.

Yeah.

That was also that.

Was the first time I ever lived essentially alone because Britt, who's now like on Dancing with the Stars and doing so.

Well, Britsteward, amazing dancer.

Yeah, yes, we were partnered together in the condo and her mom was there, and my mom would come in and out, but she was like in a Caceta to the side.

So I was like, I felt like super cool having my own room and like like a like a little spot on like a big movie, you know.

So it was, yeah, it was.

It kind of prepped me for a lot that I went through.

I mean, that's pretty young.

Everybody was pretty young to be making a movie and out on your I mean, it was a it was a pretty chill environment as far as like, you know, it was away from Hollywood and and yeah, I don't know, there's a little bit of an innocence to it all.

I think could just do with everybody it was involved, like super young cast and everything like.

Yeah, it was like I kind of feel like people like that summer vibe in the movie, and it like comes from like a little bit of a genuine place because you guys were really like having a summer you know, little summer camp away.

With the time of our lives.

Yeah.

Yeah, Now do you remember, by the way, I was just thinking about for something for some reason, just thinking about the pranks.

You remember all the pranks that everyone was pulling.

There's like the squirre gun pranks and the toilet paper and each other's trailers, and I don't know if that did anything happen in a number I know, like I just for some reason, I remember the parking lot above East Tie in Salt lakehree in three that.

Oh my gosh, yes, what do you ever?

Okay, pranks were crazy in the best way and what I liked about it it came from cast and crew and like directors and everything.

Trying to remember something from Number two.

There was a lot of Yeah, there was a lot of like squirt gun stuff at the pool.

Lost surprise attacks and that kind.

Of yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I can't think of something specific from that movie.

You know, you had a second ad, the Brent Geisler, who's like he's supposed to be, you know, serious and keeping things, you know, keep things.

He was like orchestrating all the chaos.

Oh my gosh, I hope he's doing amazing.

Do you still speak with that?

I do.

I just actually talked to him recently, Hello, that I will.

He directed an episode of High School Musical and Musical the series like he directed.

Yeah, congratulations, that makes me so happy.

Yeah.

He was first a D on the show and then he got his episode.

I think it was first.

He was the second AD on all the high school musical movie.

Yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah, good for him.

He yeah he's great.

Yeah yeah yeah yeah he's a great guy.

Do you remember any pranks from number one or three?

Do you remember, like, do you remember like any like good.

Ones, good ones?

I remember, m let me think of No, I can't remember anything from three funny.

I like, I remember the pranks, but I don't remember how they went down.

Yea, I remember who like orchestrated things, but I don't remember.

Like like Zach running by my door with square guns, like and there's like a line of people like chasing each other.

And remember, Okay, this isn't a prank, but I thought it was a prank.

When I got my wardrobe for I don't remember which movie honestly, but because I would always wear mismatching socks to rehearsals, that became my wardrobe and I thought it was a prank.

And Kenny was like, no, this is your look.

And now like looking back at it, I was like, oh my god, I had like mee high like striped socks, different colored socks, but that was pretty cool.

I was like, oh, I get a little Molly touch.

But dranks I also.

Choose, So you got that in the in the movies.

Yeah, uh huh you were I didn't know that.

Yeah.

So there's like mismatching socks that he had me wear.

I remember something that made me really sad.

And this isn't a bad thing, but so for work work working it out.

We had to audition for it, and I remember I was like nailing the choreography.

I was like, oh, I'm going to be in this part.

And I didn't make it in that part and I.

Was like, oh you didn't.

Wait another another thing.

It was me and Sean blonde hair, Sean who would Bailey.

We'd always have to leave it, yeah, eight hour mark because we were like underage, and so we didn't get it be in like the graduation part.

They were like gotta pull you and I was like, I want to be old, and now I'm like I want to be young.

Oh that's sad, how that changes.

I forgot about that though, You're right, that was Uh.

There's when you're working with underage under eighteen.

Uh, you you have to you have an eight hour cutoff.

So it would be shooting these big numbers and even people are like being featured in the front row whatever, and it's like sorry, you gotta go.

So you're hoping you're gonna be.

Yeah, we gotta shoot them, want to shoot them out.

And I never anybody.

Yeah, now, there's very serious about those rules, as they should be.

They got to take care of the kids.

But oh, that's that's brutal.

But yeah, you always you already want to be an adult and like and then that happens.

Okay, the little kids gotta go now, yeah, dig it, dig it.

Oh that's rough.

That's rough.

Do you have a favorite music number?

And out of all of them, oh gosh, I guess you know.

I think my favorite music number would probably have to be stick to the status quo.

So it was my first one, and it was when like again like I realized, whoa, this is going to be something, and I remember like, you know, using this, Oh, Kenny gave me a solo part on the on the table and it just felt so cool and then I'm remember how to pause and we had to look up and it was Ashley, it's just not want it's just not what I planned.

Everybody stop, and I remember being like this is so cool, but also I'm pretty quiet, And then I think another one that would be like pretty high up there with me is uh gosh, what gosh, it's third movie.

It's after who uh.

But then it's like when Vanessa and and Zach me and we all go in a circle, gosh, what's that song?

You are the music and me?

Oh really sweet?

Yeah, so sweet.

Thing was blowing and.

Yeah, amazing harmonies and that's so sweet.

Yeah.

Yeah, that's a moment to be like just with each other.

And there was like, not your choreography, it was just feeling the energy.

Yeah.

Yeah, gosh, what a journey man.

It's like you know, it's like, uh, it's like we were on a on a series for five years, you know, like that just stretched for so long, all the way to the very end.

When we're doing number three and they said, there's that that that terrible curtain.

You know, I made everybody cry their eyes?

Did you cry?

What you're What was the song?

What was the song?

Oh?

School musical?

No musical, it wasn't it.

Yeah?

I think it was high school musical.

Yeah, I can see everybody in that.

That's when we ran to the field.

Yes, yes, graduation yeah, graduation day, yes, graduation day.

Did you get did you get Terry?

Molly?

Did I?

What did you get Thierry did you get oh gosh.

So, like, what was the moment when I realized like, Okay, there's not going to be another one because everyone graduated, and so if anything they're going to do is spin off.

And it just felt like you were out in the middle of basically nowhere, essentially like open space air everywhere, everyone's partying.

There was people around us that we've been with for god what like four years, you know, and you're just looking at everyone in graduation caps.

Mind you.

I hadn't even like, I think I was a sophomore in high school, but I was like graduate like that, you know.

It was so beautiful.

But I do remember, like I was such a dancer back then that the camera was panning and then right when the camera frame got to me, I was like, chill, jump, look at me, look at my.

And they put that in the edit and I was like, no way.

Yeah, but I mean it looked fine.

But I was like, gosh, ma, like such a dancer, Like.

Was that was that your doings?

Like You're like, here's that cap because we were re styling.

It was out of here, yeah, and I was like I'm going to show my best thing.

Yes, yes, you need it too.

That's as in.

A graduation, and you would do it till jump you know.

Of course I don't even know what that is, but it sounds awesome.

It's like a like literally when like your right leg goes up and your goes this way and you just jump into a split.

You did that so easy, Molly, Like I was like, I got to come by the dance studio, by the way, I got.

You, yes, and we got to make all the tiktoks.

Yeah, we gotta do.

Which reminds me are you doing, Like do you have anything?

Do you have anything planned for the twentieth Like what do you?

What?

Do you?

Uh?

I mean?

I feel like we should should all get together and watch the movie or something, you know, like there should be something twenty years a big deal.

Yes, we should yea text everyone and just be like let's have a big watch party, yeah, and talk about memories and and do stuff like that.

And we could even hire like videographers to get it, you know, yeah you were intimate content creator being like and videographer.

I like it vertical please okay, yes, yeah no, that would.

Be really fun.

I know.

So do you remember Jamie Goodwin The dancer.

Yeah, yesh, Yeah, she just moved.

She just had a baby girl.

She has this amazing family, but she's super still into like why she got to where she is.

She talks.

We were on the same dance convention, so her Yeah, all the.

Time she's in La.

Well, no, she just moved, but she easily comes out here all the time.

Okay, yeah, if we do.

Yeah, but would do it, Casey would come out for sure.

Yeah.

Oh yeah, yeah, I see Casey.

I see Casey.

Casey would definitely come out.

I love her family.

Yeah, I talk.

Yeah.

We do a lot of Disney promos together with like Disney Chance or Disney Channel, Disneyland, Disney World.

I get to see her kids grow up, her and Ben, and it's amazing.

It's been fun talking to her.

I had her on the podcast and it was like we reminisced like crazy for like when she got married.

Matter of fact, hanging on a second, I just realized something.

Didn't she get engaged during High School Musical three?

Like on set?

Casey?

I think she did.

I think I just I just remembered it.

I forgot about that too.

Well, I'm gonna have to go revisit.

Confirm with her.

But I actually kind of remember.

I do remember that and Ben telling it everybody.

Yes, yeah, I remember.

I do remember Ben saying that to all of us, and we were like, do you go.

Let's go, someone's got to get married.

All these kids like let's go.

Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, Oh my gosh, they were kids too.

Oh my gosh, that's that's wild.

Yeah.

And then we went there.

I went to their wedding, like their wedding was the next year, and uh gosh, I see Jared Morello.

Oh yeah, I just saw him like two weeks ago.

Oh really.

Yes, he's a lot right now.

In the dance scene.

That's also a funny story.

He had like crushes on each other too, on one but him and.

His brother, there's a lot of crushes going on.

I remember he.

Was a young teenager.

Don't judge me.

I remember.

Oh no, it's cute.

I mean, as you should you know, he should have like you know.

Yeah, no, I love it.

But no, Jared is doing amazing.

He's so funny.

He's great.

I love him.

I talked to Jerry about doing some stuff we got We had like some we got to do something for the toy likes, do some skits, or do something, you know, kind of some throwback pay respect to our our wildcats out there that have been so good to us, would be good.

I've you know what I did.

I saw Vanessa in in Paris a couple of years ago.

We too a little convention together.

Was amazing, and she's like she I think she got engaged on that trip while there.

Of course you get engaged in Paris.

Like, but her husband's so cool.

Like you've met you've you've met, you've met her husband.

I have not met her husband.

Yeah.

No.

Last time I saw her was just like nearly a year ago before she moved houses and then she kind of went with her husband and got pregnant and all of that.

But she got a little family going on.

Now.

Growan's up.

I know, it's crazy.

It's crazy, like so big, it's so pretty.

I was like, yeah, of course, of course she was always always just so charming, just so such a cutie.

Yeah.

Yeah, everybody's just growing up.

I'm trying to think.

I like, I feel like I see all the dancers all the time.

Yeah, but yeah, you know it's it's I mean, I see the cast, of course, but I feel like the dancers are a little like that's a little like a deeper cut to see like some of the people haven't seen for like since the movie because you know, as you know, Molly, like we were in each other.

It's like we live in a town with fourteen million people, and like, yeah, put each other all the time or events are you know, different things, and.

Yeah, well, and it's like even like Ali Holker or Alison Holker to the public, right So, like her and I grew up at the same dance studio and then we did high school musical together and now we live very close by, so we've been seeing each other a lot, especially after her passing of her late husband and all of that.

And yeah, and she's like how are you?

And then she's like how are we or how are you?

And I'm like how are you?

And we converse a lot about that because she's very much in the public eye right now.

And it's just so crazy to see like all the dancers that are starting to be lifted, like I was saying earlier, like dance dancers are Yeah, they're becoming the main leads rather than just you know, actors or singers or stuff like that.

And she's killing it too, So that's great.

No, it's it's fun to see all the dancing shows and the public responding the way they do, like everybody loves he shows.

It's it's it's it's not it's not dead.

You know.

The music came back, the dancing came back, and now we got like triple threats again, which is which is very trouble threats.

I saw I see Lucas Gabriel quite a bit.

Uh, he's great, super talented.

Seen him since set, but I see him really stuff.

No, yeah, I haven't seen him.

Oh he's he's in the valley like you got you know, we got it.

We gotta do this, Molly, we got to.

That would be amazing.

And I he gave me some of my my favorite memories too, of just even in the scene where there's gosh when Zach runs across the the auditorium and meets Vanessa and they have the paint and all of us come through the fake house and all that.

Lucas during breaks would go and play on the piano and just make up the funniest like a like four bar you know line or something.

I don't play pianos, so I don't know how to say it.

Correctly, but he would make up the funniest lyrics and keep our energy up, and you know it was it was really fun.

Yeah, that that scene is probably a fun memory for me.

Chris was hilarious throughout this.

Chris.

I haven't seen Chris since that we should Chris Chris Warren.

I haven't seen him since shooting.

But he's like, he's like all manly and macho.

Now he's not.

We hung out a little bit when I moved out to La like around eighteen nineteen, and he's, yeah, he's hilarious.

I mean now I'm, you know, like I said, thirty four years old, so I haven't seen him in a very long time.

But yeah, I hung out out with Corbyn for a little bit after with Ashley because Ashley and Jared are are are we're dating, and then Jared and Corbyn were friends and actually my best friend.

Like it's so intertwined that I'm just like, a high school musical is literally like a thing.

It's not a job.

That's percent something that I can go to my grade saying is like there was no, in my opinion, bad experience.

It felt like I was being treated like a quote unquote just a dancer or a mark in a movie.

It was okay, how is everybody together?

Like we're a full family, every single person, and everyone stayed in touch.

And I think even though everyone got super famous, like everyone is still together.

And I think that's wicked.

You don't see that a lot, you know.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, there's something really special about this one.

Yeah.

Everybody, everybody shares that really special experience together.

Yeah, we're so lucky, Molly.

You know.

Ever, Hey, so we are running out of time, but before we go, I want to know, like, what are you doing?

What you've been busy?

I know you've been doing movies, TV shows, all sorts of stuff.

You're killing social media.

People love following you.

Your super talent.

You do fun stuff on social media.

I can't wait to jump in there and do something with you and your husband that's going to be fun, and visit the dance studio.

Yes, but so what what do you got coming out?

I just filmed a movie which I'm super excited for.

It's called in Starland.

Our lead male is Clarence Macklin, who's uh and no oscar nominated excuse me, and he is amazing in it.

I can't actually say a lot about it because they want to keep everything in pretty discreet.

But the cast is incredible.

We have so many people from so many different realms that are coming together, and it's it's a wild movie.

It's very dark but fun, very documentary style.

It's really cool.

It's something that like if I were an actor and I would watch it, I would want to be a part of.

Yeah.

Yeah, the dynamics sound like a like a like an act like an actor's actor wants to be in that movie.

High stakes and complicated and documentary.

So it's very it's gonna be very real, have real to it, yes.

And very within its time and and all of that.

So cool.

So it's it's pretty fresh, like it's not making the rounds at festivals yet or anything like that.

Not yet.

I just we were just filming for five weeks in Mississippi and I just got back like nearly two months ago.

So oh cool.

Yeah, it's great.

Yeah, how fun.

But this is okay awesome, is great, So be on the lookout, be on the lookout.

Okay awesome.

Oh that sounds great, Molly, Well we'll have to we'll have to talk again when it's being released, and you could talk more about it and uh and promote it even more.

Yeah.

That so good talking to you.

I would love to hang out with you anytime.

Just let's do it.

Let's hang out, let's shoot something and uh it'll be fun to catch up even more, lots more, and I'm looking.

I can't wait.

Molly, you're the best.

I just love you.

I just my number on Instagram or something.

Awesome, perfect, perfect, I love Yeah, all right, musical, let's let's go live, cats for for life cats.

Okay, thanks Molly, I'll talk to you soon.

Of course.

Bye bye