Speaker 1: Thank you so much everybody for joining us on this
Speaker 1: Park Copper episode of Magical Rewind and man, do we
Speaker 1: have one for you. Today we are going back to well,
Speaker 1: one of our favorite worlds. Frankly, both Sabrina and I
Speaker 1: absolutely love these movies and are so honored to welcome
Speaker 1: our guests today because well, she's the star and that's
Speaker 1: pretty cool. And I don't know if I'm trying not
Speaker 1: to get my hopes up to see if we're gonna
Speaker 1: get some dirt on the new one coming out. Yes,
Speaker 1: but we can't wait any longer. We're gonna try. We
Speaker 1: are gonna try. We'll see if we can coax something
Speaker 1: out of her, but please, please please help us. Welcome
Speaker 1: the star of the Zombies franchise, Meg Donnelly. Thank you
Speaker 1: so much for joining us.
Speaker 2: Thank you so much for having me. I'm so happy
Speaker 2: that we could do this, and thank you so much
Speaker 2: for your time.
Speaker 1: No, are you kidding? It's so worth the wait. We
Speaker 1: are here. We cannot wait to talk to you. Were like,
Speaker 1: maybe we're gonna be able to find out some stuff
Speaker 1: about the new.
Speaker 2: Movie coming Yeah.
Speaker 1: But I don't know.
Speaker 3: We just know our listeners are dying to find out
Speaker 3: about that new one, but we'll get into the first
Speaker 3: ones first. What was your actual audition process for this
Speaker 3: amazing movie that you ended up being the star.
Speaker 2: Of When I was like, I had just turned sixteen
Speaker 2: and I was auditioning and I said it like a
Speaker 2: self tape first, and then there was just a bunch
Speaker 2: of like chemistry reads, so like you go in person
Speaker 2: and it was a bunch of addisons and a bunch
Speaker 2: of z's, like all reading together and we're all being
Speaker 2: mixed and matched and in like the waiting room, Milo
Speaker 2: and I even if we were matched up with other people, like,
Speaker 2: we were just talking to each other the entire time,
Speaker 2: and so I think they kind of saw that and
Speaker 2: then they paired us up together and then from then
Speaker 2: on we were kind of like always paired. I think
Speaker 2: there was like how many chemistry were I think there
Speaker 2: was like three or four chemistry reads.
Speaker 1: Wow.
Speaker 2: Yeah, a really long, crazy time, but we just had
Speaker 2: the best time. And yeah, so then when we got
Speaker 2: past did which was so cool, we got to do
Speaker 2: chemistry reads with all the BUCkies and the Breeze and
Speaker 2: all of that. And I actually thought Trevor who plays
Speaker 2: Bucky was the choreographer when I walked in. He was
Speaker 2: just so incredible.
Speaker 1: We talked to Trevor. We talked to Trevor. Trevor was
Speaker 1: so much fun to talk. He is the best.
Speaker 2: Oh, he's the best. He has such a contagious energy.
Speaker 1: He was just telling us all about having to do
Speaker 1: He's like, I have to jump through the giant poster,
Speaker 1: like it has to be me. I have to do that.
Speaker 1: So uh oh man. We had so much fun. But
Speaker 1: now I have a question for you. So, as you're
Speaker 1: reading for this, did you know that this was supposed
Speaker 1: to be a television show? So first, had you heard
Speaker 1: about this or did you know that this was just
Speaker 1: a film franchise.
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, when I was auditioning for it, like during
Speaker 2: the Chemistry is we looked up there was. It never aired,
Speaker 2: but it was a pilot in like twenty like twelve
Speaker 2: thirteen something like that, And yeah, it was a pilot.
Speaker 2: It was called like Zombies Verse Cheerleaders and it was
Speaker 2: like Zeed Addison, Bucky Bonzo, like a lot of the
Speaker 2: same characters and it was sort of similar concept, but
Speaker 2: it was going to be like a musical TV show
Speaker 2: And then it never aired. It was only a pilot.
Speaker 2: And then years were spent in between trying to figure
Speaker 2: out how to get the concept still greenlit, and then
Speaker 2: it became a movie and it became zombies, so so wild.
Speaker 2: So yeah, we found that out from the casting people
Speaker 2: when we were there auditioning, and we were like, that's
Speaker 2: so cool. But like Mitchell originally played Addison, which was
Speaker 2: like so cool. Who else someone from Teen Beach Movie
Speaker 2: as well played Bucky. Yeah, I'm trying to fill in
Speaker 2: in Teen Beach Movie.
Speaker 1: Yes, John DeLuca Luca, Yeah, John de Luca.
Speaker 2: Hey, yeah. So yeah, it's such a crazy small world.
Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, I mean, and what this was probably you know,
Speaker 3: so we've got the High School Musical franchise. Now that
Speaker 3: the the Channel is really starting to see the longevity
Speaker 3: in some of these brands, and were you guys want
Speaker 3: to I mean, you were definitely one of, if not
Speaker 3: the first to sign on for Did you guys sign
Speaker 3: on for at least a two A two picture deal?
Speaker 1: Three?
Speaker 3: There's a three? Okay, so you signed on for three
Speaker 3: of them? How cool was that to know? Like at
Speaker 3: this point right now, I'm signing on to something that
Speaker 3: I'm going to be a part of for years now,
Speaker 3: Like it's gonna be it's not gonna be a one
Speaker 3: and done thing. Sure, we're going on for years. That's amazing.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was incredible. I I think when we made
Speaker 2: the first one, we really had no idea how it
Speaker 2: was going to do, nor did I think Disney know.
Speaker 2: So when it kind of, you know, became what it
Speaker 2: has become and we kind of saw it all unfold,
Speaker 2: I really don't think we had any expectations. Like we
Speaker 2: were definitely very optimistic and hopeful, but I never in
Speaker 2: a million years would have thought that any of this
Speaker 2: would be happening. That we have filmed a fourth one,
Speaker 2: Like what have no idea? So it's just been incredible
Speaker 2: and so grateful. I'm so happy to have it a
Speaker 2: part of my life for so long.
Speaker 1: So now where we Okay, we know how you got
Speaker 1: Zombies project when you're doing all the auditioning and you're
Speaker 1: doing the chemistry reads and all that stuff, But what
Speaker 1: got you into that room? How did you start in
Speaker 1: the industry and how did you side this is what
Speaker 1: you wanted to do?
Speaker 2: Well? Since I was a kid, I grew up a
Speaker 2: theater kids, so I loved theater, and I grew up
Speaker 2: watching like Disney and Nickelodeon, and so I think I
Speaker 2: just knew that I really wanted to do that. I
Speaker 2: had also been auditioning for Disney since I was like
Speaker 2: nine or ten, So I feel like I was always
Speaker 2: like all the general casting calls and already I was
Speaker 2: just like a part of that since I was really little,
Speaker 2: and so I think I just always had audition for them,
Speaker 2: and like in my mind, I guess optimistically, I was
Speaker 2: always like, there's going to be.
Speaker 1: One, Yeah, one that's right for me.
Speaker 2: That's right for me, And it just happened to be Addison,
Speaker 2: which is really cool.
Speaker 1: Just happened to be one of their most one of
Speaker 1: the biggest franchises in the history of the channel.
Speaker 3: Is that what you're saying, for the perfect one to
Speaker 3: just explode with? I love it? And then you had
Speaker 3: already done or appeared in Sound of Music the live
Speaker 3: TV special was that? So what would you say, was
Speaker 3: like acting always your number one? Or was it singing
Speaker 3: or you know, were you always are dancing? Were you
Speaker 3: always hoping to do a triple the type thing or
Speaker 3: did you get pulled towards one direction more so?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean when I was a kid, the goal
Speaker 2: was always like Broadway in theater because I just loved theaters.
Speaker 2: So I guess it's all kind of three and yeah,
Speaker 2: and then when I was like eleven or twelve, I
Speaker 2: just started doing like TV acting, movie acting, and it
Speaker 2: was a challenge at first because I was such a
Speaker 2: theater kid that like everything I did was.
Speaker 1: Like energy futter energy works.
Speaker 2: For Disney, but for everything else it was And so yeah,
Speaker 2: I don't know if anything has been above the other ever,
Speaker 2: But I think music is something that I really enjoy
Speaker 2: and love, and that's why I love so much about
Speaker 2: musicals or even just making music on my own. I
Speaker 2: think having music involved in anything is just really special, awesome.
Speaker 3: Like I have to ask you a little bit about dance.
Speaker 3: It's like part of my blood. I feel like, and
Speaker 3: this movies We've only watched the first one so far,
Speaker 3: but is hands down my favorite choreography that's great, including
Speaker 3: the movies that I was involved in, this is like,
Speaker 3: hands down the best choreography. I loved it. So I
Speaker 3: need to know, like what your experience was with either
Speaker 3: with you know, the prepping before you even got this
Speaker 3: gig and on set, how much like that energy, what
Speaker 3: you learned from or what you felt like you were
Speaker 3: helping others with what was your guys' like dance world
Speaker 3: with this one.
Speaker 2: Right, first off, you can't say that because Cheetah Girls
Speaker 2: will always be the blueprint of everything site I grew
Speaker 2: up on that that was like my favorite I dressed up,
Speaker 2: I had like a cheetah tail and everything that I went. Oh,
Speaker 2: I was obsessed with Cheetah Girls. So yeah, that's if you.
Speaker 3: Could get me a picture of you with a Cheetah tails,
Speaker 3: that would be a first one. I've never seen.
Speaker 2: A Cheetah tale.
Speaker 3: I've seen the ears, but the tale, I'm like, oh,
Speaker 3: I love it. I'm bumping it up a whole other notch. Wow,
Speaker 3: I was.
Speaker 2: I was obsessed still am.
Speaker 1: So Cheetah Girls was your favorite t com.
Speaker 2: Because we always ask I always say that because like
Speaker 2: musical too, obviously, but I feel like Cheetah Girls was
Speaker 2: like I watched it all the time. Also, like I
Speaker 2: don't know if many people know, like Fuego, like the song.
Speaker 3: That's from our arts, not a soundtrack, it's from our
Speaker 3: actual album. Yes, my favorite.
Speaker 2: Favorite song growing up. I'm always putting people on It's
Speaker 2: such a good song.
Speaker 3: Thank you Wow, I mean you wow.
Speaker 1: Thank you you just made Sabrina's Deck.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Yeah, no.
Speaker 2: I love like Cheetah Girls so much and and the
Speaker 2: dancing in that movie is so incredible, and so I
Speaker 2: think growing up, I really just loved dancing. I did
Speaker 2: a lot of like theater dancing, so like moving I
Speaker 2: was and uh, but I feel like on Zombies one
Speaker 2: was when I first really got into like more like
Speaker 2: hip hop dancing and just that kind of style, like I.
Speaker 3: Think you're kidding, You're so good, there's no way you
Speaker 3: hadn't been training hip hop.
Speaker 2: Thank you. No, I mean like theater hip hop. But
Speaker 2: the year before I started getting more into hip hop dance,
Speaker 2: like in the city, and then it went into Zombies,
Speaker 2: and then I was just surrounded by dancers and like
Speaker 2: Chris Scott was our choreographer, who was just unreal, and
Speaker 2: everyone because I was so young, I was sixteen, everyone
Speaker 2: was so much older, like in my eyes older meeting
Speaker 2: like mid twenties, which is not old at all, but
Speaker 2: I looked up to them so much, and they were
Speaker 2: all so optimistic and really pushed me a lot and
Speaker 2: encouraged me to like keep going. And so because of
Speaker 2: like that whole dance community in Toronto and Chris Scott
Speaker 2: and everyone like it just really kept me going.
Speaker 1: So well, if you love dance so much, I mean,
Speaker 1: Milo was on Dancing with the Stars and tandlor and
Speaker 1: and Sabrina dancing with the Stars. Do you see do
Speaker 1: you see dancing in the star dancing with the stars
Speaker 1: in your future? Is that? Is that something you want?
Speaker 2: Okay? I if I didn't know, if I didn't like
Speaker 2: go to the shows and be there behind the scenes
Speaker 2: for Milo and Chandler, I would be like yes, but
Speaker 2: like it is so stressful. Yeah, and like just seeing
Speaker 2: like Chandler like specifically now, like going through her whole journey,
Speaker 2: like she's so hard working and stuff. But like, oh gosh,
Speaker 2: it's just so it's so stressful.
Speaker 3: And like you love it though you you would thrive,
Speaker 3: you would love it, it's you know, the whole part of
Speaker 3: it coming.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Oh you think you do it?
Speaker 3: Okay, Sina cats right now, don't you worry. Let me
Speaker 3: just give her a call. She would love to have you.
Speaker 3: I'm sure. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2: I'm a huge fan of it and I love and
Speaker 2: I feel like I know so many people there now
Speaker 2: because of like just knowing a bunch of people from
Speaker 2: the show. But oh goodness, I don't know. I don't know.
Speaker 1: I think you could do. It's so what now? You
Speaker 1: you finished the first movie, which I'm sure the shooting
Speaker 1: for this movie must have been incredible. We've talked to
Speaker 1: some of your other cast members and talking about just
Speaker 1: all the dancing and the singing. I mean, is a
Speaker 1: ton of work going into this. The movie comes out.
Speaker 1: How fast do you feel just the love of the
Speaker 1: fans when the movie comes out?
Speaker 2: Uh, super super quickly.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: I feel like a couple of days after the movie
Speaker 2: came out. I feel like the first moment that we
Speaker 2: ever were at least me and Milo were like, oh
Speaker 2: my god. We did this like random like CD signing
Speaker 2: Barnes and Noble at the Grove and we were like, oh, so,
Speaker 2: like three people are going to show up and we're
Speaker 2: gonna talk and like, dude, we're just gonna make it
Speaker 2: fun whatever. And there was so many people there they
Speaker 2: already knew the words to the songs. We were like,
Speaker 2: we could not fathom. We couldn't fathom it. I they
Speaker 2: can't fathom it. So I feel like that was the
Speaker 2: first time that we were like whoa, Like this is
Speaker 2: this is really crazy. Yeah, so I would say like that.
Speaker 1: Moment as an instant Yeah. I mean, that's the thing
Speaker 1: about we talk about the difference. So as we're watching
Speaker 1: all these d cooms, we see that there's different versions
Speaker 1: of the Disney dcom You got the mid to late nineties,
Speaker 1: the Johnny Tsunamis and the Motocross and all that kind
Speaker 1: of stuff. All those great ones brink and then you
Speaker 1: come into the early two thousands, which leads into kind
Speaker 1: of like the Cheetah Girls and the high school musicals
Speaker 1: and stuff like that, where there's still no social media,
Speaker 1: so it's kind of still word of mouth, but they're
Speaker 1: doing eight or nine million, you know, views at a time,
Speaker 1: and now you're in the social for media age where
Speaker 1: it's just instant and everywhere. I mean, this is I
Speaker 1: we joke that I hadn't heard of any of these
Speaker 1: things before we start watching them. I knew what zombies, well,
Speaker 1: of course I knew what zombies was. Yeah, yeah, so
Speaker 1: it's everywhere.
Speaker 3: I mean, especially you know during any time around Halloween
Speaker 3: time when your guys is i mean the Halloween costumes.
Speaker 3: Have you been able to see anyone just dressed up
Speaker 3: like your character as I mean they I'm sure they
Speaker 3: tag you constantly. But I saw a little itty bitty
Speaker 3: one this last year for Halloween and it's so cute.
Speaker 3: I mean the bright the bright wig, the I mean
Speaker 3: everything was just like spot on and just adorable. How
Speaker 3: is that like that? How do you feel about that
Speaker 3: with like, I mean, it's perfect for costuming.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's it's the most surreal thing. I think seeing
Speaker 2: kids dressed up as these characters is just like it's
Speaker 2: another thing, like another level that's just really unfathomable. And
Speaker 2: just social media in general too, It's just like you
Speaker 2: never know what's gonna pop up or what's gonna come
Speaker 2: up again, because things from like years and years ago
Speaker 2: will just start trending and it just becomes like a
Speaker 2: new phenomenon and so like like randomly, like songs from
Speaker 2: like the first one, we'll just like come up again
Speaker 2: and it's like wow, like that's so that's so wild
Speaker 2: and it's just so nostalgic. But but yeah, like with
Speaker 2: the fourth movie, like all the new young cast members,
Speaker 2: like they're all a generation below me, and all they
Speaker 2: do is post on social media and TikTok and whatever.
Speaker 2: So I feel like fans already know them and are
Speaker 2: rooting for them and excited for them to be in
Speaker 2: Zombies four and they haven't even seen the movie yet,
Speaker 2: and it's like, it's so surreal because like that just
Speaker 2: when we're doing the first Zombies, like that was not
Speaker 2: a thing at all. It's a really wild change and
Speaker 2: shift to see. But it's really cool. It's awesome. I'm
Speaker 2: so happy for the new kids. They're having so much fun.
Speaker 3: Yeah. So are you now feeling because you were saying
Speaker 3: in the beginning you were you know, even though twenty two,
Speaker 3: mid mid twenties is not anywhere near being old, but
Speaker 3: when you're sixteen, it does. It feels that's a lot
Speaker 3: of life, that's a lot of experience, that's a lot
Speaker 3: of jobs, there's a lot of different things that you
Speaker 3: just don't feel like you've had. So I understand that.
Speaker 3: But now are you feeling like with this fourth movie
Speaker 3: that you've kind of taken that role on where you're
Speaker 3: welcoming the new generation and the new cast and kind
Speaker 3: of helping guide their way through their their their zombie journey.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it's yeah, being on like the Zombies four set,
Speaker 2: I feel like Milo and I were kind of like
Speaker 2: we always call each other like grandma and grandpa, because
Speaker 2: like in a lot of the scenes we in Zombies four,
Speaker 2: we look like just kind of like like the old
Speaker 2: like you know, grandparents. It's so key, but it was
Speaker 2: really surreal. I feel like I was really emotional during
Speaker 2: the rehearsals of Zombies four because seeing the kids so
Speaker 2: excited and happy and nervous, like learning the choreography for
Speaker 2: the first time and recording the songs and doing the
Speaker 2: scenes that they were just so excited and had so
Speaker 2: much energy and it was so new for them, and
Speaker 2: it's like once the movie comes out, it's just gonna
Speaker 2: like their life is just going to you know, change forever.
Speaker 2: And I it really put in perspective of like that
Speaker 2: was us on the first movie. Now they were like
Speaker 2: asking us for advice and things to do, and I'm like, well,
Speaker 2: I've always been the youngest and everything that I've ever
Speaker 2: done in school, like everything, and so just to be
Speaker 2: like an older kid now.
Speaker 3: Is just like, yeah, you get to be the mentor.
Speaker 3: And I'm sure these kids have like you were saying
Speaker 3: to me, and how much it means to me for
Speaker 3: you to be their inspiration of you know, going for
Speaker 3: their dreams. In general is wild, you know, like, that's
Speaker 3: that's amazing, and it's so awesome that this franchise has
Speaker 3: given you the opportunity to see firsthand this next generation
Speaker 3: of actors and performers that you inspired. That's incredible. That's
Speaker 3: so awesome.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's it's really it's really really cool. Yeah.
Speaker 1: So I have a question. I don't mean to put
Speaker 1: you on the spot, but which one of the Zombies
Speaker 1: movies is your favorite?
Speaker 3: Ooh ooh. That cannot be the first time you've been
Speaker 3: asked that question either.
Speaker 2: No, it's really hard because so many good characters get
Speaker 2: introduced as it goes on. So, like I the first
Speaker 2: one will always be my favorite, but it's not a
Speaker 2: reflection of all the people that get introduced, because the
Speaker 2: werewolves are so amazing, all the aliens are amazing. Everyone
Speaker 2: who's introduced in the fourth one are amazing, So it
Speaker 2: has nothing to do with that them because they're also talented.
Speaker 2: They add so much to the movies. But the first
Speaker 2: one is just so nostalgic for me, and I think
Speaker 2: it's just like such a great movie and I just love, like, yeah,
Speaker 2: I just love everything about the first one. I think
Speaker 2: just more nostalgic than anything.
Speaker 1: Well it's not just for the younger generation too, because
Speaker 1: I do another podcast called pod Mets World, and my
Speaker 1: two co hosts on pod Meets World, daniel fishl and
Speaker 1: Right are strong.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Fight. We're fighting over which one could watch Zombies one
Speaker 1: and Zombies two with us on this show. So they
Speaker 1: like flipped a coin where Rider came on and watched
Speaker 1: watch Zombies one with us and Danielle is coming on
Speaker 1: to watch Zombies two with us. So this was one
Speaker 1: where they were just like, no, no, no, you don't understand zombies.
Speaker 1: And I hadn't seen it yet, so it's like, okay,
Speaker 1: and I've been watching a lot of these like no,
Speaker 1: you don't understand with Zombies it is. It's going to
Speaker 1: change your life. So yes, the older generation as well
Speaker 1: are loving the Zombies franchise.
Speaker 3: They really are, and we everywhere. I've mad to make
Speaker 3: sure because so Will is not necessarily a lover of
Speaker 3: musicals in the sense of people just breaking out into
Speaker 3: song and.
Speaker 1: Never got how everybody just knew the words.
Speaker 2: Yea, He goes.
Speaker 3: Technical of when did they rehearse? How did they know
Speaker 3: the songs?
Speaker 2: Like, he gets very technically in my life better like that.
Speaker 2: So no, I get it, I get it. I just
Speaker 2: have to get it.
Speaker 3: Yes, I know, I'm not exactly. That's where I'm at
Speaker 3: with him. It's like, but you you'll see, You'll see.
Speaker 3: And Zombies was the first one. I love this literally,
Speaker 3: he was like, I'm a musical guy.
Speaker 1: Now I get it.
Speaker 3: I love it. You know it was done perfectly, it
Speaker 3: was it, and I just I mean, you have to know,
Speaker 3: like it's come, He's come a long way, and your
Speaker 3: movie was finally the movie that got me to go, Yeah, changing.
Speaker 1: Hearts and minds, Meg, changing hearts and minds. I love that.
Speaker 1: And he is not an easy change.
Speaker 3: He is a same just the same thing.
Speaker 1: I'm I'm an old What do you want for me?
Speaker 1: It's how it is? Can you can you walk us
Speaker 1: through a little bit of the musical process when it
Speaker 1: comes to recording the soundtrack, because I'm I'm trying to
Speaker 1: figure out you've got to there's so many layers to
Speaker 1: doing a movie like this. So you hear the music
Speaker 1: and you've got to then choreograph dances to the music,
Speaker 1: but you've also got to sing the music. So what
Speaker 1: are you when you're yeah, are you choreographing to your
Speaker 1: own voice singing the songs or is it a tempt
Speaker 1: track at this point? Like how how does that work?
Speaker 2: Sometimes so yeah, sometimes so I guess usually like before
Speaker 2: we Go, because we filmed the three in Toronto and
Speaker 2: then the fourth one in New Zealand, which was so cool,
Speaker 2: oh man, But we like record some of the songs
Speaker 2: in LA before we go, so we get all of
Speaker 2: the songs and it's like there's a reference vocal on
Speaker 2: it from the producer. So like most every song is
Speaker 2: like different producers on it. Basically, it's so interesting. Like Disney,
Speaker 2: once they kind of a script is sort of made,
Speaker 2: they send out a prompt to a bunch of different
Speaker 2: producers and they're like, make a song, and these are
Speaker 2: the guidelines of the song, and it's like in the movie,
Speaker 2: it's like the opening number, this character doing this, this,
Speaker 2: characters doing this, and then a bunch of producer teams
Speaker 2: will make songs and then Disney picks like the best ones.
Speaker 2: So they basically like audition songs and then if you
Speaker 2: get chosen, then you know, they pick it, and then
Speaker 2: the cast will record it. All of that stuff and
Speaker 2: then when we get to where we're going wherever we're
Speaker 2: filming the movie. There's like four weeks of rehearsal and
Speaker 2: then we shoot for six weeks. So in the four
Speaker 2: weeks of rehearsal, like every day we're recording some songs,
Speaker 2: we're choreographing to some songs, we're like fitting like it's
Speaker 2: kind of just like a bunch of different things. So
Speaker 2: probably not until week four rehearsal time will we get
Speaker 2: like the tracks with our vocals on.
Speaker 3: It, because they're like a like a finished track, yeah,
Speaker 3: or even.
Speaker 2: Like a demo with the vocals. So yeah, usually it's
Speaker 2: towards the end of the rehearsal week. But when we film,
Speaker 2: we're like singing along to the actual your vocals.
Speaker 1: Your vocals, Yeah, they're like giant speakers just blaring the music.
Speaker 1: Oh man.
Speaker 3: Sometimes well I guess that's for the production thing. But
Speaker 3: when if the music's ever on and you know, this
Speaker 3: will from like probably like any kind of school dance
Speaker 3: scene you did do, like it's really low or off,
Speaker 3: and then you're just doing this Yeah, yeah, it's very awkward.
Speaker 3: But for like the big scenes, yeah, they've got it blaring.
Speaker 3: I mean they're trying to get they're trying to create
Speaker 3: as much energy for the actors to do what they can,
Speaker 3: which creates me or brings me to Paul Hohen we
Speaker 3: love Paul. Please what was it like? What was your
Speaker 3: experience with Paul? I loved every aspect of working with him.
Speaker 3: He was an incredible director, great guy to just hang
Speaker 3: out with, like after in between you know, in between sets,
Speaker 3: offset and all that. Like, He's just amazing. What was
Speaker 3: your experience?
Speaker 2: That's so cool that you guys got to go to India.
Speaker 2: That is just crazy. That's yes, No, Paul is is
Speaker 2: the best. He is so great to work with. I
Speaker 2: I loved him so much. He's so sweet, he's great
Speaker 2: his like vision for just like editing and the way
Speaker 2: he like sees things and the shots that he sees
Speaker 2: are just like really really incredible and I just like
Speaker 2: love watching the way his mind works in that way.
Speaker 2: And he's just so sweet and gentle and also was
Speaker 2: a huge advocate for filming in New Zealand. And I'm
Speaker 2: pretty I have no idea, like I can't confirm, but
Speaker 2: I'm pretty sure he's the reason why we shi oh
Speaker 2: for sure go back for so long, and so for that,
Speaker 2: I am forever grateful.
Speaker 3: Oh for sure. I mean, shooting out of the country
Speaker 3: definitely brings a lot of different obstacles. I mean even
Speaker 3: with just like craft services, there's just different ways of
Speaker 3: doing things, but they're all worth it when you get
Speaker 3: to like actually have that experience of working out of
Speaker 3: the country like that. And I can't imagine. I can't
Speaker 3: wait to see the fourth because I can't imagine the backdrops.
Speaker 3: And that's like Paul's thing is he finds these like
Speaker 3: just incredible backdrops to work with, and you're going, how
Speaker 3: did you find this? And thank god you did, because
Speaker 3: this isn't gorgeous.
Speaker 2: This is gorgeous, you know, I know, I'm sure you
Speaker 2: felt the same way, like on the third movie as well,
Speaker 2: like and on the second one too. That like even
Speaker 2: though like like you know whatever, like the movie like
Speaker 2: cost or whatever, the fact that like the background it
Speaker 2: made it look like it was like a thousand million
Speaker 2: dollars to the backdrop of like Barcelona or India or
Speaker 2: New Zealand, like it just makes so much more. It's
Speaker 2: like is this green screen?
Speaker 3: Like what?
Speaker 2: So it It just elevates the movie in like such
Speaker 2: an incredible way, just because New Zealand is just like
Speaker 2: its own character. Yeah, as well, it's just so beautiful.
Speaker 2: It's so so.
Speaker 3: I know for sure, if you guys were shooting on
Speaker 3: the streets in Toronto, your fans would end up showing up.
Speaker 3: Did you guys have fans that showed up in New Zealand?
Speaker 2: Yes, they're actually like I bet, I bet when there
Speaker 2: was Yeah, And also, I feel like New Zealand is
Speaker 2: such a small community and like such a small well
Speaker 2: just even the city of Auckland, Like I feel like
Speaker 2: everybody knows each other so well, everyone's so nice and welcoming,
Speaker 2: and so when things film there, like everybody, like everybody
Speaker 2: in the entire city new that Zombies was filming there,
Speaker 2: and so everyone just knew that we were there, so
Speaker 2: like but they were so nice, like they would just
Speaker 2: be like like we would just like walk around Auckland
Speaker 2: and they would just be like, hey, like good to
Speaker 2: see you again. And I'm like, say, everyone was just
Speaker 2: so nice and welcoming. But yeah, people definitely knew like
Speaker 2: the areas that we were filming at because it usually
Speaker 2: productions kind of film in some of the same places.
Speaker 2: So okay, yeah, it was.
Speaker 3: So they're kind of they're kind of used to it.
Speaker 3: Versus like I was thinking it. By the end of
Speaker 3: your you know, six weeks of shooting, you've got like.
Speaker 2: I love mine, like you know, like all.
Speaker 3: That kind of like those signs kids everywhere, kids everywhere,
Speaker 3: they're doing the dance moves outside, they're they're filming, posting
Speaker 3: as much as they can on Instagram things like that.
Speaker 3: I would assume, yeah, because you guys are just that
Speaker 3: you're so big, so big, it's crazy.
Speaker 1: What Now, this was this experience of doing number four
Speaker 1: different than the first three because you're also a producer
Speaker 1: on this film, aren't you? So did you have more
Speaker 1: more duties when it came to actual production of the
Speaker 1: film and helping kind of with the look of everything.
Speaker 1: How did that work?
Speaker 2: Yeah? It was so cool. We like Milo and I
Speaker 2: were involved, like even before we left, like in the
Speaker 2: casting of like All the New Kids, and like scripts
Speaker 2: and like when we did the table read like we
Speaker 2: were involved in the table read notes and costumes, like
Speaker 2: just anything that we could be a part of, like
Speaker 2: we tried to be, which was just so cool. And
Speaker 2: I'm really grateful to Disney for that, for allowing us
Speaker 2: to be a part of that, because it just seeing
Speaker 2: the other side of things. It's just like even as
Speaker 2: like an actor or something, it makes things way less
Speaker 2: daunting because it's like, Okay, all these people don't actually
Speaker 2: hate me. Everything's O day. Especially in casting. Oh my gosh,
Speaker 2: Like being a part of those auditions, Like I think
Speaker 2: I was more nervous than the kids were. It's like
Speaker 2: cause you just know the feeling so well, it's just crazy.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so it was. It was really cool to be
Speaker 2: a part of that side of things. And it also
Speaker 2: was just different because we were in a new place
Speaker 2: and also only Kylie, Chandler, Milo and I were from
Speaker 2: the other movies, like everybody else was new. And also
Speaker 2: I was younger, like even the dance dancers most of
Speaker 2: them were like eighteen. So there was just a lot
Speaker 2: of people that were just new. So it just kind
Speaker 2: of made it its own new movie. Yeah, wow wow.
Speaker 1: Can can you tell us anything about the fourth one?
Speaker 1: Can you give us? Give us just a little something
Speaker 1: we don't want, We don't want, you don't want anyone,
Speaker 1: We don't want the House and Mouse coming after everybody,
Speaker 1: we know their reach, But just anything that you can
Speaker 1: let us in on on Zombies four.
Speaker 2: Well, I definitely can say, well, it's day walkers, which
Speaker 2: are people who live in perpetual day, and then night
Speaker 2: walkers that live in perpetual night. So the four of us,
Speaker 2: like Kylie, Chandler, Milo and I or characters Willa, Eliza,
Speaker 2: zed and I are the only ones that are going
Speaker 2: to Mountain College. And so on our way back to
Speaker 2: c Brook, we get involved with these new people. And
Speaker 2: the last thing I'll say is, like what they're going through,
Speaker 2: Like the discourse their people are going through is very
Speaker 2: similar to zombies one. So okay, have some advice to
Speaker 2: help these kids out.
Speaker 3: I have a question of the first movie that was
Speaker 3: never quite answered, and we haven't seen their second or
Speaker 3: third again, so don't forget that we have not seen
Speaker 3: them yet. Your mom in the first movie, and Will's
Speaker 3: got a crack up because I just can't get away.
Speaker 3: I know your mom in the first movie has a
Speaker 3: wig on? Was that for any reason? Do we get
Speaker 3: to find out what that? Why that is in the
Speaker 3: second or third or maybe fourth movie?
Speaker 2: No, No, you find out why. Okaually I'm the first one.
Speaker 2: Like it's so funny becauseuse genuinely she was wearing a
Speaker 2: wig just because, like just to make her hair look
Speaker 2: more like perfect, like Seabrook perfect. But then actually, as
Speaker 2: the movies went on, there's actually a reason why she's.
Speaker 3: Okay, okay, So it was so it was not it
Speaker 3: was not set there in the beginning. She was just
Speaker 3: doing it. She was just doing it to brighten her
Speaker 3: hair or like make it look more perfect.
Speaker 2: Yeah, because they actually were going to put that storyline
Speaker 2: in the first one, and then in the second one
Speaker 2: they were like, oh, we're getting rid of it, and
Speaker 2: then they brought it back in the pin.
Speaker 3: Thank you because I clocked the wig. I was like,
Speaker 3: that is definitely a wig. But they never explained why
Speaker 3: mom is wearing a wig? Is this or is it
Speaker 3: just that she had like a wig on just like
Speaker 3: for no reason.
Speaker 1: We have one more question when it comes to pop Yeah,
Speaker 1: that we'd like to hear. So d twenty three, they
Speaker 1: announced that the stars from Descendants and upcoming Zombies four
Speaker 1: are going to be going on a tour. Yeah, or
Speaker 1: will people be able to see you on said tour?
Speaker 1: Are you allowed to talk about whether you're going to
Speaker 1: be on the tour? What's how does that work?
Speaker 2: I actually don't know what they have announced or not announced.
Speaker 2: I love okay, heard it your first I think it
Speaker 2: might be possible, like there might be like some dates
Speaker 2: possibly okay, firmed yet, But overall it is like the
Speaker 2: tour is like the new generation of I think I
Speaker 2: can say that is the generation of Descendants and Zombies,
Speaker 2: but some special appearances.
Speaker 1: Oh, you know, I get it.
Speaker 3: I love it. I love it. I think that's amazing.
Speaker 1: Well, it's also a perfect time to talk about your
Speaker 1: other career. Well, I think it's all wrapped into but
Speaker 1: your music career as well. Yes, And did Buy My
Speaker 1: Heart just come out not too long ago?
Speaker 2: Yes, it did.
Speaker 1: Yeah, And so can you tell is this a new
Speaker 1: album coming out? Can you tell us everything that you
Speaker 1: know about your music career.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I've been wanting to make music for a really
Speaker 2: long time, and I have finally, yeah, put out by
Speaker 2: my Heart, which I really love a lot, and then
Speaker 2: they'll have a new song out then. And I think
Speaker 2: the goal, at least in the start of the year
Speaker 2: is putting together some sort of like EP or something
Speaker 2: like that and kind of going from there. I also
Speaker 2: really want to perform live hopefully soon.
Speaker 3: So yeah, nice, Okay, wow, okay, So, so tell tell
Speaker 3: us a little bit about you as as an artist.
Speaker 3: Since this is such a new thing and it's obviously
Speaker 3: kind of in the works and you're progressing, where are
Speaker 3: you finding yourself going, like genre wise and where do
Speaker 3: you where do you want to see the style of
Speaker 3: your music? Kind of venture too.
Speaker 2: It's definitely still in the pop realm, but I feel
Speaker 2: like my music taste is so eclectic that there's so
Speaker 2: many different styles that I really like. I think right
Speaker 2: now it's kind of like like pop but with like
Speaker 2: influences of like R and B.
Speaker 3: Okay, ooh, I love that.
Speaker 1: Yeah, what's on repeat in your car right now? What
Speaker 1: do you what are you just listening to over and
Speaker 1: over and over again?
Speaker 2: Oh goodness, there's so uh there's so many things that
Speaker 2: I listened to. I have like a yacht rock playlist
Speaker 2: that I listened to.
Speaker 1: Love yacht rock, Yeah, love O my.
Speaker 2: Favorite I really like like new or artists. I really
Speaker 2: love Victoria Monet a lot, so I listened to it
Speaker 2: a lot and kind of like nineties R and B,
Speaker 2: nineties grunge.
Speaker 1: Okay you're talking.
Speaker 2: I think is my favorite artist? Like wow, like every.
Speaker 1: Day okay, Wow, I love that. Since we're getting off
Speaker 1: on random topics, I have one more random topic to
Speaker 1: talk about before and then we'll quickly go back to
Speaker 1: zombies and then we'll let you go because we know
Speaker 1: that you're busy. But so, can you tell us a
Speaker 1: little bit about a show called What Would You Do?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 1: So this is a hidden camera social experiment show, right, Yeah,
Speaker 1: and the people are like put in really kind of
Speaker 1: awkward positions. Yeah, yeah, what was was this? I mean
Speaker 1: I have to use the word scary. Was this kind
Speaker 1: of a scary thing to shoot?
Speaker 2: Yes? There was always security on set, so it was
Speaker 2: like so fine. But yeah, I did three episodes of
Speaker 2: What Would You Do? When I was like fourteen or so,
Speaker 2: And there's one where it was like the season finale,
Speaker 2: and it's like me and two other kids bullying another actor,
Speaker 2: but it's an actor that is playing like someone who's homeless,
Speaker 2: and the experiment is like if these kids are like
Speaker 2: bullying a homeless man, like would people step in? But
Speaker 2: the clip has resurfaced online and people genuinely think, I actually.
Speaker 1: Oh no, no, are you kidding?
Speaker 2: Nearly it's so clearly fake. But so many people, oh
Speaker 2: my god, like I can't believe, like you would do
Speaker 2: this or like whatever.
Speaker 3: Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2: A lot of people like genuinely thought that it was me.
Speaker 2: It's so funny anyway, So like that was one and
Speaker 2: then I did like two other episodes as well. And
Speaker 2: it is scary because if you have an ear piece
Speaker 2: and and you're talking to real people, and sometimes the
Speaker 2: producer will be like, oh, tell them to mind your
Speaker 2: own business, and I'm like.
Speaker 1: Oh my god, yeah gets slapped like yeah, wow, and
Speaker 1: you're fourteen.
Speaker 2: You were fourteen, Oh.
Speaker 3: My gosh, wow talk about.
Speaker 2: Yes?
Speaker 3: Oh so three episodes and then what you were.
Speaker 2: Like, I'm oh, yeah, especially at that age, like you know,
Speaker 2: you're just auditioning so much. And then I wanted to
Speaker 2: do like what would you do? So bad because like
Speaker 2: a lot of my friends were doing it as well,
Speaker 2: because it was filmed in like New York, New Jersey,
Speaker 2: so it was like local as well. Yeah, it was
Speaker 2: so funny and why And it's really interesting because some
Speaker 2: people like as soon as something happens and the people
Speaker 2: react like they have to sign something afterwards, but if
Speaker 2: they don't sign it or they get really upset. Most
Speaker 2: people got really upset because they're like, what do you
Speaker 2: mean this is a prank? Like they get like like
Speaker 2: those are the craziest moments, because I also did one
Speaker 2: in like Portland, Oregon, where I was some guy was
Speaker 2: trying to like lure me into somewhere and I was like, oh,
Speaker 2: I don't know if I should go with you or not,
Speaker 2: and then trying to see if people would come in,
Speaker 2: and a lot of people got upset.
Speaker 1: Yeah that could be I mean yeah, because I mean
Speaker 1: you hear that. Yeah, that could end badly.
Speaker 2: Need sense and like yeah, just sit there and be like, ah.
Speaker 1: So you said New York, New Jersey. Are you an
Speaker 1: East Coast kid?
Speaker 2: Yes, I am.
Speaker 1: Yeah, me too, nice Just yeah, right where Connecticut born
Speaker 1: and raised?
Speaker 2: Oh great, We're in Connecticut.
Speaker 1: Right outside of Hartford.
Speaker 2: Oh cool, okay cool. My aunt is from like New
Speaker 2: Haven area.
Speaker 1: Okay, great pizza.
Speaker 2: Yeah, she grew up like right in little Italy. Oh
Speaker 2: my gosh.
Speaker 1: Yeah, no, it's wonderful. It's wonderful.
Speaker 2: So I was just having this conversation yesterday or so
Speaker 2: it's like, yeah, New York has great pizza, but Connecticut
Speaker 2: definitely has the best pizza for sure.
Speaker 1: Connecticut has two or three of the greatest pizza places
Speaker 1: like in the world.
Speaker 2: Literally, Yeah, it's like the little Italy there, like the
Speaker 2: food is.
Speaker 1: Just so yeah, that's my hometown.
Speaker 3: Nice. I'm sure with my lasagna I made last night,
Speaker 3: I'm sure it's very dubbed by my my broiler. I
Speaker 3: broiled it for like thirty seconds too long and it
Speaker 3: was too crisbya so upset. An hour and a half
Speaker 3: of making food and.
Speaker 1: Then damn broil thirty seconds of broiling. Anyway, So before
Speaker 1: we let you go, what do you so? First of all,
Speaker 1: do we know exactly when Zombies four is coming out?
Speaker 2: We don't know exactly. It's definitely going to be summer
Speaker 2: next year.
Speaker 3: Okay, long, but but you long.
Speaker 2: It's definitely going to be around that timeframe. But I
Speaker 2: actually don't know like a specific date, but I know
Speaker 2: it'll be next year.
Speaker 1: Yeah, summer of next year. And you've got a new
Speaker 1: song out, yes, And Daniel Fisher is going to be
Speaker 1: very happy to watch Zombies two with us too, which
Speaker 1: is great.
Speaker 3: We should be doing that probably soon, I'm sure.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Well, we got to get on all the seas.
Speaker 1: I still haven't seen Cheetah Girls too. I've got to
Speaker 1: get onto all the sequels.
Speaker 3: Now, and I'm probably I'm not gonna lie. Well, I'm
Speaker 3: probably gonna skip in go straight to three before the
Speaker 3: fourth one comes out of Zombies, I'm gonna have to.
Speaker 3: I can't wait.
Speaker 1: You're breaking the rules. There are no rules in the roles.
Speaker 3: That is not in the contract.
Speaker 1: No, we don't have rules.
Speaker 2: You're right, there are no rus not to watch Cheetah
Speaker 2: Girls Too.
Speaker 1: I can't wait. Cheetah Girls one was fine until the
Speaker 1: entire city shut down to save the little dog who
Speaker 1: fell in the hole. That's when I was like, dude,
Speaker 1: that and every time we're still We only have one
Speaker 1: other name in Disney Channel history that's better than Jackal
Speaker 1: Johnson at this point, and it's mister Fister. So there
Speaker 1: we've got some bad Disney names coming out there. So
Speaker 1: we can't wait.
Speaker 2: I think you'll really like I think you'll really like two.
Speaker 1: Cheetah Girls too or Zombies too, hopefully both cheat Girls?
Speaker 3: Yeah?
Speaker 2: Both?
Speaker 3: Okay, the second one is my favorite?
Speaker 1: Wait is the second one? The one where you do
Speaker 1: the do you do the romantic dance you were talking about?
Speaker 2: Is it?
Speaker 1: Okay? Okay? So I've heard about that.
Speaker 3: Oh.
Speaker 2: I can also just the opening number of Cheetah Girls
Speaker 2: Too is probably like one of the best Disney songs,
Speaker 2: Like in history.
Speaker 1: I don't know if I don't know if I want
Speaker 1: to see Doe in a romantic situation, I don't know.
Speaker 3: If it's not, it's so it's it is no Christy Carlson.
Speaker 1: Romanos was just making out with him Stevens.
Speaker 3: Right, and for the craziest kiss I've ever seen on
Speaker 3: the Disney Channel in my life. It is nowhere like that.
Speaker 3: It is like, yeah, bye, this is our job.
Speaker 1: By the way, Meg, this is our job.
Speaker 3: Absolutely, you were the best. Thank you so timon coming
Speaker 3: on this was so fun. Do you think there's a
Speaker 3: chance can we put it out there for a Zombies five?
Speaker 3: I know it's ahead of it, but if everything goes well,
Speaker 3: I don't see why not. The people love it, they
Speaker 3: want it.
Speaker 2: I would love that. I would love the all the
Speaker 2: new kids to have their own I feel like Milo
Speaker 2: and I will definitely still one hundred percent be involved,
Speaker 2: whether it's like behind the scenes or like a cameo
Speaker 2: or whatever. But it would be really special because the
Speaker 2: kids are so talented. It'd be so cool to have
Speaker 2: their own special like story and get more into their characters.
Speaker 2: And totally love to be involved and to be on
Speaker 2: the other side of things and to yeah, maybe make
Speaker 2: a cameo, sing a song.
Speaker 1: Or two, but it would be really cool. And we're
Speaker 1: going to start lobbying for Dancing with the Stars.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I've got, I got I've got seen it up
Speaker 3: on my contacts right now, got her up right now,
Speaker 3: I'm sending it.
Speaker 1: Well, thank you so much for joining us. This has
Speaker 1: been absolutely lovely and you know, good luck with everything
Speaker 1: in the future. Of course, we've got Zombies four coming out.
Speaker 1: We're lobbying for Zombies five already, and of course for
Speaker 1: you to be on Dancing with the Stars. Thank you
Speaker 1: so much for joining us. Meg, we can't thank you.
Speaker 2: Thank you, bye bye.
Speaker 1: Yeah. I didn't like her. She was unpleasant.
Speaker 3: I mean, what.
Speaker 1: So talented the talent, but it also learning stunning.
Speaker 3: She's stunning.
Speaker 1: But I also love when when this is what being
Speaker 1: a child actor is like too, because you're like, now,
Speaker 1: twenty what she's probably twenty six, twenty seven, however old
Speaker 1: she is, if she's even that, and she's like, yeah,
Speaker 1: being the old person on the set, and it's like, what,
Speaker 1: I know what.
Speaker 3: But it's so true, you know what I mean, when
Speaker 3: you were on your sets and then all of a
Speaker 3: sudden it's that transition and now you're the one there
Speaker 3: the younger kids are looking at for advice to help
Speaker 3: move direction. If you're saying, guys, let's calm down, you
Speaker 3: know all that stuff.
Speaker 1: You're the adult.
Speaker 3: She's getting to experience that, you know, and that's that's amazing.
Speaker 3: I'm so excited for her. I love that she's getting
Speaker 3: a chance now within her career. I'm sure it's really
Speaker 3: just been about timing of focusing on her.
Speaker 1: Music, sure, but also getting a chance to produce the
Speaker 1: films and get more involved in the behind the scenes
Speaker 1: and all that kind of stuff. It just that's one
Speaker 1: of the things Disney is starting to do well that
Speaker 1: they they're doing better now than they did back in
Speaker 1: the day, which is allowing their talent the opportunity to
Speaker 1: grow in other aspects of the industry. I mean, I
Speaker 1: think that's super important.
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, for sure, Raven. We got Selena Gomez coming, Yeah,
Speaker 3: you know, I mean that is just it's so exciting
Speaker 3: that Disney believes in their talent as much as they do.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's and wants them to be well rounded and
Speaker 1: wants them to learn every aspect of the business. You
Speaker 1: never know when the next big power agent or producer
Speaker 1: or director or cinematographer can come out of something of
Speaker 1: just the channel and the company just giving people more opportunity,
Speaker 1: like yeah, you want to come produce, come produce. That
Speaker 1: might lead you in a whole new direction. So well,
Speaker 1: don't forget you imagine?
Speaker 3: Could you imagine? You walk in for your audition? You're
Speaker 3: a huge fan of Meg and she's there Zombies and
Speaker 3: her and are just chilling out with a diet coke
Speaker 3: and some chips ready for you to just do your audition.
Speaker 3: Holy cow, if your stomach didn't feel like you had
Speaker 3: to boop, then you are done.
Speaker 2: Hi.
Speaker 1: My name is Will, I'm here to audition. I'll be
Speaker 1: singing we're all in this together. Since the only song
Speaker 1: I know five six seven eight. Yeah, No, I couldn't imagine.
Speaker 3: Would you imagine the girl? Wow? Sticks are even higher
Speaker 3: that way? We are so crazy.
Speaker 1: Well, thank you Meg Donnellie for joining us, and thank
Speaker 1: you all for joining us, and don't forget check out
Speaker 1: the new song. And of course we're waiting on Zombies
Speaker 1: four and start lobbying now to get Meg on to
Speaker 1: dance with the stars. That would be incredible, and join
Speaker 1: us next time on our other feed over there where
Speaker 1: we're going to be watching these movies. We watch them
Speaker 1: so you don't have to, but at the same time,
Speaker 1: we're glad you watch them with us, because then we
Speaker 1: can all have fun and talk about this and get
Speaker 1: to meet these incredible people. It's just so cool. So
Speaker 1: thank you all and we will see you next time.
Speaker 1: Bye bye