Ashley Dances Her Way From ‘HSM’ To Alien Invasions on October 2, 2008 @ 1:00 am

23-year-old actress Ashley Tisdale is, of course, best known for her roles as Sharpay in three “High School Musical” films, and Maddie in “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.”

“She got the concept [of the movie] right away, and that’s what you want. That’s what it was like working with Will Smith on ‘Men in Black,’ or Amy Adams and James Marsden on ‘Enchanted.’ And for Ashley, same thing,” said Josephson — who produced both those films as well. “She looked at the aliens, she realized what her role would be and she just jumped right in.”

We kid because we love, of course. But Ashley really is the perfect fit for the world of “They Came From Upstairs,” which follows a group of vacationing children who learn they are humanity’s last hope to repel an alien invasion.

“In [the movie] the aliens are able to ‘plug’ humans, meaning they can control [them] and in the movie they control Robert Hoffman (‘Step-Up 2’). He’s the boyfriend of Ashley Tisdale’s character,” Josephson explained of the film’s plot. “So we kept thinking as filmmakers, who would be great for this role; who could give us comedy and spirit and attitude and be frustrated with him all the time? Because she wants to have the relationship work out well, and because he’s being controlled half the movie by the aliens, it’s difficult for her.

“[Ashley] is that really interesting cross of a teen actress who has really honed her craft but also a great comedic actress and that’s why we hired her,” he concluded.

But with the world at stake, aliens aren’t exactly going to turn away from an invasion because of a punchline (unless that punchline is a joke lapel flower which sprays people with water. And the aliens are the ones from “Signs.” Which was stupid.) So that’s why Ashley is yet again the perfect fit for the role, Josephson explained. It’s in the physicality.

“There’s two fun scenes for her that are [very much filled with action.] She has to go out and do in the bad aliens in the movie. So she joins in with her brother and cousins, because [this is about where] two families go on holiday and encounter little aliens that have a mission on earth. And the only thing that stands between them and it are these kids,” Josephson revealed. “And Ashley was wonderful, really really great.”

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