The Stunning Transformation Of Ashley Tisdale

Ashley Tisdale hit her stride after perfecting the drama queen persona in her role as Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical trilogy. The actress had already spent a decade in the limelight, starring in a Broadway production and appearing in commercials before landing a recurring role in the Disney sitcom The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. But it was the pink and primped Sharpay that signaled Tisdale's success.

There was a downside to that breakout role, however, as the actress feared being typecast for the rest of her career. "I think people in this business put you in a box and label you for what they think they know of you and what character you have played," she told New You Magazine. "Sharpay was such an awesome character, but at the end of the day it was a character; it wasn't me."

So when Tisdale's character graduated from East High, the actress began a drastic transformation of her own — morphing from Disney star to seasoned singer and actress. Here's a close look at how much Ashley Tisdale has transformed over the years.

Ashley Tisdale auditioned on the Disney circuit for quite some time before scoring a part. She was turned down for Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century and the TV movie Tru Confessions, which starred Shia LaBeouf. She told BuzzFeed that, while she would make it to the final round of auditions, she never seemed to get the part. "I just would always be the last two and I would never get it, and I was so bummed out that I didn't get it that I didn't even audition for Disney for a long time," she recalled. Fortunately, she did secure one big Disney Channel Original Movie: High School Musical. "I mean, out of all of them, I'm so glad I got that one," she said. "That was the best experience."

And she kept more than memories from the experience. "A lot of our clothes are in Hall of Fames, and they didn't have Sharpay's stuff, and Disney tried so hard to get the clothes from me," she said. "And I was like, 'No, this is mine.'"

Ashley Tisdale began to morph physically in 2007, changing hairstyles and making bolder fashion choices. When she underwent a rhinoplasty procedure for medical reasons, many criticized the change. "Growing up I always knew I had a deviated septum on the right side of my nose, which caused trouble breathing," Tisdale, bandaged at the time, told People a few days after her surgery, explaining the severity of her condition which included several small fractures. Fans and critics unfortunately spoke harshly of the change, which forced Tisdale to vehemently defend her motives. "I didn't do this because I believe in plastic surgery," Tisdale stated. "I did this to help my health."

A year after her original surgery, it was reported that Tisdale had a second nose job and breast augmentation. However, in reality, she traveled to New Zealand to film a movie. "People think I went away to have more work done. But I didn't," she told People.

Actress Ashley Tisdale has made subtle changes to her look over the years, ditching her platinum blonde locks for more natural shades and toning down her makeup and fashion choices too. However, she told Glamour she has no regrets about the beauty and style decisions she has made on the red carpet. "I mean, I tried everything back in those days," she noted. "And I was super unapologetic about it."

The star's look has matured since. She ditched the bright makeup shades for more natural dewy skin and even became a brand ambassador for Neutrogena. She detailed her beauty secrets for Glamour, sharing that she makes sure to take her makeup off and wash her face each morning and night. She explained, "Even in my twenties when I went out with my friends, I would come home and take my makeup off. It's just never good to leave that stuff on your skin. You'll always break out from it."

After finding success in the music studio, Ashley Tisdale returned to acting in 2010, landing a small screen role in the CW drama Hellcats, which chronicled the fictional story of a college cheer squad. "It was the best choice for me," she told the Sioux City Journal. "It was a drama. It didn't involve singing and (the character) wasn't like Sharpay."

Specifically, Tisdale said she enjoyed challenging herself to learn the proper "flying" moves. After a few days on set, the actress asked if she could participate in the stunts herself. "You have to be a little bit crazy to be a cheerleader," she shared, "and I'm a little bit crazy."

She noted the fact that the show was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, and offered her independence, forcing her to move out on her own — a rite of passage she never experienced since her Disney career launched directly after high school. "This is me out on my own," Tisdale told the publication. "I'm vacuuming. I'm cooking and cleaning. It's great."

Around 2008, Ashley Tisdale launched Blondie Girl Productions with her sister, Jennifer. The Los Angeles-based production company, which develops programming focused on a female millennial audience, had a breakout hit with the Freeform show Young and Hungry, which starred Hannah Montana's Emily Osment. But for Tisdale, the move from acting to producing was a challenge. "When I started the company it was really hard for people to take me seriously," she told Forbes. "When I was pitching to networks, because they obviously knew me as an actor and we were a female production company, it was a little difficult at first."

In addition to Young and Hungry, Blondie Productions has also created content for E! and MTV. A Scooby Doo spin-off titled Daphne & Velma was also a hit. "I do feel that the company definitely has blossomed," Tisdale said. "I feel so proud of the company and so proud that we've come this far. We've shown people that we know what works and that we know what we're talking about."

A huge fan of all things beauty, Ashley Tisdale launched Illuminate in 2018, a brand of cosmetics inspired by her own makeup usage. "It's just like how I wear my makeup," Tisdale told the Los Angeles Times. "I like to wear makeup, but I'm not layering on tons of makeup on my skin."

The packaging and the brand itself are focused on simplicity because, after researching the market, Tisdale discovered that there weren't many companies that were meeting the beauty needs of the everyday girl. Designing each product to illuminate the wearer's natural features, Tisdale gradually expanded the line to include lip glosses, eye palettes, and more. Reasonably priced and marketed as "beauty your way," Illuminate has found success. 

Tisdale reportedly plans on continuing to expand upon Illuminate's success, turning it into an entire lifestyle brand. "There's a lot more than just makeup that we're going to be doing," she shared.

In the Netflix sitcom Merry, Happy, Whatever, Ashley Tisdale stars as Kayla Quinn, a newly single woman in the midst of self-discovery who — spoiler alert! — realizes she is gay over the course of the series. She's called the role the most fulfilling part she's ever played. "I think a lot of the roles that I have done in the past have been very strong characters," the actress told Hollywood Life, noting, "With Kayla, it was just such a different situation where I got to really add things in there."

Tisdale said she enjoyed working with veteran actor Dennis Quaid and fellow former Disney alum Bridgit Mendler. In fact, Tisdale and Mendler immediately bonded once production launched. "A girl's night happened once the show was underway," Mendler, who plays Tisdale's younger sister in the series, told Parade. She added, "Ashley's been so great with being a big sister to me, so we've definitely had some great times to bond."