Ashley Michelle Tisdale-French (born July 2, 1985) is an American actress and singer. During her childhood, she was featured in over 100 advertisements and had minor roles on-screen and in theatre. She achieved mainstream success as Maddie Fitzpatrick in the Disney Channel teen sitcom The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (2005–2008). This success was heightened when she starred as Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series (2006–2011). The success of the films led to Tisdale's signing with Warner Bros. Records and subsequently releasing her debut studio album, Headstrong (2007), which was a commercial success, earning a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Tisdale also provides the voice of Candace Flynn in the Disney Channel animated series Phineas and Ferb (2007–2015; 2025–present).
Tisdale's second studio album, Guilty Pleasure (2009), was released to less commercial success than its predecessor. Tisdale would part ways with Warner Bros. Records following the release of the album. During this time, she began appearing in more films and returned to television with shows such as Hellcats (2010). Tisdale's production company Blondie Girl Productions, first formed in 2008, signed a multi-year production deal with Relativity Media in 2010; Tisdale would produce shows such as Miss Advised (2012) as part of the deal. Tisdale starred in the High School Musical spin-off film Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure (2011), also releasing a soundtrack to promote the film.
In 2013, Tisdale announced work on her third studio album, releasing the promotional single "You're Always Here", and starred in the horror comedy film Scary Movie 5. She has continued to appear in television roles, joining the main cast of Clipped (2015). She also served as executive producer of the ABC Family television series Young & Hungry (2014–2018). In 2018, Tisdale returned to music with the release of the singles "Voices in My Head" and "Love Me & Let Me Go". Her third studio album and first in a decade, Symptoms, was released in 2019. Recently, Tisdale starred as Jenny Kenney in the CBS sitcom Carol's Second Act (2019–2020), served as a panelist on the reality competition show The Masked Dancer (2020–2021), and led the interactive video game The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes (2021).
Ashley Michelle Tisdale was born on July 2, 1985, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, to Lisa Morris and contractor Michael Tisdale. Her father is Christian and her mother is Jewish; she was raised with "a little bit of both" religions. Tisdale's elder sister Jennifer is an actress and producer. She is also related to businessman Ron Popeil through her maternal grandfather Arnold Morris who was best known for being a pitchman for the Ginsu knife. Despite working in film and television at a young age, Tisdale worked retail jobs and attended public school, stating "I was always in regular school and I worked in clothing stores growing up. I didn't 'make it' until I was 18, so I had already graduated public school. I definitely feel like I had the best of both worlds."
1985–2004: Childhood and career beginnings
At the age of three, Tisdale met her manager, Bill Perlman, at a talent search held at Monmouth Mall in Eatontown, New Jersey. He sent her to various auditions for commercials, and she was placed in more than one hundred national network TV advertisements as a child. She began her theatrical career by appearing in Gypsy: A Musical Fable and The Sound of Music at Monmouth County's Jewish Community Center. Tisdale was eight years old when she was cast to play the part of Cosette in the musical Les Misérables, and only recalled taking a single singing lesson before landing the role. In 2007, Tisdale told Newsday, "When I was little, I saw the play Les Misérables on Broadway. I thought it was the most amazing thing I have ever seen, so I went to my manager and told him I wanted to be in it". Tisdale toured for two years with Les Misérables before landing a role in a touring production of Annie in Korea.
When Tisdale was twelve, she sang for then-President Bill Clinton during an event at the White House as part of a troupe. Hoping to expand her career, Tisdale and her family moved to Los Angeles, California. She landed her first role in 1997, guest starring on episodes of both Smart Guy and 7th Heaven. During this time, she also began doing modeling work for Ford Models. The following year, Tisdale appeared as a voice actor in both An All Dogs Christmas Carol (1998) and A Bug's Life (1998). She guest starred in an episode of Boston Public in 2000, earning a 2000 Young Artist Award nomination for "Best Guest Performance in a TV Drama". Tisdale continued to make guest appearances on television shows and appear in minor film roles throughout the following years, with roles in films such as the cult film Donnie Darko (2001) and The Mayor of Oyster Bay (2002).
2005–2009: Breakthrough with films and music
Tisdale joined the main cast of the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody in 2005, and would continue to star in the series until its conclusion in 2008. The show proved to be a hit for the network, and earned Tisdale a Nickelodeon UK Kids' Choice Awards. Tisdale had her breakout role as Sharpay Evans in the Disney Channel film High School Musical (2006). The film was the network's most successful film of 2006, receiving 7.7 million viewers upon its premiere. The soundtrack for the film, featuring numerous contributions from Tisdale, went on to sell over three million copies in the United States alone. The song "What I've Been Looking For" (2006), a duet with Lucas Grabeel, became her first top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Tisdale, along with the rest of the cast, embarked on the High School Musical: The Concert (2006–2007) tour to promote the film. She met dancer Jared Murillo while working on High School Musical, and the two later dated for two years; they split up in 2009. During this time, Tisdale began appearing on soundtracks for the Disney Channel, and released a cover of "Kiss the Girl" (2006) to promote The Little Mermaid.
With the success of High School Musical, Tisdale was offered a recording contract from Warner Bros. Records; she began working on her debut studio album in 2006. "Be Good to Me" (2006) was released as the album's lead single, with "He Said She Said" (2007) being released shortly afterwards as the second single. Tisdale's debut album, Headstrong (2007), was released in February; the album featured elements of dance-pop and hip-hop music. The album sold 64,000 copies in its first week of release in the United States, debuting at number five on the Billboard 200. The project was a commercial success, selling over 500,000 copies in the country. "He Said She Said" was later re-released as the album's second single to promote the album, and went on to earn a gold certification from the RIAA. The album's final two singles were released exclusively in select European territories. Tisdale embarked on her Headstrong Tour Across America to promote the album. She also co-executive produced a documentary, There's Something About Ashley (2007), documenting the recording of the album and the production of her music videos.
Tisdale reprised her role as Sharpay Evans in High School Musical 2 (2007). The film was viewed by seventeen million people during its premiere, making it the most-watched movie on cable television. She received positive reviews for her performance in the film, which earned two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations. The film's soundtrack topped the Billboard 200, selling 615,000 copies in its first week of release. Tisdale was later cast in the animated Disney Channel series Phineas and Ferb as the voice of Candace Flynn. The series debuted to ten million viewers and became the most-watched animated series among kids and tweens in 2010. Phineas and Ferb has also received acclaim by critics and has won three Primetime Emmy Awards. Tisdale remained on the series until its conclusion in 2015, appearing in various television films in the role as well.