Ashley Tisdale on 'Sons of Anarchy.' (FX)
Things are getting pretty edgy for a bunch of former Disney princesses. Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens will soon be seen playing college girls turned bank robbers in "Spring Breakers," and Gomez recently got her second tattoo. Now, another former 'tween queen is taking on a racy new TV role.
Ashley Tisdale, best known as the musical theatre diva Sharpay in Disney's "High School Musical," has taken a completely different part on the FX biker gang drama "Sons of Anarchy." The 27-year-old actress plays Emma Jean, a high-class prostitute used by Clay (Ron Perlman) in a scheme to make his wife Gemma (Katey Sagal) jealous.
Unfortunately for Emma Jean, the plan works, and Gemma tosses her around, giving her a bloody nose and bruises. And that's just the first episode in her two-episode arc.
Gemma (Katey Sagal) beats up Emma Jean (Tisdale) on 'Sons of Anarchy'. (FX)
"I'm so grateful for what Disney gave me and the experiences that I got, but at the end of the day, it's like, I can do so much more than what I did on that channel and what I did in those movies," Tisdale told reporters in a press call.
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Also starring in the upcoming "Scary Movie 5," Tisdale isn't afraid to take on racier projects. And as one of her favourite shows, the FX hit "Sons of Anarchy" was a no-brainer when creator Kurt Sutter wrote a part for her.
"I didn't audition for the role. I actually was just a really big fan of the show...But of course, my agents, at first, were like, 'I don't know. We have to read it.' I'm like, 'I gotta do it! I gotta do it!'" she said.
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"Running with the big boys now.... #sonsofanarchy tomorrow night!!!" Tisdale tweeted on Monday, leading up to her final appearance in the show, which aired Tuesday night.
"I lost my virginity to many things on #sonsofanarchy make sure u tune into fx at 10! Thanks @sutterink #imallgrownup ;)" she posted the following day.
Tisdale also posed nude for Allure magazine last year, saying "Being in this shoot was me saying, 'I'm not just the young girl everybody thinks I am. I'm actually a woman.'"
Next up for the actress? Starring in a live-action movie version of "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" that re-imagines the character as a superhero.