“Excessive Faculty Musical” star Monique Coleman says her character wore headbands as a result of the crew did not know learn how to model black hair

“High School Musical” star Monique Coleman says her character wore headbands because the crew didn’t know how to style black hair

It cannot be emphasized enough – representation is so important, from the producers to the dressing room, when it comes to television and film. The story of “High School Musical” star Monique Coleman is a prime example.

She recently announced in an interview with Insider that she had the idea that her “High School Musical” character Taylor McKessie should wear different headbands in the 2006 film because the styling crew didn’t know how to wear black ones Hair works.

“We’ve grown a lot in this industry, we’ve grown a lot in representation, and we’ve grown a lot to understand the needs of an African American actress,” said 40-year-old Coleman in an interview on the film’s 15th anniversary. “But the truth is they did my hair and they did it very badly in the front,” she said.

Coleman said crew members didn’t have much time to fix their hair before filming began. So she suggested “incorporating headbands into her character” and “just making that part of who she is”.

Coleman added that she and her castmates were “lucky” because Disney and the movie’s wardrobe were “very open to our feedback”.

The look stayed with her character throughout the franchise, as Taylor also wore an assortment of headbands that went perfectly with her outfits in the 2007 and 2008 sequels to High School Musical.

In addition to suggesting a headband, Coleman brought together Taylor’s look for the final number of the first film, “We’re All Together”.

She said Taylor’s button-down shirt and pleated skirt pays homage to Britney Spears’ 1998 music video for “Baby One More Time.”

“I thought, ‘Oh, I think Taylor would really enjoy having a moment of awakening like this,” Coleman said. “And I thought the tie was really cute.

“It was so long ago that the ‘One More Time’ video was still relevant and I was like, ‘Huh, wouldn’t it be kind of cool if Taylor’s look somehow hinted at it?'”

Coleman definitely shared her appreciation for participating in the films, saying she was grateful for the opportunity to play Taylor and be a role model for fans who rarely saw themselves reflected on the big screen.

“I’m really grateful to have been someone who could bring representation in a time when there wasn’t much, and I’m so happy when I see this next generation of young artists and there’s just so much more room for Colored people, ”Coleman said.

She added that her part “High School Musical” was special to her as Taylor was not a stereotypical black character.

“It means the world to me, especially because Taylor is such a dynamic character and the smartest person in school, all at a time when black girls were often the ones with an attitude or being naughty. ” She said.

Coleman added, “And I appreciated that it was why people didn’t love Taylor. They loved her because she was smart and supportive. And it definitely means a lot to me when people see her. There was Taylor before the Obamas were a thing. So we didn’t have people to look up to … Knowing that this generation has to look up to them is really special to me. “

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