Whereas most keep in mind her because the fashion-obsessed heiress London Tipton from “The Suite Lifetime of Zack & Cody,” the actress not too long ago revealed that her transition from baby star to critical actor wasn’t as easy because it seemed.
Based on Brenda Track, Disney tried to cease her from taking over extra mature roles in movies like “Gran Torino” and “The Social Community.”
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Brenda Track Says Disney Tried To Block Her From ‘Gran Torino’ And ‘The Social Community’
She mentioned she had initially been thought-about for a job in “Gran Torino,” however Disney nixed it on account of an meant sexual assault scene within the script. “And I used to be very upset however I used to be like, ‘Okay, I assume it didn’t work out,’” she recalled.
The same scenario got here up when Track wished to audition for David Fincher’s “The Social Community.” On the time, she was nonetheless on “Suite Life,” and considerations over mature content material as soon as once more threatened to derail the chance. This time, nevertheless, she took issues into her personal palms.
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“I went on to Gary Marsh, the president and COO for Disney-branded tv on the time,” she defined. “I mentioned, ‘I’m an actor. Once you employed me, I used to be not a resort heiress. If I’ve ever completed something in my private life to ever draw unhealthy consideration to your organization, I perceive. However that is the final season of the present, and that is the chance of a lifetime.’”
Her plea labored. Disney allowed her to do the movie, which Track says, “actually modified my life.”
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Miley Cyrus Says Disney Banned Her From Singing ‘Hannah Montana’ Songs
It’s a narrative that mirrors latest revelations from fellow Disney alum Miley Cyrus, who mentioned on Spotify’s “The Ringer” podcast that she “wasn’t allowed” to carry out songs from “Hannah Montana” after leaving the community in 2011.
“It was nonetheless unhappy understanding these songs have my voice, my face, and I wasn’t allowed to sing them,” Cyrus shared.
She was solely granted permission to carry out them once more after being named a Disney Legend at D23 in 2024.
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Track Says Followers Nonetheless Quote Her Iconic ‘PRNDL’ Line From ‘Suite Life’
Like Cyrus, Track discovered her breakout second on Disney. However she’s labored onerous to evolve past her early roles. Her portrayal of London Tipton not solely helped outline Disney Channel within the 2000s however left an enduring influence.
One explicit second, the place her character hilariously mispronounces the automobile gear shift abbreviation PRNDL as “The Prindle,” continues to comply with her.
“It’s all the time the PRNDL and it’s stunning,” Track laughed in the course of the panel. “Folks will all the time be like, ‘You taught me the PRNDL’ or ‘I nonetheless use the PRNDL.’”
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The Iconic ‘Suite Life’ Portrait
The actress additionally confessed to maintaining souvenirs from her time on “Suite Life,” together with the pink outfit from the present’s pilot and an enormous portrait of London and her canine Ivana that when hung in her TV suite. It now lives within the residence Track shares with longtime companion Macaulay Culkin and their kids.
“I’m afraid to let anybody know the place it’s although, as a result of understanding a sure any person, they’d grasp it up in our home and I’d be mortified,” she joked.
Brenda Track Stated ‘Being An Asian-American Actress In Hollywood’ Was ‘Tough’
Track credit a lot of her early inspiration to trailblazers like Ming-Na Wen, Michelle Yeoh, and Lucy Liu, who have been among the many few Asian-American actors she noticed on display rising up.
“That was the tough factor rising up, being an Asian-American actress in Hollywood,” Track mentioned. “Like in case you weren’t Jackie Chan or Jet Li, I’m not an Asian man, it was actually onerous.”
Track shared that Wen, specifically, had a significant influence on her. They labored collectively when Track was simply eight years outdated, and she or he remembers Wen being “so encouraging, so form, and simply so supportive.”
She additionally fondly remembered working with “Night time Courtroom” actor Richard Moll on the Nickelodeon collection “100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd,” describing him as light and welcoming throughout her first long-term challenge.
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Although she’s not too long ago labored alongside Pamela Anderson and Kate Hudson and even been directed by Fincher himself, Track continues to be humbled by her Disney roots. However it’s her persistence, not her previous, that continues to outline her.
“I’m so lucky,” she mentioned. “However none of it got here straightforward. It’s a must to combat for the roles you possibly can play.”
