Corbin Bleu: 'High School Musical' Star Talks Barack, Being Biracial & His Rock Star Status

By Jawn Murray, BlackVoices.com

Life is good for 19-year-old entertainer Corbin Bleu.

His new movie 'High School Musical 3: Senior Year' topped the box office with a whopping $42 million this past weekend.

The actor-singer-dancer, whose father is Jamaican and mom is Italian, is hoping his starring stint in the successful Disney franchise is the beginning of a long career in both film and music.

I sat down with Bleu at the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills recently where we talked about life after 'High School Musical,' being able to vote for the first time and his connection to Debbie Allen.

So 'High School Musical' has offered you all the rock star lifestyle. The international jet setting in private planes, the mobs of screaming girls, and any and everything else you can think of. How does it feel?

Rock star is a good way to describe it. It's surreal. It wasn't expected, but it's great to be able to come into it now and you're in private jets and you get to travel the world to see the fans. We toured in South America in front of 70,000 screaming fans in a soccer stadium. It's a surreal life, but I think it's something that we continue to grab a hold of and take on the challenges.

Why do you think this franchise exploded the way that it did?

I think the characters are characters that you see in school. They all have choices that they have to make that are real choices that middle school and high school kids have to make because there's so much pressure. There's also so much pressure from parents to live out their aspirations for your life. It's something that I think they can relate to. They're doing what they think is truly their passions.

Where did you learn to dance?

I grew up dancing on the floor in the mirror. I went to Debbie Allen's academy for some time. I started when I was two doing ballet and tap. This was a great project to come to just to be able to sing and dance in front of a camera. In fact, it was originally a musical. This musical isn't a remake and you haven't seen that a lot. I think one of the latest ones was 'Moulin Rouge' which isn't a young audience film. I grew up with so many other musicals and to be able to make something for this generation to call their own and be able to watch and enjoy that isn't their parent's selection is great.

Do you have a friendship in real life that mirrors the friendship you have with Zac Efron's character in the film?

I do have friends that I grew up with in New York . The mother of one friend in particular had one of the first dance studios that I ever studied in. Our families moved to LA at the same time and we're still friends. It's always great to have somebody around that you grew up with since diapers. I've never had anybody that I've gone to school with every day and continued to go the same school with such as Troy and , but I definitely have close friends that resemble the closeness of Troy and .

Coming out of a franchise like 'High School Musical,' how do you make sure that your personal imprint is left?

I believe that as long as you continue to create your own and you bring your art from a place that's true, you're gonna leave your imprint on it. I continue to dabble in music. I'm working on my second album at the moment and obviously you have inspirations and you learn from wherever you learn from, but in the end you have to create your own legacy. That's something that I think is the focus right now. I'm trying to make my own music and develop a new sound for myself as well as with my acting career. It's all about choices and characters and building up some pretty interesting roles.

You released an album in 2007 called 'Another Side' and now you're working on a new CD. With you being 19 and still being on Disney's Hollywood Records, how will your music mature without alienating your Disney base?

Disney is about positivity which is something that I've always tried to exude in my life so through my music I definitely express positivity, but at this point in my life after 'High School Musical' it's really about trying to remain true to yourself and using your own life experiences. I'm 19 going on 20 now so I've had my own experiences and I've been able to live life. It's not all peaches and cream and you draw from that. At the same time, I've had some incredible experiences too so you find different things to draw from. As long as you bring it from a real place, that's really what people grasp to and connect to. With music I think that as long as you remain true and not try to put up a front, that's the best way to get it across.

And since you are 19 now, you will be able to vote in the upcoming election.

Being a Barack Obama supporter, I just came back from tour and every night I come out with a Barack Obama shirt on. During the middle of the performance I would make a speech about this generation and that it's our time. I tell the people who can go out and vote now to please go out and vote. It may not seem like one vote doesn't make a difference, but that's not what it's about. It's about the point that you can express your own opinion so I've done what I can to make people active.

Barack is biracial and could become the President of the United States. How does that inspire you being that you are biracial as well?

I believe that it's a beautiful time right now. I walk in the street and I definitely see more mixed races which is awesome. I grew up in New York and during the early parts of my life, it wasn't looked upon positively. When my parents were together they received dirty looks, but I think it's a time right now that's blossoming and accepted. Cultures need to come together because every culture brings something so beautiful about themselves. Putting them all in the pot and mixing them together can only make something brilliant.

You recently produced a film with your father David Reivers called 'Free Style.' What was it like taking an executive approach to filmmaking?

That was awesome. It was my first time working behind the camera. My father and I received the script and we worked with our partner Michael Manuel. We got the funding, got it casted and handled every aspect from the beginning to the editing room we were involved with. As an actor, you always have somebody to answer to and that was great to be in the position of power to have your own input in the film. I'm excited about the film itself. It's a good family film and it has something for everybody. The backdrop is motor cross so we wanted to stay true to the motor cross as well so I did a lot of research on the role. I've actually been kind of hooked on it and I went and got a bike. It's got a great love story. It's really about a young guy growing up whose father left him when he was a kid so now he's responsible for taking care of his mother and younger sister. He's working three jobs and it's all about his struggle in life to pursue what he feels he deserves in life. He can only do that through becoming a pro in motor cross.

How have you steered cleared of the paparazzi hounding you and ending up on 'TMZ' like they do some of your cast mates?

I just try to stay away from places that I know they're going to be. I'm constantly working so for the past few years I have literally gone from project to project so I don't have much down time when I'm home to really walk around and be shot by the paparazzi or anything. I'm usually at my house with my family or anytime that I go out I like to keep a low profile. I like to keep my personal life to myself.

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See my interview with 'High School Musical 3: Senior Year' star Monique Coleman here: 'Monique Coleman: Disney Star Talks Faith, Finances & Playing Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes.'

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'High School Musical 3: Senior Year' also stars Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale.