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Debby Ryan tells Bibi Nurshuhada Ramli that she has a lot in common with Tara, the character she plays in Disney Channel’s Radio Rebel

RISING Disney star Debby Ryan shares many qualities with Tara, the character she plays in the upcoming Disney Channel movie Radio Rebel.

They both love music, fight for what they believe in and find it hard to act normal in front of cute boys.

“Tara gets tongue-tied, I, on the other hand, will say stupid stuff,” Ryan says in a phone interview.

She shares an experience at a party where she and an “incredibly attractive” boy were talking when out of the blue she slipped in the theme song for the Fresh Prince Of Bel Air into their conversation.

“It didn’t go over well,” she reminisces. “I tried to make a joke out of it and said, ‘If you don’t know the Fresh Prince theme song, it wouldn’t have worked out between us anyway.’”

At least Ryan has the courage to speak to boys, whereas Tara can’t even bring herself to speak in class, let alone to boys!

As a remedy, Tara secretly casts herself as Radio Rebel, the host of a nightly radio podcast on which she showcases her passion for music and self-expression. When she is finally having fun inspiring her peers to accept each other’s unique self, she has to make a huge decision as her school’s principal wants Radio Rebel to reveal herself, or else the prom will be cancelled.

“There are moments when you feel like screaming at her for something that she does but then she is also very cool. She knows who she is, she likes self-expression and stands for what she believes in. She was a fun role to play,” says Ryan, who also stars in Disney TV series Jessie.

Read more on Ryan’s interview below.

If you have a chance to tell the world something from the anonymity of a DJ, what would you say?
I would say that the most beautiful thing you can do is love. It can be terrifying and you have to be careful about who you give it to, but it is the most wonderful thing in the world.

Would you like to have your own alter-ego?
I already have. Debby Ryan (the actress) has a Hollywood persona. She is so bold and knows what she is talking about, while I’m just a socially awkward kid who sings, writes and takes photos.

What’s your advice to kids who are shy and introverted?
They should find other people who share the same passions as they do. If you find something that you really love and it’s the only thing that gets you going, it’s completely fine.

You are passionate about music. You even have a recording studio at home. Do you see yourself pursuing a musical career in the future?
I don’t know. My career right now is acting. Nothing can get bigger than that, but I can’t go an hour without singing or making music in any way. I think when your dream has become your career, you should have another dream that is not your career and one that you can get lost into. For me, it’s music.

Disney stars come out as recording artistes, eventually.
It’s not a good thing if it’s not based on passion. I’m not going to do something I don’t care about and I find it disgusting when some people do it just to become famous.

Which Disney stars do you look up to?
Growing up, it was Hilary Duff, but I also love Raven who has her own brand of comedy. Shia Labeouf had a beautiful yet effortless transition (from doing a TV show Even Stevens on Disney Channel to starring in blockbuster films). He made a huge leap from playing a goofy kid on Even Stevens to being an amazing character actor. Very inspirational.

Who or what are the main influences in your life?
I have really great parents who taught me to be friendly, be good to people and that the world is bigger than what I am doing. My brother is a singer-songwriter and my best friend, who influences me musically.


NOTE: Radio Rebel premieres tomorrow at 7.30pm on Disney Channel (Astro Channel 615), while 0 airs every weekend at 10.30pm.

No matter how shy Tara is, Ryan thinks she is inspiring in many ways

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