TRENDING

Editor's Note: This interview was conducted prior to the start of the SAG-AFTRA strike.

It's the moment we've been waiting for: All episodes of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series season four have finally dropped on Disney+ (stream it HERE), and we're booked 'n' busy catching up with Wildcats both old and new. Naturally, we needed to chat with the amaze Sofia Wylie to get the full scoop on the show's final season. More reasons to love Gina Porter, right this way...

Girls' Life: No surprise, but we're seriously excited about the new season. What can you tell us? 
Sofia Wylie: I'm really just looking forward to fans seeing all of the different High School Musical worlds intertwining. There's High School Musical 3 that the Wildcats are putting on as their musical for the season, as well as High School Musical 4, which is this new movie that's being filmed at East High with a lot of the original cast. It's just the most meta our show has ever been, which is saying a lot. 

GL: Love that. And, speaking of the HSM cinematic universe, what's your fave song from the movies?
Sofia: I have three. I loved "Bet On It." I don't know why five-year-old me was so obsessed with it, but it's Zac Efron, so of course. And "Fabulous," which I recreated many times (and even forced my older sister to record me doing). But then I really love "Can I Have This Dance." Before I really even knew what love was, I remember being like, "That. That's what I want when I'm older."

@highschoolmusicalseries

GL: Um, relatable. Now, pivoting to your role, the *iconic* Gina Porter. What do you admire most about her?
Sofia: Her complexity, but also her ambition and desire to be the best she can possibly be. In season one, we see that manifest in a more competitive and cut-throat way, but I think she's learning how to balance that ambition with respect and love—and that's the way I hope to carry myself throughout life. Always having my own ambition, but putting others before my personal ambition as well. 

GL: We totally see that in Gina, which makes her such a fan favorite. And, just because we're curious, what's your favorite role that Gina plays in the first three seasons?
Sofia: I really loved when she was Babette because she got to have her little French accent. I freaked out at first because I'm not an accent girl. My sister is, though, so I pulled her aside and was like, "We are about to practice every single day until I have to film this." My second answer would have to be the characters I get to play in the new season. I can't say what those characters are, but Gina gets to be more than one, which was really interesting. Everyday, I got to be a new character. I wasn't Gina all the time.

GL: Guess we'll have to tune in to see... 👀

Stream all episodes of season four HERE!

Header image via @sofiawylie
Slider image via @highschoolmusicalseries

by Lena Genovese | 8/9/2023