Hello and welcome to Big Gay Energy.
I'm Caitlin. And I'm Fiora.
Come along with us while we dive into the fun and nuances of
queer media. Representation matters, and
we're. Here to talk about it.
Cheers, queers. We are back with another super
fun interview. Today.
We are talking to the wonderful Ilana Wolfhart.
Alana was a writer and story editor on High School Musical,
The Musical, The series. She also wrote the new movie
Anyone But You? In theaters now?
Thank you so much for talking to us today, Alana.
Oh. My God, thanks for having me.
It's so exciting. We are so excited.
High School Musical the musical series is like Caitlin's number
one show at the moment, so this was an honor to be able to talk
to you. Love that.
I love that. It's like.
It feels like it was my like. I mean it was my first writers
room job ever. So it's it's very special to me.
I like love that you guys are watching it.
OK. So I'm glad that you segwayed us
into our first question really nicely.
So how did you get started in writing in the entertainment
industry, and how did you end up working on High School Musical
the Musical, the series? Yeah, so basically I moved out
to LA after I graduated college. I graduated College in 2015 and
like, which, which, like, I'm old now, which is scary, But
graduated college and then moved out to LA and worked a bunch of
assistant jobs. And the last assistant job I had
was I worked for Rachel Bloomberg's girlfriend, which
was like just the greatest thing ever.
It was the best job ever. And I that was sort of the job
where I was like, OK, I think I had been trying to write things
and I was sort of like, OK, I think I know the things I want
to write. I think I know what my voice is.
I think I feel surrounded by people who if I showed them my
writing, they would be encouraging and helpful and and
not negative. And you know, tell me that I
couldn't do it, which I had experienced in the past.
So I was just like, OK, I feel like this is such a good
environment and I'm going to figure out the things that I
want to say and it was just like the best sort of incubator for
for learning and for talent. And I worked on, worked on the
show for Rachel for about a year and a half.
And during that time sort of towards the end of the show
filming, I had written basically like a, we call it like a spec.
But it was like, like a original pilot that I had written that I
was going to, you know, use as my sample to try to get people
to know me, get people to hire me, get people to meet with me,
etcetera. And I had a friend who was like,
you know, on her way up to being an agent.
And she read it and some and ended up sending it to someone,
which spiraled just like a whole slew of meetings for me.
Which is really exciting because, you know, I was 25 and
now I was getting meetings as a writer.
No one had taken me seriously as a writer at this point.
It was very, very cool and exciting.
And then ended up selling that script as a pilot to The CW in
2019. And almost right after that,
that pilot helps me get staffed on High School Musical.
It was sent to Disney. And when the show got picked up
for Season 2, it had gone to Tim, our showrunner, and to and
to Disney. And they read it and brought me
in for a meeting. And then I got hired, which is
just incredible and so exciting. And as as soon as I went into
the meeting and I left, I was like, oh, this feels like I I
really feel like this is going to happen.
And if it doesn't, I'm going to be pissed.
But I like have that feeling that it's going to happen.
That's. Amazing.
And then they are so lucky to have you on their writings.
I miss it. I mean, we're done.
We've been done for like a year now.
And you know, season four came out in August over the summer,
but the actors were on strike. The writers were on strike.
It was such a weird time. We didn't get to have, you know,
a little premiere party and and we knew it was the end of the
series, so we didn't really get to celebrate.
It was just so such a weird time for it to come out.
But so proud of the series generally and just, you know,
happy that we got to sort of end on their own terms, which is
really special. You mentioned the pilot that you
sold to CW. Is there anything going on with
that? No, it's dead.
I was wondering if I was just trying to look it up.
Yeah. And so there's there's an
article about it when I sold, when I sold it about a year
after I sold it, actually they like released an article being
like this was sold and I was like it was it.
It's so and I've sold a few pilots now along the way in my
career and all of them are are dead and you know what's dead
will never die. Like, I still have people, you
know, years later who are like, whatever happened with that one
pilot? Like, can I see it?
Maybe we want to buy it and and see if we can develop it.
And then I send and then they're like, oh, yeah, just kidding.
We don't want to do it anyway. So it's like, it's truly like
you always get your hopes up and then and then they're dashed.
But with this one at The CW was, it was really lovely because I
got to develop it with with Rachel and with another
producer. But working with Rachel in that
capacity was so fun and special. And she's, you know, we still
work together. She's one of my closest friends
and we still love collaborating. And so it was, it was nice to
sort of have that transition of like, you know, I was working
for you and I technically was still working for her for like a
little bit of the process. But now I'm also like a writer
and, you know, a person in my own right that's not just
assistant. Yeah, that's awesome.
It's a rough industry. Yeah, it really is.
But I'm I'm lucky, I've had, I've had some good wins, so I
can't complain, but it's always hard.
I noticed that you have a couple of different credits, including
Story editor and Executive story editor for High School Musical,
The Musical, the series. Can you just talk a little bit
about like what these different titles mean and?
Like role, Yeah, It's so funny because I feel like this is the
one thing that when I explain to people outside of the industry,
it like doesn't make any sense. They're like, why do you have
these titles? You just do the same thing.
And the answer is yes, basically.
So when you first are hired in a writer's room as a writer,
you're hired as a staff writer. That's like the lowest level
writer you can be. And if you continue to move up
the ranks, if you continue to do well, like sometimes they have
you repeat staff writer. If there's weird budget stuff or
there's weird other stuff, I don't know.
But usually you move up the ranks every year if you're on
the same show. And hopefully when you go to
different, when you go to different shows, you start on
another show, they promote you accordingly.
But basically you start at staff writer and then you get promoted
to story editor, and then you get promoted to executive story
editor, and then you are Co producer and then you're
producer. And that's once you get to
producer, that's when things kind of change because you have
a producer credit. And so you can take on more
work, you can you can take on more work on set, You're sort of
a little bit more not like more essential, but like can take on
some bigger, more responsibilities I suppose.
Then when you're lower level, and when you're low, like lower
ranks just 'cause you have more experience, presumably.
But none of those titles really mean anything.
They're all like you're you're a writer in the room.
Like, I did the same things when I was a staff writer to when I
was an executive story editor, Like I was a writer in the room.
It just, it just changed. It changed my pay a little bit
and it changed, I suppose, like my ranking.
Like, it's very hard to get hired as a staff writer these
days because there's so many writers trying to break in,
which is such a huge problem in the industry.
But now I'm at producer level and being an upper level writer,
so to speak, it's much easier to get hired for jobs because
people are always looking for upper level writers, especially
upper level female writers, female identifying writers
because it is so hard to rise up the ranks.
And once you get, once you get to that level, it's like, oh,
people really need someone with experience that you know has a
specific identity sometimes and and it's easier.
So now I'm a producer, but I did start at staffing.
That makes sense, yeah. Look at you growing.
I'm trying. I know it's quite a journey in a
short period of time. Yeah, it is.
Well, now I'm on the new show, which is exciting and I can't
really, I can't talk about yet because it's not it's not
announced, but it's a new show. Also teams also lots of music.
So I'm really excited about it. I feel like a sort of it's it's
like a little bit like graduation because it's not,
it's not Disney anymore, but it's still sort of the things
that I love, which are young people singing and being
emotional about music, is it? Queer at all.
What? Is it queer at?
All a little bit. A little bit.
Not as much as I would like. I'm definitely in the gay agenda
a little bit. Thank you.
What if these people were gay? And it's like, well, well, I
don't know that they're going to be And I'm like, but just like,
let's just what if they were? Which is so funny because the
first season I was on High School Musical, one of my best
friends, Natalia, was that person.
And they were always like, well, what if this person was gay?
What if this person was gay And I was just like, Natalia, you
can't make everyone gay? And then, like, I came out after
that season and I was like, oh, shit, like I'm pretty gay.
And they were like, knew it. And I it works when you tell
people they're gay, they have to listen.
So. I was pretty convinced by the
end of that show that every character was a little queer so.
Yeah, good job. But also cause of the it's, you
know, it all gets influenced by the actors too and it's like you
you, it all starts bleeding in together.
You know, like my own life was bleeding into the show.
Everyone was sort of bleeding into the show.
So it was just like, yeah, we're all gay, everyone's going to be
gay. It's going to be great.
I love it. Oh my gosh.
But. Speaking of High School Musical,
the vehicle, the series, what was your writing process for
that show? Like, did the writers kind of
get a say in each episode or was there like kind of like a lead
that like took charge? Like how did that kind of work?
So, really, so really tips with Tim, our showrunner.
So I came on Season 2 and when I came on Season 2, it was the end
of 2019, a blessed time when we did not know what horrors we had
ahead of us. So it was my first writers room.
I was going into the office every day.
It was so exciting. And we would sit in a room and
we would, we would talk like we sort of had every episode on the
board and all the characters pictures up above the board and
we would sort of plot out the season.
And in in season 2 we had 12 episodes.
So we had a lot more than than usual in three and four.
We had eight each. So it was a much shorter season
and we actually did seasons three and four on Zoom, which
you know, did make it a little bit easier.
We had a slightly smaller writers room and we did
everything on like a online program where we plotted things
out. So it was a bit easier.
And just, you know, in terms of, I think if we had done 12
episodes on Zoom, it would have been a little bit harder just
generally. But we did 12 episodes, Season
2, and yeah, Tim would sort of read the discussion and we
would, we would spend time sometimes talking about like
characters and you know, getting to know the characters and
breaking out their stories. Sometimes it would be a specific
episode. Sometimes we'd be talking about
the musical and what what everyone's parts were, how all
of that was, what was that going to mean for them?
Some days we would talk about music specifically and like what
what songs from the shows that we wanted, what songs from
either OG High School Musical, what songs from, you know, Camp
Rock in Season 3 or what original songs, anything.
And you know, it's Season 2. In my episodes, specifically,
the first one I ever wrote for TV, it was like, OK, we know
Olivia's gonna write a song here and she's gonna sing something
here. So let's just write like a bunch
of buzzwords and let's write up a document so that she knows
sort of what to write for this placeholder that we have.
And let's, like, work on that today.
So every day was different. So much fun.
And with Tim, you know, our showrunner was really the one
who who led every day, who decided what we were doing.
And occasionally we would break out into different rooms and
other writers would have, you know, take charge over breaking
an episode or breaking a character's story.
But yeah, every day, every day was different.
That sounds like a lot of fun. It does.
Were there particular moments or scenes that presented like were
challenging to write and any that gave you like an
opportunity to play around? Oh wow.
I'm trying to think. I mean, I I suppose like, I
know, you know we break out the episodes and before I go off the
script for any episode that I'm writing as a group, we have
decided what the stories are going to be.
We've just, we've worked on the outline.
We know every beat. Like I'm not going off and just
like coming up with ideas blunt. It's all very planned.
And if I turned in something that no one, you know, if we had
had a whole outline about like auditions and I turned in all
like an episode that was about like a spaceship, everyone would
be like, what are you doing? Like it's a big sense and now
it's more work for us. But I would say, you know, by
season three, we'd already done two kind of auditions episodes
and we were at summer camp now and I was tasked with writing.
I was tasked with writing the audition episode in season
three. And I was sort of like, I don't
know how to do this in a different way that feels
different than everything we've done.
Because sorry again about the dog.
He always like, finds a squeaky toy whenever I'm on see.
Of course, really good. But yeah, So I think, I think
that was a little bit difficult because we had talked about sort
of what that process could look like.
We wanted to make sure that it didn't feel tired or that like
enough people had had stories and enough to do and and I'm
really proud of that episode. I think, I think it went like
pretty well. And it was so fun to do it in a
summer camp setting where there was like all this new stuff.
And there's a very meta joke at the beginning of my episode in
season three about the the documentary that they're doing
about calling it like it's it's something like Frozen musical,
the documentary or something very meta that we were sure that
Disney would tell us to take out because it was too referential.
And they were like, we think this is so funny, you can keep
it in. And I was like, that's a one for
me. It's because you said Disney
pluses. Yeah.
The musical, the documentary. Why I remember that all these
lines I don't know. So true.
They were like, OK, if you're if you're plugging us, then not
good. But yeah, it was just, it was
funny. There was a lot of stuff that I
slipped into that episode too, that I so thought would get
flagged or thought like, but they let us be a lot more daring
when we got towards when we were like in season three.
And you know, whatever. There's a lot more like, a lot
more not like, I guess suggestive jokes maybe.
And season three just gets so gay.
And so I'm really proud of, proud of a lot of that work.
So yeah. Always fan of more gay?
Yeah. Yeah, but I agree we had a whole
discussion about we we've discussed all the all the
seasons and I I feel like season three really became it's own
thing. So it's nice to hear you say
that it's kind of confirmation that like you guys you had more
freedom in season three to. Come I.
So whether we knew it or not, I think we're just trying things
and seeing if they were going to go through.
Because even though Christian's girlfriend, like we would have
standards and practices flag things all the time for us.
Certain things you can't say and you know all that.
So it was fun season. Season three was a lot of fun
and and going to camp and filming in LA was so much fun
too. So that was really special.
Caitlin, I'm gonna jump a question cause the segway's
really good. Did your experience at camp
influence the way you wrote your episode in season three?
Since we're on season three in the camp, I'm just curious.
My experience at my own summer camp, Yes.
Yeah. Oh, absolutely.
Like I had a very specific camp nickname and we brought that
into the show and I you know what else, what else happened?
Just like specific traditions, the camp outs, all this like
specific story is the way that people get closer, interact.
I also have like a very tragic camp musical story where I was
in, I was in Oliver. I mean this doesn't happen to
the show but I feel like this experience just informed
everything. But I was, we did all of our my
all girls summer camp when I was 13 and I was cast as the Rose
seller, which is like the person who opened to will buy.
They go like if you know Oliver, it's like who will buy my sweet
red roses? Like they start the song, it's
very excited. And then halfway through the
summer, the theater director decided that I couldn't do it.
And so he demoted me and he switched my part with my
friends. And so I had to be the knife
seller for the knife grinder. I'm sorry.
So instead of singing like who will buy my sweet red roses?
And opening the song, I had to just go every like 4 lines.
I just had to say like knives, knives to grind, like flat
tones. And I was so devastated.
And I had like already written my friends and family about how
I got this like great part. And it was like a turning point
in my acting career. And then I had to be a knife
grinder. I was so upset.
I think you posted that on Instagram.
I did, yeah. I I so, so Rachel Bloom did a
show back in 2019 called Theatre Kid Redemption Day.
And it was basically like people came up and told they're like
sad theatre kids stories or triumphant theatre kids stories
and you know, got some sort of redemption on stage.
And I don't, I'm not a performer and I don't really do that.
But I was like, I will go up and I will tell my Rose seller story
and I will get redemption. I will sing the Knife Grinder
part like the way that I wish I'd sing it when I was 13.
And so. So I did that and I had so much
fun. And it's so funny because a
friend of mine who ended up writing on High School Musical
was at that show. And this was before I was hired
on the show. And she saw that performance and
she was like, that seems like someone I'll be friends with.
And then I ended up in, We ended up in the room together And now
she's one of my closest friends. And she was like, I was right,
like, that's good. Yeah.
That's cool. I feel like everyone has.
A sad theater story, of course. Yeah.
And also like, yeah, I mean, I I, you know, I was never, I was
never the lead or anything. Like, I wasn't I wasn't getting
demoted in that way. But I just really felt like I
was on the up and up and my dreams were dashed.
Who, if I had saved the Rose Seller, who, you know, my career
could be so different, I could, you know, maybe I would be on my
way. Who knows?
It's just that one little thing, yeah.
Butterfly fact. Yeah.
Were there? Nope.
I already asked that one. Is there anything you really
wanted to happen in the show but it didn't make it in?
Well, I and I know Tim's talked about this too, but the end of
season 2 was originally so different and we changed it all
because of COVID because it was just so, so tough to film and I
wasn't on set for any of this, but basically.
The end of Season 2 was going to be a huge Nankee Award episode,
kind of like the Jimmy Awards. It was going to be this, you
know, they were all at this big Convention Center with this huge
stage, and everyone was going to be running around and there was
going to be all this stuff like someone was going to get locked
in the closet and not be able to perform.
And there was going to be, there were all these stories and stuff
that we had. And then basically.
Who's stuck in the closet? Like, what needs to come out?
I think me was going to get stuck in the closet.
Like I for I totally forgot why. Like it was just she was just
going to get like stuck and couldn't perform.
But basically and then like Ashlyn was going to win a monkey
for being Bell and it was going to be this whole child.
But basically, I know. And we the whole episode was
written and everything too. And basically, like, I mean the
end of Season 2 was really tough.
Like, I know, like Josh has talked about this like he got
really sick. Like every people were getting
COVID. They kept having to shut down.
And Tim basically made the executive decision of like this
is how I wanted to end the season but I need to get
everyone out of here. So we're just gonna, we're just
gonna do whatever we can do. That's the easiest thing to
shoot around. And I like, so I I so understand
and respect that decision because he did what was best for
everyone's mental health and everyone's physical health for
that matter. And you know, obviously, like,
he misses that we all missed that episode.
Like maybe one day we'll like, you know, we'll shoot it and get
back together. But at that time it was so not
peaceful to shoot. It would have cost so much
money. It would have been so many
extras. Like we had all this stuff that
so in a perfect world we would have seen that finale and and I
was so excited about that. But a it wasn't the time,
unfortunately. So yeah.
Darn, I shouldn't really deserve that monkey.
Right. She's not burning the.
Results in a pizza oven work too.
Yeah, And then that joke came back too.
Like it's, you know, it's still worked.
It's still funny and I, you know, I still, but we all, we
all know that A little error came out of that season at the
end and it makes us sad that we could have done it the way we
wanted. But you know, who could have
thought of a global pandemic? Right.
Unprecedented times. And you guys, you know, you made
it work. So that that is a feat in and of
itself. Yeah, and I'm trying to think if
there's anything else, but I know that's the main one that
that we wished could have happened.
Yeah, that's totally understandable.
But so Speaking of like writing for the show, were there any
characters you like found that when you were writing for them,
you connected very easily to them?
Or characters that you found really challenging to kind of
connect with when you were writing.
I I really found I love writing for EJI thought writing for EJ
was so much fun. I mean, I just, I I feel like I
really love jokes from him in season three.
And I yeah, I I loved, I loved EJ.
There were you know we all had our own alliances to romances
and stuff in the in the writers room which was fun.
But I did, I did love writing for him and I I loved writing
for Ashlynn. That's the obvious answer.
But that was that was the one that came the easiest to be and
I was usually tasked with tasked and also chose to work a lot on
her stories and even from the beginning was always the
character I connected with the most.
I think like I watched before my interview for the show.
I watched two episodes, I watched the pilot and I watched
Homecoming, and I don't even think they said Ashland's name
in either of the episodes. And when they asked me like who
my favorite character was, I was like, who's the girl playing
Miss Jarvis? I don't know her name and but
she's my neighbor and I love her.
And they were like, oh, Ashlyn. I was like, yeah, I'm so sorry.
Like I did watch them twice. Like, I am not just being
ignorant. Like, I'm pretty sure we haven't
said her name yet. Just 'cause I missed it in the,
you know, other four episodes, so.
Yeah, we we definitely needed more of her in season one, but
we we got there. Yeah, well, I wasn't there, so
that's why. Yeah, it's.
Like a lot of wasn't there, so we don't have enough Ashlyn.
Yeah. I I just have a big question.
Yeah. Why was?
Big Red shipped off to Cairo. It's so funny that he was we
wanted to we we really wanted to foster Ashlyn and Attic's
storyline. And that was something I I took
really seriously. And I I really was like, you
know the biggest advocate for it, obviously.
And we didn't want Big Red to leave, but it was kind of for
for story purposes, for character purposes.
We sort of needed him to go somewhere.
But it's so funny because because the actor had that same
question for me. Like when he came into town, we
were like all at dinner and he was like, so why am I in Egypt?
And I was like, I can't tell you why it's Egypt, but I could tell
you like from a character perspective, why you had to
leave for a little bit. It's just like the place it's
so. Random, I think I like for some,
I think Tim found it so funny and it is, it is funny that it's
Egypt for some reason. But I think I changed it once in
a script. He just changed it right back.
He was like, you know, I think I changed it to Italy because I
was like, he works in a pizza restaurant and I was like.
Oh, he would love to be in Italy.
No, he has to. You go to Egypt.
Egypt, OK. So honey, that is not the big
question I thought you were going to ask me, but it's so
funny that it was. What question did you think I
was going to ask? Oh.
OK, wait, I might have a big question.
What's? Possibly.
You could be the judge, OK? If there was a season five, what
would you want to happen? Oh my gosh.
I mean, I have thought about this.
What would I want to have it? I mean I would want everyone to
have their like their senior year kind of vibe.
I'm trying to think I mean there's so many musicals I wish
we could do that would be so much fun but but there were so
many reasons like that we couldn't do musicals or you know
it was always it was always going to have to be like we we
can't get licensing for like so many things basically it's not
just so it's it's hard it limits you I guess in the next season.
You know I I really I was always a really big Ricky and Mimi like
defender. I really, really wanted them to
have to have their like to have something to sort of like
resolve basically to have a moment to resolve and and I and
I did. The moment where Mimi gives
Ricky the lottery ticket is something that I wrote that I
was like really like passionate about.
I was like they need some sort of ending if if she's leaving,
like if she's gone we have to sort of know that she hasn't
stopped caring about him, that the relationship still meant
something to her. She knew about the list, you
know, whatever. So that was that was important
to me. So I would have wanted some of
that. I would have wanted like a big
fun show. I would have wanted to switch up
to switch up the leads a little bit.
I would have wanted to see you know some some more people get
get the lead. Like we all, you know, we have
that joke of Ricky always getting the lead and like I want
to not get the lead and I yeah, that.
Was my version of. Season 5 as well.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And instead, like, I don't know,
Jet. Like Jet gets it or or someone
else. And I don't know.
So more Jetta Maddox. Like, I really, really loved
those characters. Those were really fun additions
to season three and I just was, I was so happy to have them come
back for season four. I thought that was really
important and I love and I love Miss Jen and I was always
pushing Miss Jen and Miss Zara. I love.
I love that relationship and and you know I know I know lots of
fans love Gina and Ricky but I would I would like to see them
like I would like to see them go through it a little bit and you
know figure out figure out what like the the future holds for
them. But also you know we sort of
presented another love interest for Gina in season four.
I would have loved to see maybe another love interest for
working in Season 5 and and how that, you know, effects them.
And I'm trying to think I sort of like turned my brain off
after after we finished. I was like, I don't want to
like, get upset that we can't do anything else and you know, but
yeah. My version was that they did the
prom and miss Jen makes Maddox audition too, and so then it's
Ashlyn and Maddox as the leads. Oh, that'd be so good.
They'd be so good in that song. The problem would be the problem
would be a really fun one. Especially like, I really, you
know, I I really wanted to do a senior prom.
And it's just like we don't have time for it.
Like we got to do our Halloween episode.
We were so happy to do that. That's such a great episode.
Yeah, but but prom and doing the prom, I mean, good idea, we'll
call it. Please.
Oh OK, so this is a not about the show.
I like to do a lot of research for interviews.
Uh huh. OK.
So that's what I'm going to preface this with.
I saw an article that you wrote where you talk about being
obsessed with Googling your name.
Yeah. So given the amusing experiences
you shared in the article and discovering your name Twin, I'm
curious, do you still find yourself Googling your name?
I do, but now it's like it's for different reasons because I'm
trying to look up something about the movie and that I
wrote. So it's like, I'm like, did
anyone make me a Wikipedia page? And so I'll Google by anyone see
if anything happens, but but also to I.
Actually looked into it. Thank you, I don't know how to
do it so I need. Someone you're not allowed to
write your own. Someone else has to do it and I
was like I don't think I you know could could get someone to
do it. I so I've and I've looked it up
too just cause like press has been coming out about the the
movie that I wrote and so I've been looking to see like if my
name comes up and stuff. So I just so I'll search it
sometimes. But I'm very pleased to note
that enough stuff has happened to me that I've sort of pushed
the other a lot of Wolbert, who's never fired.
So she's really losing. I've pushed her down in the
Google search. So I've been very, very proud of
myself that it's. Mostly.
You, Yeah. Thank you.
I I wanted to just talk about that because like, I used to do
that when I was younger too. And like, I'm the one who
introduced my friends and I'm like, let's look up your name.
And like my name was just like I never came up.
Now there is stuff but. Yeah, well, my friends had
really like had a lot more comedy.
And so because we were, you know, Jewish girls growing up in
South Florida and we all like, you know, my, my one of my best
friends was Caroline Epstein. And there's like a million of
them, You know, like she just, she had, she had no, we hadn't
done anything yet. So it's just like there was
nothing, nothing there. But yeah, that was, that was a
fun one to write. I wrote that for my very dear
friend Amy Solomon edited and put together this book called
Notes From the Bathroom Line. And I wrote that for the book
and then, hey, Alma like excerpted it to sort of preface
the the book coming out, which was really cool, nice.
But also I did, I did get like a hate tweet from someone who I
guess knew the other woman and was like was like, do you know
how disrespectful this is? Like, do you understand, like,
how hard this woman has worked and like how you like, demean
her to her looks? And I was like, no, it's like
I'm making fun of myself that that's what I was talking about.
I would never, like, criticize someone for their look.
Like I was just like, I'm not going to go into it with this
woman. But it was very sad.
Yeah, I get that. Yeah, yeah, I just.
I just like once I read that, I was like, I relate to her
because I just because you were talking about like figuring out
who these people were and learning about that.
And I love learning about people and seeing how much I can find
on the Internet. The Internet would be a scary
place. I love to research.
I love to do that. All right, so we've had a secret
guest on the podcast this whole time, and for those who are
listening on the audio, you cannot see, but it's your dog
who's. Being very cute on the couch.
And we we are huge animal lovers, particularly dogs.
So can you tell us a little bit about about Ella, our secret
guest? This is Ella.
She's so sweet. She's asleep right now.
She is. I got her summer of 2020.
I'm still living with roommates. They were very inclined to
accept me deciding to become a dog owner into their midst and
we all sort of like very full housewives.
Co parented her together for a little and until we all, you
know, moved out last year and she is 1/2 boxer, half many
different shepherd mix. She's very sweet.
Her name is Ella Fitzgerald. That is the name that the rescue
gave her and I kept it because she's so sweet.
I also if have a portrait of her behind me but I was just given
by the friend's mom which is very sweet so but she's just the
best and she's like it's so important to have the art of
your dogs like it really is so but she's just the sweetest and
like she's such a good litmus test of people.
Like she's very she does not like strangers coming in and
she's very like I was was dating someone a while back and she
came into the house and Ella just and I mean this was like a
lovely person like there is nothing wrong with this person.
We are still in touch. She's perfectly lovely.
Ella was like, so protective, did not stop barking at her the
entire time she was over. And then basically, like, we sat
down on the couch and Ella sat between US and just growled at
this girl literally for like 30 minutes until she's like, I
think they should just go. And I was like, I guess so like,
this isn't going to work, apparently.
And that was our last date. I was.
Like this is not going to work now.
Yeah, Ella knew something I didn't.
And she was right, unfortunately.
Like, it wasn't the person for me.
But she was just like, yeah, she just knew.
No. Intuitive.
I really wouldn't hook Ella. Ella looks so cute.
Yeah, she's a really good girl. She's just asleep right now.
She was barking at people going by earlier and then she was
quiet and she she passed out. What else is there to do?
You have to bark at everybody that goes by.
That is her life. She loved that.
OK, so I found something else on the Internet.
I found something from 2008. And I absolutely loved it.
Oh, I go. I tried to find.
A. What did you find for 2000?
8 So you were part of the first generation to start Project 1841
that helps raise funds and collects donations for starter
kits for teens aging out of the foster system.
Project 1841 is now in its sixth generation.
How does it feel to have been part of creating such a lasting
impact in your childhood community?
It's amazing. I can't believe we're on 6
generations. That makes me feel so old.
But it was like such a special thing to be part of.
I mean, my I, it was like, you know, for four years.
Like a huge, huge, huge part of my life And I and just like,
really glad that it's still continued.
And I, you know, my mom is still a little bit involved in it,
'cause she still lives in the community and she's still in
touch with people that we worked with it at child that which is
the, you know, foster care system in Broward County.
And my, my aunt and uncle are foster parents and they're very
involved with the foster community in South Florida.
So I feel very good that, like my family is still is still part
of it even when I can't be. But I'm so proud that that
started. I'm very like touched that you
found that that was that was really special, special thing
and also really dates me. But I, you know, did something
sort of impactful in 2008. I felt ancient.
You were. In high school.
I was in high school. Yeah, it's it's really just
because like, my girlfriend was born in 2000.
And so when when you do the math, sometimes it's really hard
for me to like we watched Twilight recently and she goes,
oh, I was 8 when this came out. And I was like, oh, I can't.
I went to see it and my friend drove me because we were in high
school. I'm gonna just like, take a gun
to my head at this point. Like this is I can't hear it.
I do that on the podcast all the time because the largest age gap
is 14 and then theor and I have a nine year age gap.
So with especially with technology now things are so
different even from a few years. So yeah.
Yeah, it's it's fun making people feel old it.
It really, it really dates things when you think about it,
but yeah. All right, I promise this
question will not age anyone in any way, shape or form.
I'll just. Everyone will relate to this.
OK, so as a swifty myself, I found out that you are as well.
So yes, I just. I want to know, do you have a
favorite era in honor? The era's tour.
Wow. I mean, yes and no.
I think it it keeps changing, but I mean I've just, you know,
I went to the Speak Now tour. I like have I really, I've been
there since the beginning. But I, you know, I love
reputation and the reputation era at the tour is so good and
so special that it really just renewed my love for reputation.
But I went through a really big, like reputation renewal phase in
2020 where all I did was listen to reputation.
Like it was like reputation folklore evermore like just
truly on repeat. And I thought that was my vibe.
But but yeah, I love reputation and I love, I really love
folklore and evermore like those, those are just really
special to me. And yeah, so I guess that's,
that's my answer. That's a good answer.
You'll you'll go through another reputation like love era.
I sure. I'm sure when she rereleases.
I love horror coming. Yeah, 'cause, like, I, I every
time she releases like a Taylor's version, I always like,
you know, get back into the album.
It's so it's fun to be able to do it, yeah.
Yeah, I agree. Fiora's been working on turning
me into a Swifty because like I knew the some of the music, but
not Fiora level. Like we have a whole episode
that's like not even the main episode that we're going to be
filming about queer themes in her music.
But I got to see the movie with Fiore and it was really cute
seeing Fiore watch it. But it was also really good,
like that concert. I I'm jealous.
You got to see it in person. It was really, it was so cool.
And it was really like one of those three things were like I I
got two tickets like at normal price and I was like, how did I?
And we were so close. I was like, how did I do that?
Like that was amazing, but it was so it was so much fun.
And like, you know, my girlfriend is not a Swifty and
she really studied up before the concert in a way that I
appreciate it. And I got her really into Taylor
during midnight when the nights came out.
So that was that was special. That's good.
That's when you know it's it's true love when they work.
For something that you that she had like a playlist and she's
listening like she knew all the words like more than I did
because she like literally studied.
She took it so seriously. I was like, oh God, I'm
thinking, oh, appreciate that. I love that.
OK, You also have a new movie that you wrote that is currently
in theaters called Anyone But You.
Can you tell us a little bit about that project and how it
came to be? Oh my God, it's.
I still can't believe that we're we're at that point where it's
like a movie in theaters, so exciting.
But basically this one also originated a really long time
ago. It was in 2019.
I had a meeting with some. We were both assistants at the
time and it was like sort of a general meeting and we were
talking about ROM coms and really hit it off.
We had like sort of a three hour meeting and I was like, I've
always seen, you know, I studied Shakespeare and stuff in
college. It was very, very deep into
theater in college and studying like different practices.
And I was an English major, so a lot of my English major stuff
was Shakespeare based. I took a lot of, like, you know,
Elizabethan era literature type classes and I took a lot of
British novel classes. And that was sort of my focus.
And so I had I said to this person in the meeting, like,
I've always seen Much Ado About Nothing as like the perfect
modernized, like ROM com in the same way that She's the man as a
wonderful modernized movie based on 12th night and 10 Things I
Hate About You is Hitting Up the Shrew.
I was like, no one's done Much Ado About Nothing.
It's the best comedy and it's so much fun and it's so farcical
and it's so like, you know, enemies to lovers.
These two people who hate each other.
They have the best banter. Like, it's always seemed to me
like the perfect romantic comedy.
And she was like, oh, my God, I've always thought that too.
That's my favorite play. You should write that.
And I'll like, produce it. And at the time, we were like,
and we'll sell it to the company that she was currently working
for. And she left that company.
She went to a couple different companies.
Meanwhile, I was still writing this, and she would like, read
it and give me notes. And it was very much sort of
like an insular process. I didn't even have, like, a
future agent at this point. And then in 2021, I did have an
agent and we decided to send it out to production companies.
This is like the long version. We got a, we got a production
company attached and they were really excited about it and they
were like we think we're we can make this like we could really
do this. And at the beginning of 2022, we
had, we had sort of, like loosely explored some actor
options and none of them felt right or no one was responding.
And it was like at the beginning of 2022, we were like, OK, let's
make a list of, like, people who we actually want to do this
movie and not just people we're going to because we feel like we
should. Or like, we feel like they might
want to do a ROM com. And because they've done some
before. And we made a list of, like,
people around the right age that we really wanted.
And Sydney Sweeney was the top of the list.
We were like, we want to see her do a ROM com.
She seems great. Let's try to get it to her.
And Sydney read the script in like 5 seconds after she got it
and she to her assistance credit who like read it first, so then
passed. It on and was like.
This is fun. Who's just the best?
And then we met with her on Zoo and she was like, I'm going to
do this. Like, I want to get this made.
I like, let's let's go like, let's do it.
And she was so excited about it and so enthusiastic and like,
had it not been for her, like, determination to get it done and
always having a place in her schedule for it, even though she
was like, crazy busy, we wouldn't have gotten made.
So, like, so grateful to her. And she produced it and she's
just like the fucking best. And then a little bit later and
they've talked about this, that Sydney and Glenn met at the MTV
Movie Awards and he presented her with an award.
And she called us later and she was like, well, what about Glenn
for the part for the male lead who, you know, we hadn't we
hadn't really found anyone who was right for it.
She's like, well, what about him?
And we were like, well, does he want to do a ROM com, like,
whatever. And she was like, it doesn't
matter, like he should. He's done them before.
He's amazing. I just seen, she just seen Top
Gun and she was like, let me like, you know, let me get on
zoom, let me pitch it to him, Let's send him the script, like
all that. And then he was in.
And then once he was in, things moved really fast because it was
like, OK, we know what this is. Here's this cast of these two
like incredible rising young star leads that are both
insanely hot and we got a director, we sold the movie.
All of a sudden we were in pre production and beginning of 2023
it was flying out to Australia to be on set, which is so crazy.
So that is that is the long version of how it how it got
made which is like you know just truly due to people really not
giving up on it and keeping keeping it you know top of their
priority list. And so, yeah, and now end of
2023, it's, it's coming out. That's so awesome.
Thank you for sharing the long version.
You just want to hear it all. I know it's it's a lot of like,
you know, obviously there's a lot of nuance in all of the
details, but ultimately like it it really when you have someone
who has that kind of star power. And I mean producers too.
Like, my producers were so amazing and they always, you
know, we're checking in and making sure we they were going
out to the right talent. And, you know, they were just,
they were on it. And when you have people that,
like, really care about something and also like, I, I,
you know, don't diminish the power of ROM coms, it's really
special. And I'm like so glad that I had
a group of people who cared about it so much in our cast,
too, you know, just. And the director, like everyone
who was involved, really took it seriously.
And it's like a fun silly movie. But that doesn't mean that those
movies don't deserve to be in theaters and we're having such
like a crisis of ROM com stop coming out in theaters anymore.
They're they're big like already pre established movie stars.
And I feel like Glenn and Sydney have have proven themselves to
be movie stars even if they haven't had those like big
studio opportunities. I mean Glenn has.
Glenn wasn't top of Maverick and Sydney's been in some some
wonderful movies but like yeah, it's just it's it's hard out
there. So I'm just so glad that it's
faded to this point because it's so hard to get a movie mate and
I never foresee foresaw it, you know, so.
And you also got to go to Australia for I Go.
To Australia I was. I was there for like a month
almost. So they were filming for like
they were there for like 4 months coming for a while.
I only went for like a little bit.
But yeah, it's really cool. Well, we wish you all the
success with this movie. We're excited to watch it.
May this revive the ROM com genre because.
We hope so. I really hope so.
All right. So that ends our question like
deep dive question kind of segment and to kind of wrap
things up, we're going to jump into like a kind of a rapid fire
quick couple of questions. We call this the would you
rather section. OK, Are you ready?
Yes, OK. The first. 1.
Ella wants to play. Ella was really excited.
About this. She was ready.
OK, so would you prefer to
create a storyline where the characters this is High School
Musical time travel, the characters time travel to the
original High School Musical era, or one where they imagine
themselves in a different fictional universe?
Oh my God, that's so hard. Just because, like, we always
joke about our characters going to euphoria and just like how
fun it should be is like, like Ashley gets wrapped up and like
doing drugs within day at like, I thought it would be so fucking
funny. But yeah, I think it's that.
I think it's that. Yeah, let's go do that.
That's amazing euphoria. I can't.
I OK. Sorry, that's so good.
Oh my gosh. And make it comedy be.
He like, he sees Jacob Alordi and realizes like he's no longer
the big man on campus. And they all audition for the
musical and Mod Apatow like just writes them.
Writes them all like terrible parts and she gets like the best
role. Like I'm just like if there's so
many ideas, I'm. So good.
OK. This next one is kind of our
signature for the podcast. Would you rather have to get the
sex talk from Miss Jen or Corbin Blue Miss Jen?
Good answer, yeah. OK, would you prefer to create a
subplot where the characters discover a magical karaoke
machine that makes them sing like chipmunks, or one where
they accidentally swap voices for a day?
Swap voices for a day, yeah. Would you rather have an actor
change a few of the lines you wrote and completely nail the
scene? Or say every word, everything
word from word, but have a lackluster delivery.
The first one, I always would rather have someone change
something and then it'd be it'd be great.
Like I, so not married to to anything I I write.
I know. Some people are like, don't
change my words. No, I so, I so prefer it when
you change stuff on set so frequently.
Like we'll be we'll watch rehearsal and then I'll be like
actually can you say it, can you say these these two things
instead of that one? Like for you were right.
Like, forget it so. Would you rather win first place
at a national spelling bee or win a national typing
competition, renewing your title as Keyboard Wizard?
Oh my God, I feel like I am more likely to win the typing
competition because I'm still very fast typist.
So I'll I'll take that, and I'll be a keyboard wizard.
So we'll we'll get better at spelling one day.
Yeah. Would you rather spend the
entire day with Shrek or have Thanksgiving dinner with Tom
Hanks? Oh my God, Tom Hanks.
Of course Shrek would just like, make me go for a mud bath, but
I'm like, I don't want to get dirty well.
Thank you. That concludes our would you
rather? Sexually, that's very funny.
Thank you. Oh well, thank you.
We've we've come to the end of the podcast.
Thank you for joining us. Before we officially sign off
and say goodbye to everybody, do you have any final words for our
listeners at home? Keep watching queer stuff.
The more you watch it, the more we get to make it.
And it's the, I mean the stupid algorithm.
It's like, but the more streams we get, the more the more those
companies are going to let us make stuff.
So just just keep watching things that have queer
representation. We get to keep making them and
cheer them on, that's all. Yeah, endorse that.
And if you keep watching, I get more money and my dog's food is
really expensive. So you stream Stream high
school. Musical Thank you so much Alana
for talking with us today and your wise wisdom at the end.
We really appreciate getting to know you better and getting
insight into your role in all of your projects.
To everyone listening at home, like Alana said, please stream
all Four Seasons of High School Musical The Musical the Series.
It's on Disney Plus and check out anyone but You in theaters
now. And also don't forget to follow
Alana on social media. And until next time, everyone
hydrate for lesbian Jesus. And gay?
It'll fall over the place. Bye.
And with that, we've been big
gay energy. If you like this episode, check
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Until next time, stay safe and hydrate for lesbian Jesus.