I absolutely adore the HSM franchise! It’s officially been 20 years since the first High School Musical movie landed on Disney Channel.

So let’s talk about some interesting knowledge linked to these epic movies that still hold a special place in the hearts of millennials everywhere.

Selena Gomez could have starred in High School Musical 3 as Sharpe’s rival, Tiara Gold, but she turned it down.

A lesser known actress named Jemma Mckenzie-Brown ended up snagging the part.

And when Selena was directly asked why she rejected it, she plainly said, “I passed on it because I didn’t want to do it. After Disney, I want to be taken seriously as an actress for many years.”

Selena was ready to distance herself from Disney Channel after Wizards of Waverly Place, so it makes sense that she didn’t want to have any ties to High School Musical.

Miley Cyrus, on the other hand, didn’t mind making a quick appearance in the High School Musical franchise though.

She had a brief cameo in High School Musical 2 as one of the party people enjoying the pool party at the end of the film.

She blended in with other backup dancers. Miley was at the height of her Disney Channel fame when she filmed that cameo in 2007, because season 2 of Hannah Montana was making waves at the time.