This summer, my daughter Emily spent a week at Camp Jam. It was modeled after the ridiculously successful Camp Rock movie. She got on stage and rocked out to The White Stripes. It was a life highlight for, certainly.
And even though the Martells have seen the Camp Rock movie at least 487 times, it only then hit WHY this movie was so successful (Jonas brothers aside, obviously). It’s a dream come true for kids. How many kids wish they could be rock stars? UM, all of them.
So, you know, imagine how it must be for those kids who got to be in the actual movie…the actors and actresses the singers and the dancers who were a part of Camp Rock. Well, I got to find out last week when I got to sit down and chat with Canada’s own Jasmine Richards, who plays Peggy in the original and in the soon-to-be-released Camp Rock 2.
(image from AstralMedia)
I got straight down to business because I the fans want to know what to expect in the sequel.
Jasmine tells me, “Camp Rock 2 is very much A MUSICAL. There’s lots of dancing and there are really good songs that I know everyone I know will love and be able to rock out to.” She also says that this time around there are actually two camps; rivals. So, it’s Camp Rock vs. Camp Star, and Tess strays away from Camp Rock and heads over to Camp Star and, you know, you throw the Jonas Brothers in there and, well, there are bound to be some shenanigans.
I had to ask Jasmine if she ever went a little fangirl on the brothers, and she was honest and said that when they made the first movie, the Jonas last name was not one she had ever heard of in Canada, and so, obviously, no fangirling and also, she had no idea that the movie was going to be SO HUGE.
When Jasmine told me that they waited about two years before coming back to film the second movie, I wanted to know how that worked. I mean, I know that actors are ridiculously busy, especially young stars. They are all off working on other projects, but Jasmine assured me that they all kept in touch and say each other when they could. She even told me that
Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, who plays Ella in Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2, is one of her very best friends and that they talk almost every single day.
And speaking of busy, Jasmine Richards is one busy Canadian. When I asked what other projects she is currently working on, she said, “I’ve been spending some time in the studio recording some songs, writing, and fiddling with music. I am also filming and recording an animated TV series called Zoo. I get to play a superhero and my special power is getting to morph into different monsters. It has kind of a Pokemon meets Yu-Gi-Oh feel. It’s crazy different, but I am loving every single minute of it!”
So, clearly, she is a real Renaissance woman. When I asked it she was more passionate about music or acting, she said that her first aim in life was to become a singer, but she LOVES acting too.
“I don’t think I could pick which one I’d rather do,” she said.
“Which sort of makes Camp Rock a perfect choice for you,” I said.
“YES. It’s perfect. I get to act and sing and dance. It’s all awesome.”
Well, she is most certainly right about that. It IS all awesome.
Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam will make its Canadian television premiere on Astral
Media’s Family Channel on Friday, September 3 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.
🙂