textField=While most 18-year-olds are only just starting to figure out what they want to do with the rest of their lives, Corbin Bleu is years ahead of them—16 years to be exact.
Most people immediately link Corbin’s name to High School Musical (and an awesome head of hair) but the young actor has already been around the Hollywood block more than once. The Brooklyn-born Corbin started his career when he was a toddler. While other kids his age were taking their first steps and learning their first words Corbin was already taking dance classes, starring in commercials, modeling and appearing in an off- Broadway play. When he was seven years old, his family packed up and moved to Los Angeles. Following in the footsteps of his father, actor David Reivers, Corbin racked up several TV gigs, including guest stints on ER, and his first recurring role on the short-lived ABC drama, High Incident. He also began training at the prestigious Debbie Allen Dance Academy.
In his freshman year of high school, Corbin landed a starring role in the Fox feature film Catch that Kid. A year later he was cast in the Discovery Kids Television series Flight 29 Down. Then, in 2005, he won the role of a lifetime as Chad in Disney’s phenomenon, High School Musical, which broke numerous records (7.7 million viewers tuned in to watch its debut!).
Corbin had recorded a song for inclusion in an episode of the Flight 29 Down series. Although he had always sung and played piano, performing the song for the show was his first time in a real recording studio. Based on that track he was signed to Hollywood Records.
This January, Corbin starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Jump In, Disney’s highest rated original movie ever bringing in 8.2 million viewers in its debut. He was asked to sing “Push It To The Limit”, the lead track from the movie’s soundtrack album.” Push It quickly became #1 on Radio Disney and entered Billboard’s Hot 100 chart at number #14.
Despite his busy acting schedule, Corbin found time to record his first solo album last fall. The album, Another Side, is an “R%26B pop album,” he explains, and will “show another side of me, singing in many genres.” He even co-wrote five of the songs—something he never imagined he could do. “I’ve always dabbled with songwriting on my piano, but I was never serious about it,” he says. “I am just so excited to be doing this—this will be the first time people will hear just my voice!”
And they will hear more of it! Corbin is currently recording for the much-anticipated High School Musical sequel. But he also has other plans as well: “I want to be on Broadway so bad,” he says, with a positive and enthusiastic energy that is contagious. “And I want to direct eventually.”
Corbin, who was just nominated for an NAACP Image award, credits his fun-loving and easygoing attitude to his family, who always keep him grounded. “I’ve always learned from my parents and my three sisters. My parents and I are really tight and that’s important,” he says. ”They still make me do chores and make sure I don’t get a big head!”
And just when you thought Corbin had exhausted all of his interests and many talents, he reveals that if he weren’t performing, he’d like to be a doctor! “I wanted to go to med school,” Corbin says. “I’ve always had an interest in science. Either way, even though acting is my first love, I am hoping to go to college at some point because it’s important. Maybe I’ll study psychology since all of my friends call me up for advice! I’m that guy,” he laughs, but not like he minds at all.
But from the looks of things, he wont’ have to have a career Plan B for a very long time.
Unfazed by the incredible pace of events in the past year Corbin says. “I’ve been working so hard for such a long time that now I’m trying to take this all in and just try to remember every moment. I just love what I do and I’m not in it for the fame. I just want to do my thing and send a positive message out there, especially to kids.”