SYDNEY, NSW - MAY 26: Actress Monique Coleman attends a photo call for "High School Musical" at the Quay Restaurant on May 26, 2006 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Patrick Riviere/Getty Images)
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">‘High School Musical’ Star Monique Coleman Says Her Character Wore Headbands Because The Crew Didn’t Know How To Style Black Hair</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It can’t be stressed enough&#8211;representation is so important, from the producers down to wardrobe when it comes to TV and film. “High School Musical” star Monique Coleman’s story is a prime example of that.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She recently revealed in an interview with<a href="https://www.insider.com/high-school-musical-monique-coleman-taylor-headbands-reason-interview-2021-1"> Insider</a> that she came up with the idea for her “High School Musical” character Taylor McKessie to wear a variety of headbands back in the 2006 movie because the styling crew didn’t know how to work with Black hair.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;We&#8217;ve grown a lot in this industry and we&#8217;ve grown a lot in representation and we&#8217;ve grown a lot in terms of understanding the needs of an African American actress,&#8221; Coleman, who is now 40, said in an interview for the movie’s 15th anniversary. &#8220;But the truth is, is that they had done my hair, and they had done it very poorly in the front,&#8221; she said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coleman said crew members didn’t have much time to fix her hair before filming began, so she suggested that they &#8220;incorporate headbands into her character&#8221; and &#8220;just make that a part of who she is.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coleman added that she and her castmates were &#8220;lucky&#8221; because Disney and the film&#8217;s wardrobe department were &#8220;very open to our feedback.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The look stayed with her character throughout the franchise as Taylor also went on to wear an assortment of headbands that perfectly coordinated with her outfits in the &#8220;High School Musical&#8221; sequels released in 2007 and 2008.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In addition to the headband suggestion, Coleman lent a creative hand in Taylor&#8217;s look for the final number of the first movie, &#8220;We&#8217;re All in This Together.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She said Taylor&#8217;s button-down shirt and pleated skirt were an homage to Britney Spears&#8217; 1998 music video for &#8220;Baby One More Time.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;I thought, &#8216;Oh, I think it would be really fun for Taylor to kind of have this sort of awakening moment,&#8221; Coleman said. &#8220;And I thought the tie was a really cute look.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;That was so, so long ago that the &#8216;One More Time&#8217; video was still relevant and I thought, &#8216;Huh, wouldn&#8217;t it be kind of cool if Taylor&#8217;s look had a nod to that in some way?&#8217;”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coleman definitely shared her appreciation for being part of the films, saying she was grateful for the opportunity to play Taylor and be a role model for fans who rarely saw themselves reflected on-screen.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;I&#8217;m really grateful to have been someone who was able to bring representation at a time where there wasn&#8217;t very much, and I&#8217;m so happy when I see this next generation of young artists and there just being so much more room for people of color,&#8221; Coleman said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She added her &#8220;High School Musical&#8221; part was special to her because Taylor wasn&#8217;t a stereotypical Black character.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;It means the world to me, particularly because Taylor is such a dynamic character and the smartest person at school and all of that at a time where, often, Black girl characters tended to be the ones who had an attitude or to be sassy,&#8221; she said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coleman added, &#8220;And I appreciated that that wasn&#8217;t why people loved Taylor. They loved her because she was smart and supportive. And it definitely means a lot to me for people to see her. There was Taylor before the Obamas were a thing. So we didn&#8217;t have people to look up to&#8230;So knowing that this generation got to look up to her really is special for me.&#8221;</span></p>
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