Mollee Gray – Double Daddy

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) I have the movie Double Daddy for Lifetime and Teen Beach Movie 2 for Disney. I’m fortunate to have both projects coming out within a couple weeks of each other. I’m really excited.

Q) Please tell us the premise for Double Daddy and about your character.

A) Double Daddy premieres this Saturday, June 6th on Lifetime. I play Amanda, the typical girl next door. She goes away to summer camp and returns to find her world turned upside down. Her boyfriend has cheated on her and gotten another girl pregnant. Then, she later finds out that she is pregnant. The other girl Heather (Brittany Curran) turns out to be crazy. She has a vendetta against Amanda and tries to do anything she can to knock her out of the equation with Connor (Cameron Palatas).

Q) What made you want to be a part of the film?

A) I’m getting a little bit older and have been with Disney since I was twelve years old, but now I feel like going after more mature roles. I was actually offered the part. I read the script and thought it was such a great way to kind of feed into a little bit more serious roles. It wasn’t derogatory or backlashing towards Disney Channel, as I’ve always been very loyal to them and they’ve been loyal to me. Just because it wasn’t too gruesome, but had that twisted mindset I thought it was perfect to go into adulthood.

Q) Are you interested in seeing how your Disney fanbase responds to this project?

A) I think they are going to like it. It is not like a very adult movie. Double Daddy is very family oriented and very relevant for what is going on in families today. It deals with teen pregnancy, neglect and going through bullies at school. It’s very relevant to what families are going through and is very relatable. I think my fans are going to enjoy it, but it is definitely not a gruesome sick movie. I think it is going to be great.

Q) What was the most challenging aspect of filming?

A) It was being my first lead character in a full movie. It wasn’t a challenge, but it was really exciting. I’m really excited to be put in the position to have that much responsibility as an actor. I was the number one character and I’ve never had that before. Every day I woke up ready for set because I was so excited since it was a new adventure.

Q) You are a part of social media. Are you looking forward to the fan reaction to the film?

A) Yeah! That’s always some good validation that people are enjoying your work. Also, I’m excited because fans are great at creating cool edits or gifs. I’m really excited to see what kind of stuff they make and I always repost when fans make things.

Q) Where do we pick up with you in Teen Beach Movie 2?

A) With Teen Beach Movie, we ended with sending Mack (Maia Mitchell) and Brady (Ross Lynch) into the real world. This time, Lela (Grace Phipps) and Tanner (Garrett Clayton) get really interested in that world they went into. Because of Wet Side Story, we’re in a movie when they disappeared that everything starts going wrong. It’s traveling into the modern day world with some of the characters and trying to figure out how to be a realistic person rather than a character in a movie.

Q) What is new with Giggles when we return?

A) Giggles is still shakin’ in her little bikini. She is still having all the fun on the beach. We get to see a different side of her because she is more vulnerable and more apt to help everyone do whatever they need to in order to get back on track. You get to see the more fierce side of Giggles trying to tell her friends, “We got this,” or “Does it help bring them back if I shimmy?” She lets out a more silly, but vulnerable side in trying to help her friends.

Q) What was it like doing dance rehearsal?

A) With the first movie, we didn’t really know what to expect. We hadn’t worked with the choreographer yet and were listening to the songs and the final mixes after recording. We just didn’t know what to expect. For the second movie, we got the same choreographer so we knew his style a little bit. Of course, with this being a sequel, we have amped up the choreography and the pace. So, I think the dances are 100 times better, they are a little bit faster and so entertaining. That’s hard to beat because the first one was so great. I think everyone is in for a good show!

Q) What were your memorable moments from filming?

A) I think it is building a family with the cast. I remember almost everything behind the scenes. When we would go back to our hotel, there was a piano in the lobby so we would all go sing songs. Jordan Fisher would play and sing Sam Smith. Then, we’d go to bed, wake up and have breakfast together. There was never a moment of, “Uh, we have to be on set today.” It was always, “We’re living our dreams in Puerto Rico with the cast of this century!” Being a part of a cast that strong is inspiring, in a way.

Q) What did you take away from working on the series?

A) There is a lot of life lessons in this movie. It’s being who you want to be, even if it is not the cliché society accepted way. I think it goes to show that bonds can be made between anybody and just to truly be yourself. Let yourself shine and you don’t have to be what you think is socially accepted.

Q) What would you like to say to your fans and supporters?

A) I would just say that I know a lot of celebrities say, “I wouldn’t be here without you,” and I feel that, too. I feel like if I didn’t have any support from fans and family that I definitely wouldn’t be here. My fans have been with me since I was twelve years old on the High School Musical series. They have been with me for a very, very long time and I want them to know it doesn’t go unnoticed. I remember your Twitter handles and Instagram names. I remember your posts and retweet them because it does mean a lot to me. I’m not trying to gain more follows. I’m trying to show my gratitude and respect for you for keeping up with me for such a long time.