Talking to Brenda Song

Disney Channel/Disney

Cheetah Girls and Chris Brown Guest Star on "The Suite Life" on August 9th new ep!

Winner of three Teen Choice Awards (Choice Music: Male Artist, R&B Artist, and R&B Track for “Forever”) Chris Brown and platinum-selling recording artists the Cheetah Girls are guest-starring on a new episode of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody Saturday, August 9, on Disney Channel. We caught the always exciting and bubbly Brenda Song during her lunch break to dish about the episode.

Teenmag: What can fans expect from this superspecial episode?
Brenda: London has a Web show called Yay Me. Maddie [Ashley Tisdale] and Cody [Cole Sprouse] manage her show, and get really competitive. They each try to get me [London] a special guest and we get double booked with Chris Brown and the Cheetah Girls. But, of course, London, being as crazy as she is, thinks Chris Brown is Big Foot, because that’s who she wanted on the show. It’s a really fun episode. You see another side of Chris Brown, ’cause he’s such a silly kid and you really see him kind of step out of his shoes.

Teenmag: What was it like behind the scenes hanging out with Chris Brown?
Brenda: [He was] playing video games with the twins. There was a lot of dancing behind the scenes. He was trying to teach us all the new, cool dance moves. Of course, I’m absolutely horrible, but I tried. He’s just really fun. He brought out a different side of me, which was really great.

Teenmag: What about the girls? How was it working with the Cheetah Girls?
Brenda: We’ve known each other for such a long time, so having them be here was seriously just like having your friends over. It was truly girl time. When you had me, Ashley [Tisdale], and all the Cheetah Girls in a room, it was like nonstop talking and laughter. The volume would just escalate and escalate and escalate until the guys were like "Guys, guys, we’re here too, we’re here too."

Teenmag: So, a lot of girl talk went on behind the scenes between all of the girls?
Brenda: Oh, definitely. From fashion tips to beauty tips, that’s what was going on in all of our dressing rooms. Kiely [Williams] and Ashley [Tisdale] were talking about mystic tanning and what not to do, ’cause I’m too afraid to go and tan. There was lots of talk of clothing. We were giving each other hair tips, because I love Adrienne’s curls, but she wants straight hair, and I want curly hair. And it always goes back to the grass may not be greener on the other side.

Teenmag: You know the girls well. Anything funny or quirky about their personalities?
Brenda: They’re really honest, just good people, and they’re really like sisters. They all keep each other in check and keep each other in line. The three of them are the most honest girls I know. If I would go to them and ask them if I look cute in something, they’d tell me exactly the way they feel and that’s what I really love about them. And we always joke around that I’m gonna be the fourth Cheetah Girl.

Teenmag: And so the Cheetah Girls and Chris Brown aren’t the only newcomers on a set of yours. Actress Debby Ryan will costar with you in the new comedy series The Suite Life on Deck, a spin-off of this series. Has your character, London, grown or changed from her role on Z&C to the new show?
Brenda: I think you definitely see a different side of London this season. London has definitely had to grow up. She’s been taken out of her little world and thrown into reality. She’s now unable to just jet off to Paris or go to lunch in London whenever she wants. She is stuck on a boat, purely there to go to school and to really learn responsibility. And it’s quite different for her too, ’cause she’s rooming in a room that usually would be the size of her bed, and she has to share a room with somebody younger then her and the complete opposite. So London’s really had to grow up and almost set a good example for Bailey.

Teenmag: London stuck on a boat in the middle of the sea with a roommate!? How is that gonna go?
Brenda: London will always be London, and sometimes she forgets that Bailey’s completely there, that’s all I’ll say. [It’s still] as difficult now [for her] having to sharing things and remembering that her closet is no longer the size of half a hotel. Just to let everybody know, she has a shoe submarine that follows the ship.

Teenmag: We will have to watch to see what happens with London and Bailey, but tell us what happened and what it was like when Debby Ryan (the new girl) came on set.
Brenda: It’s very much like our characters — we really became little sister, big sister. She herself has just moved from Texas and Bailey is from Kansas. So we just try to give her as much advice as possible, and let her know that all of us are gonna make mistakes and to just have fun. ’Cause that’s the most important thing, that’s all we’re here to do.

Teenmag: Is there something cool that you’ve learned about Debby?
Brenda: Debbie speaks German. She taught me a couple of German phrases, which was really cool.

Teenmag: The show will premiere this fall (September 26) on the Disney Channel. Speaking of fall, any fashion trends that you are looking forward to?
Brenda: I’m looking for a great pair of boots, because that gets you through fall and winter. Other than that, I’m definitely into eggplant purple right now, or turquoise. I tend to get attracted to colors, like in the store, whether it’s a bag or a purse or a shirt. Everything I have is purple right now.