Demi Lovato is another Disney Channel star on the rise. She has a TV show, Sonny with a Chance, a sequel to her hit TV movie Camp Rock and her music career, plus charity work and a romance with Joe Jonas of The Jonas Brothers. Lovato opened up about her relationship, her family and her connection with Kelly Clarkson in an interview with the press at Disney’s Burbank studios.
Q: You’ve got a second season of the series, a sequel and albums. How does it feel to have a franchise?
Demi Lovato: I’m just acting. I’m having fun. I’m living my dream and if that comes with it, then awesome, but to me I’m just doing what I love. So sequel, yeah, crazy.
Q: Is it easy to keep loving it as you get more successful?
Demi Lovato: It’s definitely easy to keep loving it. There’s times where you’re tired or you don’t get to sleep and you have to work for 48 hours but there’s also times where it pays off and you get to meet really cool people you’ve looked up to your entire career, like John Mayer. I got to work with him and stay in touch. I got to meet Kelly Clarkson who is one of my ultimate idols. It’s times like that where it really pays off.
Q: Are they ever fans of you too?
Demi Lovato: You know what? It’s so crazy because I wouldn’t expect them to even know who I am, but there’s been times where I’ve met people and they say, “I’m a fan of yours.” Kelly Clarkson said that I have a good voice. Katy Perry did one time. She’s like, “You have an amazing voice.” I was like, “But you’re Katy Perry!” She’s like, “What?” I was like, “I love you.”
Q: What is your favorite family tradition?
Demi Lovato: I definitely love just spending time with my family. There’s times where I don’t really get to do a lot of that which is one of the sacrifices that I make at a young age in this industry but it makes you appreciate those times more.
Q: Do you have any holiday traditions?
Demi Lovato: Just sitting around drinking coffee with your family and talking around the Christmas tree, or just shopping and going to dinner and things like that.
Q: Do you think about expanding your audience like doing Grey’s Anatomy?
Demi Lovato: I think anybody who is an actor or an actress or a musician always thinks about how they can make themselves aware to other people. To me, the roles that I grew up learning how to play were roles like the Grey’s Anatomy character. I was 13 and I did an acting seminar in front of an agent and the role that got me an agent was playing Angelina Jolie’s character in Girl, Interrupted. So that’s what I was used to playing and that’s what I always wanted to play. Disney Channel provided me with amazing opportunities that I couldn’t pass up and I learned how to adapt to playing those roles too. So I think eventually, yeah, definitely. Right now I’m a little busy, just a little bit but for me it’s not so much for how many people I can reach out to. It’s just how I can change and stay excited about the roles that I’m playing as an actress.
Q: Years ago, producers would want to freeze you at a certain age. Is Disney helping their stars mature?
Demi Lovato: Definitely, definitely. I think a lot of people have the wrong perception of Disney Channel, saying that they try to mold us into their image and that’s not it at all. Disney Channel’s working with us, trying to expand our audiences in the right way, in the appropriate ways. What they’re doing ultimately is building our foundation of our career so that it can take off just like Justin Timberlake’s did and Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears. The pandemonium that they had because they started out with Disney Channel was huge. I feel like it’s going to be the same if we all stay on the right paths and for this generation too. Disney Channel is who we have to thank for the fan bases that have grown with us today.
Q: What has been your most special moment with a young fan?
Demi Lovato: I’ve had so many special moments with young fans, most of which have been with kids from Make a Wish. Just realizing how much you can affect someone’s life just by staying in touch with them, through e-mail or singing to them or inviting them on stage. I always get really emotional when I talk about it, when I meet them. It’s moments like that that make everything worth it.
Q: Were there any individual stories that touched you?
Demi Lovato: There’s definitely been several stories. There’s been a little girl and she was so cute. She wore a cowboy hat to visit me in Texas. She knew I was from Texas and she would draw me pictures that I still have in my wardrobe case. She didn’t have long to live and it was really hard for me to know that this little girl was thinking about me in those times, but it was so inspiring that it made me want to just create more for her. It’s moments like that.
Q: Who would you really like to work with?
Demi Lovato: Oh, I have so many dream costars. I don’t know, I’m a huge fan of Tina Fey. Huge fan of Tina Fey. She’s my comedic idol. She’s so funny! I feel like I could learn a lot from her too because she’s written and directed and produced and starred in movies all at the same time. I feel like she has so much wisdom that I could learn from her that it wouldn’t just be because I’d be starring in a movie with her or something like that. It would be because I could take so much from working with her as an actress I could learn for the future. So that’s who I want to work with one day.
Q: As your romance with Joe Jonas goes on longer, what are you learning that you like even more about each other?
Demi Lovato: Well, not all the discoveries have been easy because like any relationship you go through times and our relationship is in front of everyone so it’s a little difficult, but for the most part we’re finding out how close we are and how alike we are and how long we want to be together. It’s amazing to be able to find someone this incredible at a young age.
Q: When did you realize that he was more than a friend?
Demi Lovato: I’d always had feelings for him and I’d always been attracted to him, but I always thought that it could never happen because we were best friends. Then the timing was right and we just went for it. We’ve just been enjoying it ever since. Timing is everything.
Q: A number of Disney’s stars have gone on to be more mainstream stardom and had the moment where they broke what that image was of being a young performer. Do you think about if you want to break that image or where you want to go?
Demi Lovato: I don’t think there’s a point in my career where I’m going to break or necessarily change completely to shock people or do whatever. I think for me, my fans can grow with me. Grey’s Anatomy was a perfect example of showing how I can express myself differently than just being a comedic actress without being inappropriate. I feel like for me, that’s how I want to be for the rest of my life. I want to be a successful musician for the music that I make and it doesn’t have to be inappropriate music or I don’t have to be taking my clothes off to be a singer. There’s ways around that. That’s why I really look up to Kelly Clarkson because she’s a perfect role model and example for that.
Q: Why is it important for you to live a pure lifestyle?
Demi Lovato: I think for me it’s just making my parents proud. I will try to be the best role model for girls that I possibly can be as a learning teenager in the spotlight.
Q: Have you ever gotten in big trouble with your parents even though you’re a star?
Demi Lovato: Yeah, totally. I’ve totally gotten in trouble. I’m a teenager. I still get in trouble to this day. Those are stories to tell later, when I’ve maybe broken my image a little bit. So stay tuned and maybe you can find out.
Q: You’ve got a second season of the series, a sequel and albums. How does it feel to have a franchise?
Demi Lovato: I’m just acting. I’m having fun. I’m living my dream and if that comes with it, then awesome, but to me I’m just doing what I love. So sequel, yeah, crazy.
Q: Is it easy to keep loving it as you get more successful?
Demi Lovato: It’s definitely easy to keep loving it. There’s times where you’re tired or you don’t get to sleep and you have to work for 48 hours but there’s also times where it pays off and you get to meet really cool people you’ve looked up to your entire career, like John Mayer. I got to work with him and stay in touch. I got to meet Kelly Clarkson who is one of my ultimate idols. It’s times like that where it really pays off.
Q: Are they ever fans of you too?
Demi Lovato: You know what? It’s so crazy because I wouldn’t expect them to even know who I am, but there’s been times where I’ve met people and they say, “I’m a fan of yours.” Kelly Clarkson said that I have a good voice. Katy Perry did one time. She’s like, “You have an amazing voice.” I was like, “But you’re Katy Perry!” She’s like, “What?” I was like, “I love you.”
Q: What is your favorite family tradition?
Demi Lovato: I definitely love just spending time with my family. There’s times where I don’t really get to do a lot of that which is one of the sacrifices that I make at a young age in this industry but it makes you appreciate those times more.
Q: Do you have any holiday traditions?
Demi Lovato: Just sitting around drinking coffee with your family and talking around the Christmas tree, or just shopping and going to dinner and things like that.
Q: Do you think about expanding your audience like doing Grey’s Anatomy?
Demi Lovato: I think anybody who is an actor or an actress or a musician always thinks about how they can make themselves aware to other people. To me, the roles that I grew up learning how to play were roles like the Grey’s Anatomy character. I was 13 and I did an acting seminar in front of an agent and the role that got me an agent was playing Angelina Jolie’s character in Girl, Interrupted. So that’s what I was used to playing and that’s what I always wanted to play. Disney Channel provided me with amazing opportunities that I couldn’t pass up and I learned how to adapt to playing those roles too. So I think eventually, yeah, definitely. Right now I’m a little busy, just a little bit but for me it’s not so much for how many people I can reach out to. It’s just how I can change and stay excited about the roles that I’m playing as an actress.
Q: Years ago, producers would want to freeze you at a certain age. Is Disney helping their stars mature?
Demi Lovato: Definitely, definitely. I think a lot of people have the wrong perception of Disney Channel, saying that they try to mold us into their image and that’s not it at all. Disney Channel’s working with us, trying to expand our audiences in the right way, in the appropriate ways. What they’re doing ultimately is building our foundation of our career so that it can take off just like Justin Timberlake’s did and Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears. The pandemonium that they had because they started out with Disney Channel was huge. I feel like it’s going to be the same if we all stay on the right paths and for this generation too. Disney Channel is who we have to thank for the fan bases that have grown with us today.
Q: What has been your most special moment with a young fan?
Demi Lovato: I’ve had so many special moments with young fans, most of which have been with kids from Make a Wish. Just realizing how much you can affect someone’s life just by staying in touch with them, through e-mail or singing to them or inviting them on stage. I always get really emotional when I talk about it, when I meet them. It’s moments like that that make everything worth it.
Q: Were there any individual stories that touched you?
Demi Lovato: There’s definitely been several stories. There’s been a little girl and she was so cute. She wore a cowboy hat to visit me in Texas. She knew I was from Texas and she would draw me pictures that I still have in my wardrobe case. She didn’t have long to live and it was really hard for me to know that this little girl was thinking about me in those times, but it was so inspiring that it made me want to just create more for her. It’s moments like that.
Q: Who would you really like to work with?
Demi Lovato: Oh, I have so many dream costars. I don’t know, I’m a huge fan of Tina Fey. Huge fan of Tina Fey. She’s my comedic idol. She’s so funny! I feel like I could learn a lot from her too because she’s written and directed and produced and starred in movies all at the same time. I feel like she has so much wisdom that I could learn from her that it wouldn’t just be because I’d be starring in a movie with her or something like that. It would be because I could take so much from working with her as an actress I could learn for the future. So that’s who I want to work with one day.
Q: As your romance with Joe Jonas goes on longer, what are you learning that you like even more about each other?
Demi Lovato: Well, not all the discoveries have been easy because like any relationship you go through times and our relationship is in front of everyone so it’s a little difficult, but for the most part we’re finding out how close we are and how alike we are and how long we want to be together. It’s amazing to be able to find someone this incredible at a young age.
Q: When did you realize that he was more than a friend?
Demi Lovato: I’d always had feelings for him and I’d always been attracted to him, but I always thought that it could never happen because we were best friends. Then the timing was right and we just went for it. We’ve just been enjoying it ever since. Timing is everything.
Q: A number of Disney’s stars have gone on to be more mainstream stardom and had the moment where they broke what that image was of being a young performer. Do you think about if you want to break that image or where you want to go?
Demi Lovato: I don’t think there’s a point in my career where I’m going to break or necessarily change completely to shock people or do whatever. I think for me, my fans can grow with me. Grey’s Anatomy was a perfect example of showing how I can express myself differently than just being a comedic actress without being inappropriate. I feel like for me, that’s how I want to be for the rest of my life. I want to be a successful musician for the music that I make and it doesn’t have to be inappropriate music or I don’t have to be taking my clothes off to be a singer. There’s ways around that. That’s why I really look up to Kelly Clarkson because she’s a perfect role model and example for that.
Q: Why is it important for you to live a pure lifestyle?
Demi Lovato: I think for me it’s just making my parents proud. I will try to be the best role model for girls that I possibly can be as a learning teenager in the spotlight.
Q: Have you ever gotten in big trouble with your parents even though you’re a star?
Demi Lovato: Yeah, totally. I’ve totally gotten in trouble. I’m a teenager. I still get in trouble to this day. Those are stories to tell later, when I’ve maybe broken my image a little bit. So stay tuned and maybe you can find out.
