Tiffany Thornton Chats Singing and Snow White - Exclusive Interview

Tiffany Thornton plays Tawni Hart on Sonny With a Chance, and she’s singing Someday My Prince Will Come on the Diamond Edition of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves! I had the chance to talk with Tiffany bout how she got started in the industry and her upcoming music projects.

JC: Tell me about singing ‘Someday My Prince Will Come’
I got to record the song and do the music video, and it was really neat to be a part of that. I had done a song for Hatching Pete called Let It Go but that was more like rapping. I worked with an amazing producer named Mark Hammond on this song. He really knows how to get my voice out of me. He was amazing to work with. It was really awesome to have that opportunity granted to me from Disney.

JC: How did you get that role?
They approached me about Disney Mania and they called my manager and said they said they wanted me involved and said she’d be great for it.

JC: Do you have any other music projects in the works?
I do! I just did a song for Tinkerbell and The Lost Treasure and that just came out yesterday, so that was really cool. I’m also going to be singing a duet with Kermit the Frog at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year. I’m also singing in Miami at their Thanksgiving parade like five days before Thanksgiving.

I’m also in the studio writing and recording a bunch of my own stuff, so hopefully someday in the next year I can put out an album!

JC: How did you get your start in acting?
I went through a competition called IMTA and that is how I met my agent, who is still my agent. I’ve been with him now for seven years.

JC: Tell me about your audition process for Sonny with a Chance.
Well, I heard that they looked for Tawni for like a year and couldn’t find her, because originally she was supposed to be fourteen on the show, and I didn’t look fourteen, so that was a no go. Then a year after, the casting director was like ‘I’m bringing this girl in. She’s not fourteen, but, I’m bringing her in because she’s good.’

I auditioned on a Tuesday, I had my call-back on a Wednesday, I had the network test on Thursday, and we had our table read for the show on Friday – because we were filming on Monday!

For me, it was a super quick process and fortunately I did well enough to book the part. But I always get nervous at auditions, I think it’s good. It’s healthy.

JC: What has been your favorite role thus far?
I have to say Tawni has been my favorite because it’s on a consistent basis and I get to play a whole bunch of different characters within that character.

JC: What is your dream role?
Well I love Kristin Chenoweth. I think she’s absolutely amazing so I would try to be Glinda in Wicked, which is on Broadway, and I don’t know that I’m anywhere near good enough yet, but that’s something that’s in the back of my mind always.

I love film, but I kind of want to be Kelly Ripa and have a morning talk show!

JC: Who have you liked working with?
When I did 8 Simple Rules… For Dating My Teenage Daughter, James Garner was playing the grandfather on that show, and I just remember that I had seen him in the Notebook and a bunch of work he had done. I was so impressed by him and the real-ness he brings to his character.

I was so excited, and I remember we were getting for one scene. We were all sitting around and sitting down at the table and he’s like ‘You can have my seat.’ James Garner offered to stand, and I thought that was so cool.

JC: Have you ever been star struck when you go on set or at the award shows?
I don’t really get star struck, I guess when you’re in the industry you’re just surrounded by the people all the time. But I did see Lisa Kudrow on the Bandstand red carpet and she’s amazing. She’s just so talented and it was really cool to see her.

One time I was driving in LA and I stopped at a stop light. I looked over and Justin Timberlake is in his 7 Series Bimmer just like next to me, in his car. So that was a little moment for me I guess!

JC: Who are your role models?
I think Reba McEntire is a great role model. I’ve never heard a bad thing about her. She’s funny, she’s talented, she’s honest. In all her interviews you can feel that she’s a good person.

JC: Do you have any celebrity crushes?
Oh my goodness. Well, I just was watching Florida State and Christian Ponder, their quarterback, is so hot!

JC: Do you have any advice for fans looking to get into the industry?
It’s so important to follow your dreams, but also be realistic about those dreams. Be prepared. I know so many people who have moved to LA and New York and don’t have an agent, don’t have a manager, don’t have anything lined up. They just go out on a whim, and that’s great if you’re that driven, that’s amazing to have that. But be prepared before you come. Save up a bunch of money. Have a job lined up, not necessarily in the industry, but have something lined up.

SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS: DIAMOND EDITION Blu-ray combo pack with DVD copy is available on 10/6/09.

Two clips below!