Earlier this year, Monique Coleman was in high demand for interviews about the 20th anniversary of “High School Musical,” the film series in which she played a central character. She reflected fondly on her role as Taylor McKessie in the three films that focused on the joy of musical theater and how young people can embrace it despite stereotypes. When the recent appearances wrapped, she returned to the grind of working in the entertainment industry. She presented at the Children’s & Family Emmy Awards earlier this week.
“At this stage of my life, I had to decentralize my ambitions in order to have a holistic life,” Coleman said. “My entire youth was dedicated toward becoming something, becoming prominent within the entertainment industry, achieving a certain level of success, and so forth. From the moment I left college in 2002 and reality television hit the scene, for the last 20-something years, we’ve been watching this rapid, exponential shift within the entertainment industry.”
Coleman added that “for me personally, I have to say that I have, in many ways, let go of my idea of what my career should look like. I have leaned into how I can find other fulfilling and satisfying things to do while still having a passion for being an actress — still desiring and wanting to be on set, but not putting the rest of my life on pause in pursuit of that when in many ways, my big dream did transpire and I’m very fortunate to be a part of a legacy project.”
She regularly does speaking engagements. A talented actress, singer, and dancer, Coleman would love to combine all those talents in a performance vehicle, but while she works toward that goal, she channels her artistic energy into new vehicles, most notably figure skating.
Coleman took up skating several years ago. Thanks to her dance training and performance skills, she has advanced more quickly than others coming to the sport and art as an adult. She was invited to be an honorary member of the Skating Club of Boston, and at times, she hosts events for the club. When in Los Angeles, she participates with Unity Ice Academy, which provides access to figure skating to kids in the Los Angeles area who might not otherwise have it. She recently co-hosted the organization’s gala and also has a relationship with U.S. Figure Skating.
In February, Coleman attended the Olympic Winter Games in Milan Cortina, where she soaked up several of the figure skating events and enjoyed Italy’s delicious cuisine. “It really did feel like a once-in-a-lifetime magical experience,” she said. “This opportunity for us to come together and have this collective spirit of humanity and pride for our athletes was really something special.”
Seeing skating at its highest level inspired her to see what she can do within her capacity. Beyond her own on-ice experiences, Coleman would love to collaborate with a competitive skater or performer on a piece, perhaps singing for someone’s program.
“I feel like there is limitless opportunity within this space to advance personally, but also to amplify and collaborate,” she said. “My dream would be to have a digital or streaming series that would follow my journey of learning more about this sport and, through that, interview very prominent skaters — to also interview adult skaters and people who maybe came into it later and get their stories of why they’re doing this and how it translates off ice as well.”
In addition to acting, Coleman has done hosting work, creating her own shows. Her 2018 series “Gimme Mo” explored social and emotional issues that affect young people. Much like “High School Musical” emphasized embracing one’s true self and departing from the status quo, “Gimme Mo” encouraged young people to have compassion and express themselves.
Coleman still hopes there will be an opportunity for a resurgence in her artistic career. After two decades based in Los Angeles, she has been spending an increasing amount of time on the East Coast, hoping to find her way onto Broadway, which she described as her new dream.
“My focus is on purpose, and I believe that my purpose is to inspire, motivate, entertain, and there are a lot of different ways to do that,” she said. “[I want] to empower, to serve, and it doesn’t have to be linear.”