Debby Ryan: Wishes and Crushes

Jun 23, 2010

By: Lynn Barker

She's super-sweet southern belle Bailey Pickett on the Disney Channel's The Suite Life On Deck, but Debby Ryan tells Kidzworld that she is beyond stoked to take center stage playing conflicted teen Abby in the upcoming TV movie 16 Wishes starting this Friday, also on the Disney Channel.

We dished with Debby recently at the ABC Building in L.A. and learned that she writes songs and has a music blog, lived in Germany and has a kind of showbiz (wanna act with) crush on cute Gregg Sulkin of Wizards and hot Logan Lerman, who starred in Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.

What would Debby do if she were granted 16 wishes? You might be surprised. Check it out...

Kidzworld: So your character Abby gets 16 wishes on her 16th birthday. Did it make you think about what you would wish for if you were granted these wishes?

Debby: It did. I looked at my list and half of them were selfish things and half them of made me realize that I do have such a big heart for other people.
One of them was a house for my family where my brother could have a music studio. That's more of a selfish property type thing and the list ranged from wishing that kids in Uganda who are barefoot, had shoes. Everyone deserves a place to sleep and safety, food and a shoulder to cry on.
But, I did have my 16-year-old things like really wanting a fish-eye lens for my camera and a lifetime membership to iTunes and Borders.

Kidzworld: Can you contrast the 16 Wishes character Abby with your character Bailey on Suite Life on Deck?

Debby: The two characters aren't super different. I feel like Abby can be a little bit cynical. She is ever the optimist, trying to figure out ways to stall things and not give up but she's more blunt where Bailey tries to sugarcoat things a lot because things are great in her world! She wants things to be as great for everyone else.
Bailey grew up on a farm and milks cows and Abby's best friend is a guy and she's kind of an “everygirl.” She's a small town girl but not southern. She's more of a suburban princess. She's not either preppy or tomboyish.

Kidzworld: You do music as well. Is this just something that comes out of being part of the Disney world?

Debby: I was always really big into music; always listening to it. My brother is a guitar player and singer/songwriter (Chase Ryan). I'm always writing with Chase and I write a music blog.
With Disney, you work to be on a TV show and then they hear that you like to sing. If they hear you sing, then they'll call (your) people to see if you want to do that. It's definitely a big process. Someone isn't just "made" (into a music star) as it seems to be.
I don't necessarily know if I want a music career but I'm into the production side of it. I write my music blog and just wrote this song which will be in 16 Wishes. It's inspired by what Abby is going through.

Kidzworld: Did you also get to sing it?

Debby: Yeah. I sang it too. That's the way I think I'd do a music career. If I wrote a song that I think would sound good by me or was something I wanted to communicate, then I would love to sing it for sure.

Kidzworld: How do we get to your music blog?

Debby: It's linked on debbyryan.com.

Kidzworld: Is there another actor you would love to have as a co-star? Or maybe one you have a crush on?

Debby: One of my good friends Gregg Sulkin on Wizards and doing another thing for Disney is from England and I lived in Germany and traveled around Europe so we're very aware of each other's culture which is fun. We're really good friends and I'd love to work with Gregg.
As far as girls go, Chelsea Staub and Nicole Anderson from Jonas are some of my favorite people. I just saw them at a Young Hollywood party and we just crack each other up. Chelsea was putting all of my quotes on her Twitter. We're talking about guys and crazy things. I just love those girls. Would like to work with them.
And I like Logan Lerman (of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief) a lot. When he got Percy Jackson, I had read the books and the screenplay and I was so stoked for him. I heard he was interested in music and directing and the technical part of things and I am too.

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Debby Ryan: Wishes and Crushes

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