Welcome back to the Celebuzz Meet & Greet, where we talk with rising actors, musicians and entertainers before they hit it big. Watch out for these future A-listers!

Though many may recognize Darcy Rose Byrnes as Felicity Huffman‘s teenage daughter Penny Scavo on Desperate Housewives, there’s actually more than meets the eye.

When Celebuzz caught up with the 14-year-old to discuss her acting aspirations since the ABC series’ finale, she confessed that she’s actually a “pretty lame teenager” who teaches herself French, Greek and American Sign Language when she’s not juggling schoolwork and acting.

What do you need to know about this up-and-comer?

For one, Byrnes is already back to work after Desperate Housewives‘ conclusion earlier this year. Her latest project, Disney Channel’s Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess, is set to premiere on Nov. 18 with an encore presentation on Nov. 20 on Disney Junior.

Read on and find out about Byrnes’ acting future — and what she really thought about Desperate Housewives‘ series finale.

Celebuzz: Many people obviously recognize you as Penny Scavo from Desperate Housewives. Walk us through your last day on set.
Darcy Rose Byrnes: I didn’t know it was my last day on set. I think it was probably a good thing I didn’t know — I probably would’ve been sobbing at the end if I did. For two years, those people had become my family — my extended tv family — so it was kind of sad to see it go. But I got to everyone at the cast party so I got say my goodbyes then.

CB: Did you get emotional during the farewell party?
DRB: I’m totally that person! I was coming up to Felicity and she was the last person I said goodbye to, and I wanted to say, “I just wanted to let you know working with you has been such an honor,” and all this stuff — getting a little bit teary-eyed. But before I even opened my mouth, she’s like, “No! No! No crying!” But for everyone else, I was basically crying.

CB: Now you have Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess coming out. Tell us a little bit about the role.
DRB: I play Princess Amber on Sofia the First. She’s a really fun character to play, because she’s such a princess. She always wants everything and she’s a little bit mean sometimes, but I think Sofia (voiced by Modern Family‘s Ariel Winter) kind of fixes her a little bit.

CB: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
DRB: I think at this point I’m still trying to figure out where I’m going. I’m always acting and singing and dancing. It’s always going to be a part of my life. There’s definitely been hopes and aspirations for Julliard, so that’ll be really cool if I could go there for college. I actually just started high school so we got a little bit of time to think about that.

CB: What’s high school like for you?
DRB: I’m a pretty lame teenager. I apparently like doing school. I was doing math over the summer and teaching myself Greek and French and American Sign Language. There’s this one time when my mom looked at me and said, “Why don’t you watch TV like a normal person?”

CB: What advice do you have for young aspiring girls who want to get into acting?
DRB: Do it if that’s what you think you want to do for the rest of your life. It’s so fulfilling and you learn so much and have so much fun doing it. Above all: study. Study your craft and study school. If you don’t study in school, it doesn’t matter what you do, you won’t be able to get there.

Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess premieres on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 7 PM on Disney Channel.

Welcome back to the Celebuzz Meet & Greet, where we talk with rising actors, musicians and entertainers before they hit it big. Watch out for these future A-listers!

Though she currently plays a no-nonsense paramedic on Sullivan & Son, Valerie Azlynn is all about the laughs. Catching the acting bug at 13, the now 31-year-old has appeared on hit comedies such as Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother before landing the part of Valerie Sutton on the hit TBS series.

So what’s it like for her to be working with big name comedians like Vince Vaughn? Read on to find out.

What inspired you to take up acting?

Ever since I was little, my mother said I was sort of unstoppable. If I wanted to perform, I was going to put on a show whether it was just for my mom and grandma or I was going to force my friends into watching it. When I was 13, I had open heart surgery and that sort of changed my world and my focus.

Walk us through how you landed your part of Sullivan & Son.

Our casting director, Julie Ashton has this unique ability that a lot casting directors don’t. They don’t give you a lot to go off of — they sort of dryly read the line — as you’re trying to have a connection in a scene with the other character. It’s always nice when someone gives you something to go off of. She sends such a great force in my career. She called me and I went in and I met Steve Byrne at the audition. I walked in the room and the guy shook my hand and I was like, “Wow! That doesn’t happen usually!” I said to them, “This is such a great part and I really identify with this character. I made some strong choices, so let me know if this is what you guys are thinking.” I left the room thinking it went really great. When they called me and told me I got the part, I don’t think I stopped screaming for a good 10 minutes.

What is your most embarrassing audition moment?

It was a long time ago in New York and it was horrifying. The character was supposed to be really sexy and all this stuff, so I came done up and ready to go. I didn’t realize in the room I was in had this sliding bookshelf you could use to divide the room. In the mist of the audition, I tried to be very sexual and leaned up against it. It goes shooting across the room and I fall flat on my side. Horrified, I looked up and I went, “Oh, should we start over?” The casting director goes, “I think I’ve seen all that I need to see.” That was absolutely humiliating and it’s never left my mind.

How would you describe your character on the show?

I think Melanie is a ball busting tomboy, who when you get to her core, is actually super sweet and probably a little bit more the girl next door than most people would give her credit for. There’s something really kind and loving underneath it all. I think just from her experiences, she had to put out a tougher exterior in order to survive in this heavily male-dominated world that’s she’s involved in. In fact, I think that if it came down to an actual fight in the bar, Melanie would be the one to actually win it more so than the guys. She’s tough, but she’s also just like every other chick I know who’s looking for the right guy. She’s extremely stubborn like Steve’s character, so trying to make that work will cause a little drama.

What can fans expect this season? Any guest stars we can look forward to?

We have Chris D’Elia and Billy Gardell. We were so lucky with our guest stars. We got some amazing comedians. I think it really goes well for us just because they’re all so fantastic on their own show to. It’s kind of nice to get some heavy hitters in there.

Vince Vaughn is an executive producer on the show. What’s that like?

I think it’s amazing and Vince is so active as a producer, which is so nice. He’s really involved. He’ll be on set and just stops us, gives us new lines and say, “Okay, this is working” or “This is not working.” He’s just so positive. He’s exactly what I thought he would be before I met him. He’s really amazing. We’re really lucky.

What’s one memorable moment you guys shared on set?

The chemistry scenes that Steve and I have. Vince would run in and whisper something in Steve’s ear and then Steve would change the line, and it’s hard sometime to keep a straight face when you haven’t heard it before and you’re really living in that moment. It’s hysterical but we manage to make it work. He’s just really good. He’s really good with the romantic comedy aspect too. Vince is just not a comedian. He has a great range acting wise. He’s able to help us with stuff that’s not even on the crazy funny side either. The character development is really nice.

Who would you like to guest star?

The person who I would love to come in to play my mom — even though I think she’s too young — is Geena Davis. I would love it. It would be amazing. And then if I ever got to pick another one: Betty White. I mean come on, just put her on there. Just give her anything. She’s amazing. She can play anything. She can play my sister if she wanted to.

What would you tell your younger self?

I’d tell my younger self to not be so hard on myself — to go back and just enjoy it. Just enjoy the ride because that’s something I have learned as I got a little older. Just enjoy the ride, it’s so long. The journey is long. “The race is long but in the end it’s only with yourself,” and I think that is so true

And maybe not to lean against bookshelves during auditions?

[Laughs] Yes, that too!

Sullivan & Son airs Thursdays at 10 PM ET/PT on TBS.

Welcome back to the Celebuzz Meet & Greet, where we talk with rising actors, musicians and entertainers before they hit it big. Watch out for these future A-listers!

Joseph Julian Soria may be a fan-favorite as the young private Hector Cruz on Army Wives, but the 25-year-old actor admits to Celebuzz that he nearly missed out on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when he auditioned for the show.

“Everything that could go wrong, went wrong,” he tells us of his audition for the hit Lifetime series.

Fortunately, his costar Alyssa Diaz, who plays his onscreen wife Gloria, was there to help land him his part.

How did she save the day?

Read on as Soria retells his dramatic audition process.

You joined the Army Wives cast during Season 6. Tell us a little bit about how you landed the part.

That was interesting. I was in the gym working out and I happen to check my phone and I had an email from my agent that I had an audition in a couple hours for the show. I think I had two hours maybe and it became one of those times that everything goes wrong so to speak. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong. I went to print out the material for the audition and — of course — my printer had no ink. I had no time to take a shower actually so I was all sweaty and everything for the audition. I had 30 minutes to look over the material. I got in there, did the audition and at midnight they wanted me to have a chemistry read with Alyssa. I was familiar with Alyssa because we had chemistry work on another project a couple years before, so I know we work really well together. I went in there and we hit it off. I could kind of tell by the time I walked out of there that I was their choice, and before I knew it, I was on a plane to South Carolina.

What was your first day on set like?

On any project I work on, you always get the first day jitters because as a person you want to perform well. You don’t want to be that weak link, especially to a show like Army Wives that already has its groove. You want to be able to jump right into it and keep the cycle going. That’s exactly what I did: I had the jitters for the first couple of days and what not but then I made the character my own.

Speaking of Alyssa, what can fans expect from the Cruz couple in the season finale?

Our storyline really expresses a lot expect a lot of drama these last two episodes. It’s going to leave everybody wanting more. That’s the best way I can put it.

Where do want to see your character to go?

I want to see him evolve. Right now on the show, he’s in a bit of a rut. He cheated on his wife and there’s this woman who potentially has his child. I just want to see him rebound. I want to see him take a step back gather himself, fix the relationship with Gloria if he can, get his head on straight and be the person that he can be. You know, be the soldier and the husband that he can be.

We’ve yet to hear back about Season 7. How would you feel if the show ended?

It would be unfortunate. If they don’t [renew it], I would be somewhat disappointed because I like the show and they already told me the story of what they have in mind for the characters next season. It’s something I’m looking into exploring and I’m proud about getting into. It would be disappointing but I’m somewhat prepared for it.  That’s the nature of the business: You’ve got to just go with the flow and adjust. I’m pretty adjustable.

What do you want your fans to take from the show?

The reason why I was so excited about the role because it shows me in a different light. You get to see a different side of me as an actor, in a sense of dealing with a relationship. In the beginning actually Hector’s very loving and try to make this thing work out. Gloria seemed to be the hot head — she still is — but now I’ve kind of turned to the dark side and I‘ve made some bad choices. In the beginning I was very loving and caring. I was doing everything I could to make her happy. The show just shows me in a different light. In the 100th episode you’re going to see my performance do things I haven’t done and haven’t been able to show in other characters that I’ve played.

Army Wives’ season finale airs at 10 PM ET/PT on Lifetime.

Welcome back to the Celebuzz Meet & Greet, where we talk with rising actors, musicians and entertainers before they hit it big. Watch out for these future A-listers!

Havana Brown went toe-to-toe with the boys when she stepped out onto a male-dominated DJ scene back in the early 2000′s, and managed to walk over her competition in her high-heels when she broke out with her hit track, “We Run the Night.”

Since then, the 27-year-old Aussie singer and DJ appeared on America’s Got Talent and toured with the likes of Britney Spears, Rihanna, The Pussycat Dolls.

Celebuzz recently caught up with Brown to chat about her new-found success.

How did you get into DJing? 

I started about 6 years ago and I was living in the UK. I was actually working on music, writing and producing over there and I actually finished an album with a group over there and we signed to a major record label over there. I really didn’t know what was going on but the boys in the group ended up hating each other’s guts. It was so disappointing and so stupid at the end of the day. That was the worst part of my life. It felt like all that time and effort had amounted to nothing. At that stage, I just started going clubbing a lot — like dancing my soles away — and it was really all about that just going out and having fun. One of those nights, I was looking at the DJ I said, “That would be the best job in the world. You get to go out and play music and you get to perform as well.” Fortunately, one of the guys from the group that I joined was a DJ and the next morning I called him and he said I should do it. I went over to his house and in that moment I had my first lesson in DJing. I ended up not paying for 3-4 months and went through all the trouble of buying some decks and that was it. I worked from then getting my first DJ gig — which was not easy because obviously a lot of people were a bit skeptical thinking, “What’s going on here? Females don’t DJ.”

Do you thinks it’s hard for a female DJ out there?
I don’t think so nowadays. I think there are a lot of females out there now, which is good and people are getting used to seeing a female out there. When I first started, I guess there was a lot more convincing because I don’t think people could understand what was going on. I was in a micro miniskirt with high heels on, so people were like, “Why is this girl doing this? She can’t possibly DJ.” I didn’t believe it though. I just needed to stick with it and I had a lot of people — particularly guy DJs — that said I wasn’t going to last a year in this industry. I love nothing more than to prove people wrong, so I absolutely proved them wrong and I don’t even think those DJs are around anymore.

Did you put extra pressure on yourself to prove people wrong?
Well, I’m a hard worker. I love what I do so it comes naturally. I work hard. I didn’t feel like I need to put more pressure on myself. I knew what I could do, and I knew what I wanted to do. They obviously believed that it was a gimmick or some sort of thing that would pass by, but they didn’t know me. I just wanted to be me and do what I loved.

What would you say to aspiring female DJs?
You’ve got to work hard. If you think you’re just going to be a girl and all of a sudden have all these shows and be able to make it a career, it’s not that easy. I started from ground up. It was step-by-step process and it didn’t just happen overnight. I was doing small little clubs, then I would get a national gig here and there, and then I’d get an international gig. It grew slowly and organically. There was nothing forced. It’s very important to realize that you’ve got to work hard.

What was the best advice you’ve gotten?

My dad has always said to me, “Do you know how many people want to do music in the world? You need to make sure you’re working harder than each and every one of those people.” That has always stuck with me — if you want to do this, you’ll have to really do it.

You have opened for a lot of really big names in the music industry.  What was favorite tour memory?
Every single one of those tours were amazing, but probably one of my favorite memories is the Britney Spears tour when I did the very first show in Paris. I had just arrived in Paris and I was backstage just before the show when Britney Spears’ dad comes in, knocks on the door and introduces himself. He said, “I just wanted to let you know it’s so quiet out there. There’s 40,000 people out there but it’s like a library — everything is really quiet and they’re not talking. I’m a bit concerned. You might need to get out there and hype that crowd up.” I’m like, “Aww, I’ve got pressure going on here, you don’t need to make it worst!” I thought he might have been exaggerating a little but I went out there, you could hear a pin drop. I didn’t know what was going on and I got up on stage thinking to myself, “Why? Why? Why did I do this?” But as soon as started, they literally stood up and started dancing and screaming. It was so unexpected. Getting off that after that first show was probably the best feeling I ever had. I went up there, killed it, came off stage and Britney found me and said, “We want you to continue the tour with us in Australia as well.” So, that was totally one of me favorite memories — so much fear and so much happiness.

Who is an artist you’re dying to collaborate with?
Janet Jackson, of course, because she’s my idol and I grew up with her. I just wanted to be Janet Jackson when I was growing up. I have all her DVDs and all her music videos. She’s so entertaining. Everything about her — demeanor personality and music — is mind-blowing. I would love to collaborate with her.

What is your summer jam this year?
I’ve got to say “Big Banana” by me and featuring R3hab and Prophet. That song is featured on my EP and it’s about “big bananas” and how good “big bananas” are. Its just so much fun. It’s kinky and has a crazy ass beat to it. It’s amazing and I’m going to toot my own horn.

Brown’s first EP, When the Lights Go Out, is now out in stores.

Welcome back to the Celebuzz Meet & Greet, where we talk with rising actors, musicians and entertainers before they hit it big. Watch out for these future A-listers!

Ainsley Bailey is shaking things up.

The young starlet recently reprised her role as the hilarious Dina Garcia on Disney Channel’s Shake It Up, where she met boyfriend Deuce Martinez’s identical cousin (both played by Adam Irigoyen). Needless to say, hilarity ensued.

So what do the Shake It Up cast have planned for the second season’s big finale?

Celebuzz caught up with Bailey to find out.

Tell us a little bit about your recent episodes.

It was really fun, because we haven’t done anything like it before, where you actually get to meet [Deuce's] identical cousin who gets into some interesting shenanigans. It was cool to see how they did all that because, of course, Adam was playing his identical cousin. I was just confused when it was going on. I don’t know how the director kept everything in check. He knew exactly where the camera needed to be and it was such a cool filming process for me.

So Shake It Up‘s season finale is coming up!

Yes! “Made in Japan.” I actually got to go to a screening of it last week. It’s so cute! I love it so much. I am planning on watching it again when it airs just because I love it so much. There’s a couple cool dances and they have some awesome guest stars on it. I think it just turned out really cool and I’m just so impressed what they were able to do in such a short time. The costumes and everything; it’s just really, really cool.

Can you tell us a little bit about the episode’s guest stars?

I’m not sure how much I’m allowed to say, but I can tell you they were very funny and I think they brought a lot of new dynamic to it. They really helped the story line and made things fresh, so I think it everyone is really going to like it.

What’s the dynamic between the regular castmembers like?

It’s so much fun. Originally, when I first came in for my very first episode, I was a little nervous because I knew the rest of the cast already knew each other. I was like, “Are they going to like me?” But everyone’s been very sweet and welcoming. Everyone is so funny. It’s just a great group of really fun, creative people. They’re an awesome group of hardworking people and I’m just so happy and grateful that I was welcomed into their little family.

Who would you say is the most hardworking of the entire cast?

I feel like everyone is in different ways. Bella [Thorne], Zendaya and Caroline [Sunshine] always amaze me with how quickly they can learn those dances. Davis [Cleveland], he’s so talented and so little. He’s just a kid. He’s really hardworking. Adam [Irigoyen] always cracks me up with his physical comedy. I think everyone works really hard at everything they bring to the show. It’s just really cool to watch.

What’s one memorable moment you’ve shared with the cast?

It’s funny because a lot of stuff that is memorable to me is stuff that I never really got to do in high school. I went to a really tiny high school that was for professional students, so we didn’t have normal stuff like pep rallies or school dances. In this last episode, there was a pep rally and Adam hadn’t been to one either, so we were so excited. It’s just been kind of fun to live out my missed high school days through the show. Those are always the most memorable for me.

Who is your dream guest star for Shake it Up?

I’m a huge fan of The Office. I think it would be so cool if anyone from that show could come in and play a teacher or something. It was also actually really cool when Maggie Wheeler guest-starred because I grew up watching Friends, so when I saw her name on the script, I freaked out. I was so excited.

Whose acting career do you want to emulate?

I have a lot of acting inspirations, but someone whose career I really admire is Ellen Page‘s. She’s done a lot of great comedies, but she’s also done some really cool dramatic things too. I just want to be really versatile — just be able to handle anything that comes my way. I think that she’s done a really great job of proving she can do that. I think she’s great in everything she does and I want to be that great in everything I do.

Where do you see yourself after the show?

I’m a huge fan of comedy. I love movies. I would love to do some really cool funny movies. I think it would be really cool to do some voiceover work for a movie — that’s been one of my acting dreams for a while. I just saw Brave yesterday and it would be so cool to do a voiceover for something like that. Basically, I just want to be a Disney princess.

Welcome back to the Celebuzz Meet & Greet, where we talk with rising actors, musicians and entertainers before they hit it big. Watch out for these future A-listers!

She may play a medic on sci-fi series Falling Skies, but actress Seychelle Gabriel admits she’ll be the first to head for the hills in the event of an actual alien invasion.

“I definitely would not be a medic,” she tells Celebuzz.

As medical student Lourdes on the hit TNT show, Gabriel, 21, is in charge of the tending to the last survivors after extraterrestrial species invade Boston, Mass.

Though the number of survivors are dwindling, Gabriel’s character has managed to get involved in a lot of drama. Seeing how she recently, erm, ran into a bit of rough patch with mechanic Jamil Dexter (Brandon Jay McLaren), will Gabriel see more romantic action from her first crush Hal (Drew Roy)?

Read on to find out.

Tell us a little bit about Falling Skies and how your character fits into the show.

It’s set in Boston. It starts six months after these aliens have come to earth and kind of wipe out the human population and reach war. We’re like these last straggling survivors that kind of banded together and made a community called the 2nd Mass, like the second Massachusetts. Our main thing is to fight off the aliens and survive. We are like a military, but also like a community in a sense. My character was a college student before the aliens attacked, so she kind of joined the medical unit as the paramedic.

Did you do any research for the role?

Yeah, I did. I read a lot of different things on nursing and medical blogs and stories people had. I talked to my aunt, who’s a nurse, and my friend who’s a Pre-Med student. I just kind of jumped into it.

What can fans expect this season?

A lot of really cool exciting stuff in the sense of action and taking the sci-fi element to the max. We’re introducing new aliens and new concepts with the aliens — how they function, work and communicate with us. It’s really deep into that this season.

What are your theories of the new breed of aliens?

I don’t know exactly where they came from or like what their position is in like the alien’s theocracy or what their function or why they’re there in the first place, which is what we ask ourselves a lot with the skitters. I would say what’s their position because they are obviously story figures and they have these harnesses on. They have been transformed to this uniformed race and we don’t know why they’re working for these guys and why they changed them to be like that.

You character kind of had a crush on Hal first season. Do you think there will ever be something between them?

I don’t know. Hal is busy. I think we’re all good.

If there was an alien invasion today, what position would you play?

I may just chill with those people with the guitars and drum and just kept everyone else entertained. Whether or not I could survive, I would definitely be the first person to hide instead of getting out there on the battle front. I would probably run up in the mountains with someone and just chill.

What’s your craziest fan encounter?

I haven’t really had crazy ones. I think it’s just like weird in general — like you’re sitting in the airport and someone will know my name and everything about me, and I have never seen them in my life. I don’t really have any crazy fan stories. Actually, our fans are just a bunch of nice people, so hopefully that won’t change.

Welcome back to the Celebuzz Meet & Greet, where we talk with rising actors, musicians and entertainers before they hit it big. Watch out for these future A-listers!

It’s not every day you get to eat White Castle with Morgan Freeman — but for 10-year-old Emma Fuhrmann, it was all in a days work.

The young actress appears alongside the Oscar-winner in the recently released The Magic Belle Isle, and Fuhrmann tells Celebuzz the cast really bonded over their burger lunches and costar Virginia Madsen’s themed workdays, such as “Mustache Mondays.”

What was the one advice she took from Freeman?

“He always said don’t feel pressured; don’t be nervous and there’s nothing to be nervous about,” Fuhrmann told us. “It’s okay.”

“I remember watching him and he was always in character and always practicing his lines, so that kind of told you to stay focused.”

Read on for the rest of our interview with Fuhrmann:

CB: Tell us a little bit about your audition process.

EF: I did a video audition. I sent my video audition in and about two weeks later, I got a call that [director Rob Reiner] wanted to see me in New York. So I flew out to New York to audition and about two hours later, I was offered the role.

CB: What were you doing when you were called?

EF: We were in the JFK Airport. We were just like sitting there and I couldn’t scream, so I just started crying in the middle of the airport. I bet people were looking at me like I was crazy.

CB: Walk us through your first day on set.

EF: They sent me to set to rehearse but it had rained the night before, so we couldn’t do the outdoor scene that we were going to do. I was thrown into a scene that was really big and long with Morgan, and I wasn’t prepared because it was set for day seven and not day one. None of us  knew our lines and that was the day me and Morgan really bonded.

CB: Were you nervous when you first met Morgan Freeman?

EF: When I’m in character I don’t really feel nervous!

CB: What is one memorable moment you had with him?

EF: Probably the one day that I had this big paragraph of lines. He worked me through it and he helped me with it. He was really like a dad to me.

CB: What is the one biggest thing that you will take away from this experience?

EF: Probably Virginia [Madsen]. She was really nice to everyone on set and she always was thinking about others. I think if I got to go on another movie, I would probably think about others and try to spend time with everyone and make everyone happy on set. That’s probably what I want to do because that’s  what she did. We had Mustache Mondays, White House Wednesday, Hawaiian Friday, and 80’s day. We did crafts, beads, jewelry, painting, drawing — all kinds of stuff. I mean, she was amazing.

CB: Did the whole cast join in?

EF: Everyone wore mustaches! Everyone ate White Castle! She did the drawings and paintings just for the girls so she could bond with us and actually be our real mom. I’m so blessed to have that experience in the first place.

CB: Whose career do you want to emulate?

EF: I would like to be like Claire Danes because she stopped acting and went to college. She had won a Golden Globe at a young age and she just did so many amazing things. I just want to be able to do that and still get an education.

CB: Do you think you’ll take a break from acting for school?

EF: I think I’ll stop acting go to college and then start it back up again.

CB: What subjects peak your interest at school right now?

EF: I’d like to be a fashion designer. I design all the time.

CB: What is next for Emma?

EF: There are things I can’t talk about right now, but a door opens and a door closes so I’ll just have to wait for God’s plan for the next thing to come up.

Welcome back to the Celebuzz Meet & Greet, where we talk with rising actors, musicians and entertainers before they hit it big. Watch out for these future A-listers!

With One Direction and Big Time Rush making their way to the top of the music charts, it seems like boy bands are in it for a major comeback these days.

Celebuzz recently caught up with Eric Secharia of the band Midnight Red — who opened for both New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys in 2011 — to chat about the recent influx of these pop supergroups.

What does he think about this season’s new crop of boy bands?

Read on to find out.

Do you think that boy bands are making a comeback?

Oh, hell yeah! I think the wrong kind boy bands are making a comeback. I’m just kidding, but boy bands are definitely coming back. I think it happens every ten or so years. ‘NSYNC was like the last major boy band that was out and that kind of disbanded around 2002. Now it’s 2012, and before NSYNC there was New Kids On The Block and Jackson Five. With every decade that passed, came along a new boy band — so it’s time.

How was your experience opening for New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys on the NKOTBSB tour?

The whole Backstreet Boys and New Kids tour was amazing. The year before, we performed for about forty people at this block party. The next show we had since then was 12,000 people in Las Vegas, and everyone screaming. It was surreal to think about it and it was an amazing experience. We got good advice from Brian [Littrell] and A.J. [MacLean]. We were all like close to them. It’s amazing to know that those two, who had such great careers, can be so nice. You never really think about their personality. You just kind of know what the internet tells you and what you can find out about them online.

What advice did Brian and A.J. give the band?

It was in Vegas. It was our soundcheck and they were doing their little meet and greet right before our soundcheck. A.J. stayed and watched, then said, “You guys are really good. Don’t let anything come between you five. You five are family. If you guys have problems, keep it inside and don’t let anyone see it. Stand together because once one person gets inside your mind, then it can infiltrate the group and probably hurt the group really bad.” He said to make sure we keep together and keep one opinion — to know who we are. From someone who lived it and is still living it, it was amazing advice.

Did that affect how the band functioned as a group?

I think we already did it. We don’t really have problems. Even though we’re five guys and five different opinions, we still get along. We live our lives and we don’t annoy each other. I think it was good. We do live by it. We don’t want to show any weakness in the group when there is none.

What are some of your backstage rituals with the band?

Personally for me, I have to have a ginger ale and listen to “The Final Countdown” and just scream. I have my big beats headphones on and I’m screaming this song to get me pumped. After that, like four or five minutes before we head to stage, we all come together, stand in a circle and pray. After the prayer, we all start this slow clap and I start barking really loudly just to get everyone pumped. That’s like our backstage rituals.

Were there any crazy fan encounters during the NKOTBSB tour?

It wasn’t really like a crazy fan encounter but wherever we were driving, there would be these fans that were at every stop where we stopped. They would always somehow end up at the same stop. It would be the weirdest thing. Anthony [Ladao] got offered cinnamon rolls but we didn’t want to push our luck.

Are there any artists out there that you’re dying to collaborate with?

Adam Levine would be the perfect person I’d want to do a collaboration with. I feel like for the group, it would have to be be Justin Timberlake. He would be a good collab. Bruno Mars would be a good collab, or Nicki Minaj would be pretty good too. You never know!

Speaking of Nicki, would you ever rap on a track then?

In one of the first songs we recorded with [producer] RedOne’s camp, I remember everyone was getting their singing parts because none of Red’s team knew our voices. They were like, “You sing this. You sing this. And Eric, you’re going to get the bridge — you’re going to get the breakdown but you’re going to rap.” And I’m like, “Wait, what?” They put this vocoder effect on my voice. I didn’t say a lot — it was like maybe ten words repeated over and over again — but since then I was like, “Yeah, I don’t want to rap anymore.”  I think I’m just going to stick to singing.

Get to know the band better. Watch Midnight Red’s new music video for “Hell Yeah” below.

Welcome back to the Celebuzz Meet & Greet, where we talk with rising actors, musicians and entertainers before they hit it big. Watch out for these future A-listers!

The island life has certainly influenced Bahamian singer-songwriter Angelique Sabrina in many ways.

Her debut single, “Pull Up,” has already been likened to Barbados-native Rihanna‘s island-tinged breakout hit, “Pon De Replay.” And the chart-topper is still climbing — and has even inspired its very own dance move!

How does Sabrina feel about being compared to RiRi? Celebuzz caught up with the singer to chat about her burgeoning career.

MTV has labeled you “the next Rihanna.” How do you feel about that?

I completely understand it. I am very honored to be compared to a woman like Rihanna because I can definitely relate to her — being from the islands and her being from Barbados. She has done a lot coming from the islands and I can look up to her as well.

Tell us a little bit about your upbringing on the islands.

My mom and my dad both make music. My mom sings and my dad plays piano. My dad is a producer, as well. They play for the church and we’d always go to rehearsals. I grew up around music with my dad, my grandmother and grandfather. I just was brought up in a very musical house.

from the islands to hollywood: rihanna through the years

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Aside from Rihanna, whose music career do you want to emulate?

I am really into Bruno Mars. I love Bruno Mars and I love Adele, Michael Jackson, James Brown, and Tony Bennet. I have a lot of different categories that I am into. If you look at my iTunes, I have a lot of different music. But I absolutely love Bruno Mars!

Who is your dream collaboration?

I think I would like to write with Bruno Mars because of his writing style. When I hear stories about the way he came up with certain songs, I think it is so amazing. I would love to write with him and be in the studio with him.

Do you have a guilty pleasure when it comes to music?

I listen to a lot of Disney. I have the classics, though. I have a complete playlist of the classics, like Cinderella and The Lion King. Also, I’m always listening to Broadway musical like Cats. I listen to a lot of Broadway classics. People probably wouldn’t guess that of me so I guess that is a guilty pleasure for me.

Aside from musicals, what would you say is your summer jam at this moment?

I would hope to say “Pull Up!” But I still kind of revisit Michael Jackson a lot. I was listening to Michael Jackson today, so I guess you could say that is my summer jam.

Check out the music video for Sabrina’s “Pull Up” below.

In the latest installment of Celebuzz‘s Meet & Greet, we talk with actor Geno Segers, best known for his role as ‘Mason Makoola’ in the Disney XD television series Pair of Kings.

Last season, Mitchel Musso bid farewell to the cast of Disney XD’s Pair of Kings and gave up King Brady’s throne to co-star Adam Hicks. With the series’ third season premiering this Monday, you bet there’ll be a new change in cast dynamics.

Celebuzz caught up with Segers, who plays political advisor Mason Makoola on the show, to dish about the upcoming season.

What can fans expect now that there’s a new king in town? Read on to find out.

Thing must be pretty exciting for Pair of Kings with the season premiere coming up.

Yes, they are! We have a new king on the block for lack of a better term. Of course, he is Adam Hicks and he is doing a wonderful job playing King Boz. We are all very excited about the new story line and the new added dynamic between king Boz and King Boomer (Doc Shaw). All very exciting. Of course, King Boz is a lot less interested in Mikayla (Kelsey Chow) than King Brady (Musso) — but it’s still all very interesting.

What’s the cast dynamic like now that a new lead is introduced?

It really didn’t miss a beat with Adam. We all knew who he was and I had an opportunity to work with Adam prior to him becoming King Boz. Of course, Ryan Ochula was familiar with him. It was really about finding and introducing him to Kelsey and finding the right place. When Mitchell Musso was on set and we were all like a huge family, we would go out to lunches together all the time. All five cast members would all go out to lunch and it was kind of cool. We got used to that and that sort of just picked up when Adam came through. It was something we were all accustomed to and he just fit right in.

Adam just wants to be better every day and as we all do. He brings humanity to the show. We are all very excited for him and for the show.

What can people expect in the future for the show?

Hilarity! His character was raised by apes for a little while, so he has some very funny tendencies. Adam does this thing with his feet and he’s already a very physically comedic type of person anyway. Having that extra flexibility to use his feet along with physical comedy is really funny. It’s just off the chart when he’s coupled with Doc Shaw. It’s really funny.

How would you describe your character on the show.

Mason is basically a very, very traditional, superstitious, protective islander who is the royal secretary to the kings. Basically, he protects the kings and is a protector of the island. He’s the head guard and he basically runs the show in terms of security for the entire island, as well as body guarding for the kings.

Tell us a little bit about playing Mufasa in The Lion King musical.

It was my first job. I’ve never auditioned for anything in musical theater. I just didn’t think it was a market for my voice.

The week that I was going to go on for as an understudy for Mufasa, they wrote me out of the show so I could see it. I’m thinking. “I’ve done 200 shows — no big deal. I’ll just watch the show.” Well, when the “Circle of Life” came on, I started crying. I couldn’t control it. I was like “Why am I crying?”

You’ve worked in TV and on stage. Which medium do you prefer?

That’s a hard one because as strange as it sounds, I really don’t feel like I’m actually doing television. I feel like I’m still on stage. It’s the first medium that I was accustomed to. To me, I’m still in stage but in reality I’m still in front of the camera. A few things I had to learn. To say what I had to prefer, I would say both are kinda one in the same.

Would be game for another musical?

I would be absolutely game because I class myself as a singer first. I’m annoying everyone on set because I’m always singing.

I would absolutely say yes to the right project. It would have to be something that I basically moved to do. For me, it’s all about the story and the telling of the story through music. My appreciation for music would not allow me to overlook something like that.

Catch Pair of Kings’ season premiere at 8:30 PM ET/PT on Disney XD.

Welcome back to the Celebuzz Meet & Greet where we talk with rising actors, musicians and entertainers before they hit it big. Watch out for these future A-listers!

She may only be 14 years old, but Sierra McCormick has become one of Disney’s hottest stars. Her hit series, A.N.T. Farm, recently premiered its second season and the shows no signs of slowing down.

Celebuzz recently had a chance to sit down with the young actress to chat about what fans can expect from this season. McCormick not only spoke about which Disney XD actor will be popping up in an upcoming episode, but she also spilled on her dream guest stars!

CELEBUZZ: What can fans expcet from this upcoming season of A.N.T. Farm?

McCORMICK: We have a pretty good reason to be excited because this season is jam packed with a lot more fun stuff, almost as fun as last season. We have crazy episodes. We have plenty of costumes. We have super fun really cool guest stars. We have some dance routines and some new songs. It’s a big, huge smorgasbord of fun this season.

Can you tell us any guest stars that will be making an appearance this season?

We’ll have Billy Unger from Lab Rats this season!

Who is your dream guest star?

My dream guest star on the show would probably be Andy Samberg from The Lonely Island and Saturday Night Live. He is super funny and is great with improv and stuff. It would just be really fun to have him.

Walk us through a regular day on set.

It depends on the day of the week. On a Monday, we usually have a table read and everyone sits down to read the script out loud. From that, we rehearse a little and then go home. On Tuesday, I get there at 7 a.m. and do school and then start rehearsing for a writers’ run-through — that’s when all the writers come and we rehearse it on the set. On Wednesday, I do school again and then the network run-through — that’s when all the people from Disney come and watch us act it out on set. On Thursday, we tape stuff that is more special effect heavy or a dance number. On Friday, we have a live audience taping and then we stay and sign autographs. My favorite part of the week is Friday!

A lot of Disney stars like Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez go on to do bigger and better things like films and music. Whose career to you do you want to emulate?

Jodie Foster. She might be like an older star but I feel like she did well for herself. She is a huge movie star and she went off to do other major films afterwards. I think that’s a good path to set for yourself.

Speaking of the future, where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Let’s see, I’ll be 24. I would have finished college and I’ll probably be doing movies.

Any subjects you’d like to study?

I love music. I also like creative writing. I love writing because I also feel that is a great form of self expression. I took psychology as an elective this year and I really, really liked it.

A.N.T Farm airs at 8:30 PM PT on Disney Channel.

Welcome back to the Celebuzz Meet & Greet where we talk with rising actors, musicians and entertainers before they hit it big. Watch out for these future A-listers!

Billy Unger has a lot to be happy about. Apart from recently getting renwed for another season of Lab Rats on Disney XD, the 16-year-old is working with some of the industry’s biggest pranksters.

Celebuzz recently had a chance to sit down with the rising star to chat about what fans can look forward to in the next season of Lab Rats and what on set hi-jinx the cameras aren’t privy to behind the scenes.

What did Billy’s costars Kelli Burglund and Spencer Boldman do to his dressing room one night that left his jaw on the floor?

“They stayed two and a half hours after I left set for this one prank. When I came into work the next morning and unlocked my door, absolutely everything was covered in tin foil,” Billy said, laughing. “The couches, the pillow, the hangers, the toothbrushes, the toilet itself was covered in tin foil. They thought of everything.”

“I really have to give them a round of applause,” he added.

As for Lab Rats season two, Billy told us that there’ll be a lot more from his character, Chase Davenport.

“I think a lot of people responded to the character really well in season one,” he said. “There were a lot of laughs for Chase and they threw in some action scenes which I really love because I love doing action fight scenes. I think you’re probably going to see more of that from Chase come season two.”

Catch more of Billy’s interview above!

Welcome back to the Celebuzz Meet & Greet where we talk with rising actors, musicians and entertainers before they hit it big. Watch out for these future A-listers!

David Clayton Rogers may play Erica Dasher‘s older brother on Jane By Design, but the 34-year-old actor admits to Celebuzz that his real-life rock is none other than his wife, Sally Pressman.

The couple, who met at Lesley Kahn’s Acting Studio, tied the knot in September 2011 but have since been hard at work in different states — with David filming in California while Sally shoots Army Wives in South Carolina.

So is David planning to start a family with wife anytime soon? Read on to find out.

Tell our readers about your role on your show.

I am a brother, advisor and sometimes live in idiot of the title character. I came to take care of her after our dad passed away and our mom left when we were kids. It’s sort of like an arrested development as in a grown-up raising another kid.

Do you feel like you’re a big brother to costar Erica Dasher in real life?

I am there in a very much a big brother role for her when she needs to put her head on my shoulder between scenes so she could literally fall asleep. She works so hard. From a familial comfort level, I serve the role of big brother sometimes. As far as raising her on the show, not at all. She is an unbelievable pro. I was so impressed from day one. We were sitting there on set and she was talking about some documentary she had just seen about cave paintings and how the line between art and science in Europe is loosely defined, and then she runs over and shoots a scene where she’s all giggly and tongue-tied because the dreamy guy at school is talking to her. She is incredibly capable of switching between this sort of “I’m pretending to be a grown up” and “I’m a teenage girl” sort of energy. She really doesn’t need a lot of help growing up on set.

You got married in September. How’s the newlywed life treating you?

It’s good! As soon as my wife finish with her show, which films in South Carolina, it will be even better! We manage to see each other every three weeks, even if it’s just for a weekend. It’s very hard but I feel it’s actually easier as newlyweds. Sometimes, when you’re dating someone and you’re at a distance, there’s still something up in the air as if it’s going to work out. There’s just something mentally easier to know that my wife is over there. The connection is just stronger. But thank God for Skype!

What advice would you give to Hollywood couples who are in long distance relationships?

I think for anyone in a long distance relationship, the key is to stay connected. You have to make sure to stay in regular contact. Technology makes it really easy – even if you’re playing something seemingly silly as Draw Something, there’s just something in watching her draw a volcano or a gazelle that helps you stay connected.

Are there any plans to start a family soon, or are you planning to wait to see where your career takes you?

Yes, we are planning to start a family sooner rather than later. I think that having a baby is something that gets you out of your comfort zone and changes your life all in positive ways. I think it’s something that can happen concurrently with a career.

We can’t wait to see a mini David walking around!

We do currently have a dog that stays with her most of the time and it’s amazing to see how much the dog has adopted her personality. It’s just incredible. Sally is just such a strong-headed person so now I have Sally and this miniature Sally in an eight-pound dog form. If that’s any indication, our kids will certainly have a lot of our personalities!

What are some of your bad habits that you wouldn’t want your kids to inherit?

I am a glorious procrastinator. I’ve joked before that I even put off procrastinating. Sally describes my thought pattern as spindles – little wires of ideas that pop off and bang into each other. It’s a fun way to live but can also be tough to get to the post office or make sure there’s gas in the car. It’s great that Sally’s a type A where she has a list of things to get done. In a kid, I would want some of my spindle thoughts and some of her type A together. I think that would come together well.

Be sure to catch David in Jane By Design, returning to ABC Family on June 5 at 9 pm.

Welcome back to the Celebuzz Meet & Greet, where we talk with rising actors, musicians and entertainers before they hit it big. Watch out for these future A-listers!

Watch out Lady Gaga! A new rising star is hot on your heels!

Guinevere–whose debut video Celebuzz premiered last fall–is a “dark pop” princess with an eclectic sense of style. Last week, the “Crazy, Crazy” singer kicked off her tour with Backstreet Boy Nick Carter. On her stop at New York City’s Irving Plaza, Celebuzz chatted with the 21-year-old performer about her first musical memory, favorite fashion designer, and dream collaborations.

First of all, what was it like to work with Nick?

Donning a leather outfit and dark blue feathers, Guinevere gushed about her experience working with the ’90′s boy band member, saying:

” After my first show, he was like ‘ya know, great job.’ I was like ‘oh my gosh, a Backstreet Boy just said that to me!’”

Her stage persona Guinevere is drawn from a deep passion for Arthurian legend and love of music from an early age. In first grade, she entered a talent competition and covered Beach Boys’ “Surfer Girl.” Way cool!

Recently, a brand new season of American Idol hit the air waves. Needless to say, when asked about her desire to ever audition for the show, she expressed her need for creative control. “I really like having all the creative control as an artist. It’s a big risk taking it in this direction. I get to pick the single I want to release. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she confessed.

As a fashion-forward rocker–with strong futuristic influence from Star Trek– she digs Alexander McQueen and draws inspiration for her shows from pop diva’s Beyonce and Gwen Stefani. On dream collaborations, the “Liar” songstress didn’t mention Beyonce, but noted that she would love to work with Robert Plant and Led Zepplin. Well then, she has our vote!

Take a listen to her current single “Crazy, Crazy” and let us know what you think!

Welcome back to the Celebuzz Meet & Greet, where we talk with rising actors, musicians and entertainers before they hit it big. Watch out for these future A-listers!

He may only be in his ‘teens but Deion Gill has already established himself as a heavy-hitter on YouTube. The young singer has over 10, 000 subscribers on his channel and his fans are blowing up his Twitter everyday. From the looks of it, Deion might very well be the next Justin Bieber!

We recently sat down with the rising star to talk about his music, his newfound home in Los Angeles, and his huge female following.

Tell us a little bit about how you got started on YouTube.

Basically, I kind of just started making music when I was about 12 and eventually started putting tracks up on YouTube. I started sharing them with my friends and it kind of took off from there — more and more people started sharing it and posting on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and different websites. It kind of just spread around. 

Were you involved in music in school, or was it strictly an online hobby?

I’ve been surrounded by music my entire life — a lot of my family was doing music, like my grandfather. I was in my school band and my church choir when I was in middle school. After that, I started making music digitally and got into recording in home studio that I made myself. Eventually, started putting tracks on YouTube.

You made your own home studio?

Yeah! I watched a lot of YouTube tutorials on that and I put together a home studio overtime by asking for birthday presents, Christmas presents, and just all different types of equipment I needed. Once I had it all set up, I went from there.

Speaking about your grandfather, I know that he was a jazz musician and your family is very musical. Who are your other musical influences?

Lately, I have been listening to a lot of Michael Jackson, Chris Brown — a lot of soulful artists like Boys II Men and Frank Ocean as well.

Check out Deion’s new music video “Perfection” below!

Who are you dying to collaborate with next?

Well, I’m sort of focusing on developing my own sound right now and experimenting with making my own music. That’s basically what I’m more focused on right now.

You’re originally from Boston and moved to LA to pursue a music career. What’s the biggest difference between these two cities?

Los Angeles is has a lot more of a fast-lived lifestyle and a lot more palm trees. Also, it’s like maybe 30 or 40 degrees in Boston. It’s really different.

Looking through your Twitter and Facebook, I noticed that you have a lot of lady fans who adore you. What do you look for in a girl?

Something different. Someone who can stand out from a crowd. Every girl is beautiful in their own way and what I’m looking for is a girl who really stands out, like a girl that catches your eye when you walk into a room.

Are there any girls who have caught your eye? Or is there one that has?

[Laughs] Maybe…

What advice do you have for young artists looking to get discovered?

Don’t stop doing what you’re doing and make sure that you have confidence in yourself.

What is the best advice that someone has given you? 

A while ago, my father told me that I need to make sure what I do is different — to make sure that you make your own sound that’s different from everyone else.

Welcome back to the Celebuzz Meet & Greet, where we talk with rising actors, musicians and entertainers before they hit it big. Watch out for these future A-listers!

We here at Celebuzz are suckers for soulful voices. So, when we first heard James Morrison on our stereo, our hearts skipped a beat and we were converted to fans ever since.

James’ new album, The Awakening, spent two weeks at the top of the UK charts while his collaboration with Jessie J received over a million views on YouTube just after a week of its release. Did we mention that most of his shows in England and Ireland have already been sold out?

We recently had a quick chat with the British musician about his work and how it has changed since becoming a first-time father.

How did you get your start into music?

I sang at a bar when I was 9 and thought, “I really like this”. I was lucky that, years later, I was discovered in an open-mic night and took it from there!

Who were your musical influences growing up?

Stevie Wonder, Van Morrison, James Taylor, Jackie Wilson. People with great voices and a good sound! 

Walk us through your song-writing process.

I pick a guitar up, mess around for a few hours until I find something I like, and then start sculpting the song. Sometimes, I get a lyric idea and run with that first.

Has becoming a father changed your song-writing/performing process at all?

Yeah, I just want to write better more meaningful songs that will stay around.

Tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind the name of your new album, The Awakening.

I felt a new sense of life and wanted to have an album title that matches it. I had already written “The Awakening” about my daughter and it just slotted right into place.

Check out James’ collaboration with Jessie J below!

What do you want fans to take away from your music?

I want them to feel a relation between what they feel and what I am expressing through music — to see an honest collection of songs that are different to each other that are relatable.

Who are you dying to collaborate with next?

No one. Collaborations are great but take a lot of work to pull together — three collaborations are enough for me!

Who is your music guilty pleasure?

I never really feel guilty about listening to music. But sometimes, when I’m driving if I feel stressed out, I put the classical music station on and it makes me feel calm — and Jedward! 

If you can only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what will it be?

Whatever album I take would become annoying if that’s all you had to listen to. I’d take a guitar instead and write a new song everyday!

The Awakening is in stores now. If you like what you hear, be sure to check out more of James’ work HERE.

Welcome back to the Celebuzz Meet & Greet, where we talk with rising actors, musicians and entertainers before they hit it big. Watch out for these future A-listers!

There’s no doubt that we’ve all been on YouTube in search of hilarious videos, music from our favorite artists or to see someone cover a familiar song. What we don’t always expect is YouTube user to break out and make a name for herself. Well, major music contender and singing sensation Christina Grimmie has done just that and Celebuzz got a chance to talk to her about her journey to stardom!

Christina’s YouTube channel has received over 100 million views and is filled with videos of her recording amazing covers from popular songs. Accompanied by just a piano, she has gained more than one million subscribers on her channel over the last year! At just 17 years old, her first EP debuted at #31 on the Billboard chart and she recently ended a summer tour with Allstar Weekend and Selena Gomez + The Scene.

Recently, Christina was chosen as one of three up-and-coming artists to compete in the Coca-Cola collaboration project. Her fans voted her as the winner and she will now have the honor of performing at the Coca-Cola Red Carpet Live at the AMA’s this Sunday!

How did you start your music and YouTube channel?

When I was little, I always sang — always messed around with the piano. I’ve always been into music and YouTube didn’t come along until I was 15. My friend told me to put a video up and I didn’t want to do it. She said I should just do it and I gave it a shot and, well, here I am!

How has your life changed now there’s all this attention given to you?

I’m traveling a lot now. I have so many awesome fans that I love and they are kind of like family. I’ve really gotten to bond with them and I’m getting to really make music which is what I’ve always wanted to do.

This summer you got to show your music by touring with Selena Gomez + The Scene. How was that?

That was really awesome. I expected to be a lot more homesick than I was. It went really well and just getting to sing every night was really unbelievable. You know you love something when you’re comfortable singing in front of tons of people who maybe don’t know who you are and just want to see Selena. But I just want to sing!

What was something that you didn’t expect while on tour?

I certainly did not expect the amount of fans that I actually did have out there. I would do the signings after the entire show each night and there were so many people and, to me, that was mind blowing. I was like, “Why are there so many people at a Selena Gomez concert for me?” I got a lot of people saying, “I didn’t come here for Selena, I came here for you.” Hearing that is like insane and it means so much to me and I love them.

So you will be performing on this weekend’s American Music Awards! Are you nervous?

Well, I’ve performed for quite a bit of people on the Selena tour so I’m not really concerned about the crowd. Singing with Taio (Cruz) is going to be so awesome, because I love him. I met him and he’s very nice and I’m comfortable with him. It’s just going to be a good time. I’m just anticipating a good time. We’re singing his song “Higher” in a duet.

How do you choose what songs you are going to cover and do next?

It depends a lot of the time on what’s popular. You have to do what’s popular because people are going to search it. But, on the other end, you have to do what you want to do and I don’t always do what’s popular. Recently, I’ve been trying to get back into that groove because I just recently got off tour and had more time.

Who would you want to work with in the future being that you get to perform with Taio this weekend?

I’ve always wanted to sing a simple duet with Christina Aguilera because she is my main vocal inspiration and she has been for, like, two years. I haven’t really been into her super super long but I can tell you that these past two years that I have been listening to her, my voice is a lot stronger than before. She has really inspired me to belt it and push myself beyond what I would.

What’s coming up for you? What’s next?

After the AMA’s, I will be moving to L.A. in January to hopefully get more things done, and in the New Year I hope to maybe, possibly, get a new record out!

Tune in to catch Christina perform at the AMA’s this Sunday, November 20th on ABC. Be sure to visit her YouTube channel for more amazing covers!

Welcome back to the Celebuzz Meet & Greet, where we talk with rising actors, musicians and entertainers before they hit it big. Watch out for these future A-listers!

She may only be 18 years old but Lily Halpern has already worked with a lot of musical heavy hitters.

Lily, who just wrapped up a tour with pop sensation Big Time Tush, recently sat down with Celebuzz to chat about her past and future plans. Lily also spilled the beans on her BTR tourmate crush and, more importantly, which member has been crushing on her!

You toured with Big Time Rush this fall. What was it like on the road with the boys?

It was so much fun — just being able to hang out and be around the guys was great because previous to that I always toured with kids a lot younger than me. So it was great to hang out and I learned a lot from them because they’re such seasoned performers.

I heard that you’ve also toured with Cody Simpson. That’s awesome!

Yeah, that was my first major tour! Just being able to be a part of that with Cody and Grayson [Chance], who are two of the sweetest guys in the world, was great. It was such a great thing for me to start with because both of them had their families there and it was such a welcoming environment. It was pretty wonderful!

Speaking of beginnings, tell us a little about how you got into music and why you wanted to become a musician.

Well, it was one of those things where I just can’t really imagine doing anything else. I was a senior in high school and everyone was really excited about the colleges they were going to and what major they were going to choose — and for me it was just music. I couldn’t really have that excitement about anything else.

Do you ever think about going to school?

Well, I applied to a bunch of colleges because I went to a pretty intense prep school. It was one of those things where I didn’t know how to tell my parents that I wanted to move to New York and give it a go to become a pop star. Everything happened so quickly that I had to quit school as soon as I moved. I still do want to go to college and eventually I know I will, but right now my main focus is music. 

How did your parents react when you told them you were moving to New York?

I think that’s one of the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I don’t really have a musical family — they’re all about sports so I was kind of the outcast. My brother was a big athlete and I was the one sitting in a corner writing music and day-dreaming. When I told them I was going to New York, they weren’t the happiest people in the world — but they love me and they support me and once all these great things started happening, they realized this wasn’t the worst idea in the world.

Since we’re talking about great things, your new video “Colors” stars Grey Damon from Nine Lives of Chloe King! Tell us about meeting him for the first time.

You don’t see anyone that good-looking in real life! Just seeing him in person — he is just so gorgeous! We had a lot of chemistry. We got to be pretty good friends pretty quickly. I get to see him a lot now when I go to LA. He is an amazing actor and a beautiful man.

You can say you’ve worked with a lot of people in the entertainment industry then. Who are you dying to collaborate with next?

I think it’ll be really fun to collaborate with Jason Derulo. We work with a lot of the same people and we’ve hung out a lot. We’ve been to each other’s concerts and release parties but we’ve never gone into the studio together. I think it would be really fun. 

You also have a love song called “Wishlist”. Who is on your wishlist of celebrity crushes?

Ryan Reynolds is beautiful! But as for people I actually know that I think are good people, probably James Maslow from Big Time Rush. We spent a lot of time together on tour. He’s really a wonderful person. He loves dogs and I love dogs and we’re pretty good friends. I definitely have a bit of a crush on him.

Well, it’s not as awkward now that you’re not touring with him anymore.

No, it’s so funny! He was in a popstar magazine and he me called and told me he told the magazine he had a crush on me. I was like, “Oh my God! I have a crush on you too!” All of the Big Time Rush guys are so cool. They’re so down to earth with the amount of celebrity they are. They’re all in Canada right now so I kind of miss them.

Welcome back to Celebuzz’s Meet & Greet, where we sit down and chat with rising young stars of film, television and music before they hit the big time. Watch out for these future A-listers!

Ever since her first single “Jar of Hearts” became an international smash hit and was featured on the “Prom Queen” episode of Glee, Christina Perri‘s star has been on the rise. The 26-year-old singer recently chatted with Celebuzz about her most recent song “A Thousand Years” off of the Breaking Dawn, Part 1 soundtrack, the upcoming promotional tour and whether she’s Team Jacob or Team Edward.

Congrats on “A Thousand Years” it’s such a beautiful song. What was your inspiration for the track?

Thank you. The inspiration came from the day that I screened the movie in July. I had to keep it so secret. I went, and I screened the movie at one of the studios and went right home and wrote the song. So it’s really, really simple. It’s just purely based on the love story between Edward and Bella.

How were you first approached to be on the Breaking Dawn soundtrack?

I’m signed to Atlantic Records which puts out the soundtrack through Chop Shop [Records]. They all knew that I’m a gigantic Twi-hard and it’s my favorite books and movies, so I think that my name came up not only because I’m a current artist right now but because I’m a huge fan. They asked me if I would want to write on it [the soundtrack] and of course I said yes. Then to be able to screen the movie, I remember that being the greatest thing ever and if nothing came of it I was going to be completely satisfied with all these parts. I was just so happy to be included or even have the chance [to be a part of the soundtrack]. It kind of happened really fast, but like I said I couldn’t say a word to anybody, and I kept forgetting that it was even in the works. Then all of a sudden the announcement came out for the soundtrack, and I was on it! Nobody confirmed anything until it was public. So it was a really exciting thing to find out at the same time the whole world found out.

Must have been nerve wrecking.

Yeah, I couldn’t tell my friends and my family, and I was so afraid that if I mentioned anything to anyone that somehow someone would hear me, and I would be murdered. [laughs] I was so terrified of saying anything so it seems like it happened really fast, but it was over the course of a couple of months. 

You mentioned that you screened the movie and then wrote the song and it represents the love between Bella and Edward. Can you elaborate a little bit more on that?

Honestly, what got me and why I’m such a gigantic fan is the love story. It’s almost like a Romeo & Juliet, but with vampires. That’s how I’ve always looked at the books. I fell in love with those books in 2009 and just melt over the story. I completely fell for it and when I went to write the song it was really simple for me because this movie is the most beautiful movie out all of them, in my opinion. There are three key parts to this movie: the wedding, the honeymoon and then the pregnancy. But the wedding and the honeymoon vibe is so beautiful, so loving, so pure and almost classic. So when I went home to write this song, I wasn’t going to write a song about the pregnancy of a vampire child. [laughs] It was pretty clear that I was going to write about the really beautiful love story. This song has kind of been floating inside me for a couple of years ,and I just couldn’t wait to get it out. It’s definitely one of my most classical songs that I’ve ever written as far as simplicity and instrumentation. This is the brightest and prettiest song I have written.

You mentioned you’re a huge Twihard. What’s your favorite book or movie out of the series?

It’s so funny. I compare it to the Godfather because it’s hard to say if you like one or two better. For me, it’s hard to say if I like one or four better because the first one seems very classic, and it’s the one that got me hooked, but the fourth one, which is this first part,  is all of the things we’ve been waiting for. I sound really dorky now, but one and four are definitely my favorites.

Which team are you on: Team Jacob or Team Edward?

Team Edward. I mean, come on, she marries Edward! 

You’re going to go on the Breaking Dawn promotional tour soon. Are you excited about that?

I can’t even think about it without getting sweaty. I’m so nervous. I mean I’m really excited to meet the cast and to be on this private jet flying all over the country. I’m going to lose my shit. I’m so excited. 

Are you excited to see all of the fans or a little nervous?

I didn’t think about that until just recently somebody said that to me, ‘Aren’t you scared of these crazy Twihards?’ I don’t think of them as fans because I feel like a Twihard. I feel like they’re my people and should be in the audience screaming and stuff. I definitely think they’re going to be really passionate, and I’ve heard nothing but wonderful responses. I’m so stoked and honored that everybody really likes the song so I at least imagine that they’re not going to hate me and throw anything at me. I think they’re going to be really awesome and blow my mind as far as their passion and excitement. 

Robert Pattinson and Jackson Rathbone (Jasper) are also musicians. Can you see yourself acting in the future?

Yeah, I couldn’t say no only because I did theater growing up. So it’s always been hand in hand [music & acting]. I say I’d see myself more on Broadway than in a movie, but if the opportunity were to come up I definitely wouldn’t turn it down. 

If you could have any role in the Twilight series, which one would it be?

Oh man, well I couldn’t not be Bella. How could I not want to make out with Rob Pattinson? Come on now! 

Since you’ve seen the movie already, is there anything that you can tell us? Maybe a little sneak?

If I told you anything, I’m pretty sure I’d be murdered. But, I will tell you that being a Twi-hard that it’s my favorite one and that everyone is going to be very happy and that they should bring some tissues.

Would you like to be write another song for the Breaking Dawn Part 2?

Yeah, I would love to! Just to be included would be an honor and if they ask me again I’m certainly not going to say no. It’s been such an incredible journey for me so far.

Welcome back to the Celebuzz Meet & Greet, where we talk with rising actors, musicians and entertainers before they hit it big. Watch out for these future A-listers!

Peyton List may look familiar if you caught movies like, 27 Dresses, Remember Me, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, but this young starlet is about to take television by storm. The 13-year-old actress is now one of the stars of Disney’s much anticipated series, Jessie, which premiered on Friday night on the Disney Channel.

Celebuzz recently caught up with Peyton on the set of Jessie, and we chatted about her new role, working with Debby Ryan, and which Twilight character she would love to see make a guest appearance on the new show. Check out the interview to find out who she chose!

The set is amazing!
It is! We just got a subway car set and my favorite has to be the living room because I love all of our faces on the wall.

Tell me about your character, Emma.
My character Emma is the only biological child in the family. She’s very bubbly and very positive. She’s definitely a fashionista. She loves mixing together different patterns and colors – kind of like me. We definitely collaborated on Emma’s wardrobe.

Who do you look to for fashion tips and style?
I have my own style. I go to boutiques and vintage stores and mix stuff with bright colors.

What are Emma’s feelings towards her brothers and sisters every time a new sibling comes in?
She’s pretty welcoming. She really just wants her parents’ attention. They’re not around much because they have such busy schedules, but she’s welcoming to her siblings. They definitely have their moments where they’re fighting, but I think they’re really good friends. I have twin brothers and a younger brother in real life. I feel like Luke [Cameron Boyce] and Emma are like one of my brothers and me. With Jessie [Debby Ryan], Emma is definitely owning up to Jessie. She doesn’t know what to expect because they have a new nanny all the time, so she’s trying to see what jessie is like. She’s trying to get to know her.

What’s it like to work with Debby Ryan who can now be considered a Disney veteran?
Debby’s my role model. She’s like a big sister. We do a lot of stuff together. She took us to Disneyland and we got to go to the front of the line and ride all the rides. She also just got us a bunny named Casanova. Whenever we do good in school we get to take him home for a day or a weekend.

A lot of Disney kids love to branch out into things like singing or fashion designing. Is that something you’re interested in?
I love to sing and dance. I’ve been dancing since I was 4. I would love to try both of them.

Who would you like to see make a guest appearance on Jessie?
We all definitely want to see Taylor Lautner come in!

Make sure to catch Peyton, as well as Debby Ryan, on Jessie on Friday nights at 9 PM on the Disney Channel.