Ashley Michelle Tisdale (born July 2, 1985) is an American model, actress and singer. After appearing in several television roles during the late 1990s and early 2000s, she became known to young audiences for playing Maddie on the Disney Channel sitcom The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Sharpay Evans in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical.

Tisdale was born in West Deal, New Jersey. Her parents are Lisa Morris and Mike Tisdale, and her older sister is Jennifer, also an actress. She is of Jewish ancestry, and her maternal grandfather is Arnold Morris, the developer of Ginsu Knives; Tisdale is also related to businessman Ron Popeil. Tisdale was discovered by her current manager, Bill Perlman, at her hometown mall in Monmouth County, New Jersey when she was three. She began acting appearing in stage productions of Gypsy: A Musical Fable and The Sound of Music at the Jewish Community Center of Monmouth County. She sang for Bill Clinton at the White House when she was twelve years old.