Bart Johnson Reflects on ‘High School Musical’ & Negative Impact Movie Had on His Career

Bart Johnson is taking fans back almost 20 years when the Wildcats first ruled Disney Channel. The actor known as demanding Coach Jack Bolton reminisces about High School Musical through a limited series podcast “Get Your Head in the Game with Bart Johnson.” Each installment of the iHeartPodcasts offering will surely get listeners feeling nostalgic as Johnson shares stories and memories from the set.

He also brings on cast members including Alyson Reed (drama teacher Ms. Darbus), producers, dancers, choreographers and more to talk about their experiences on the film. One that made the likes of Johnson’s onscreen son Zac Efron (Troy Bolton), Vanessa Hudgens (Gabriella Montez), Ashley Tisdale (Sharpay Evans), Corbin Bleu (Chad Danforth) and others overnight sensations.

Here Johnson gets candid about revisiting the making of HSM, what it did to his career and more.

Disney

How did the podcast come about?

Bart Johnson: There is something about being an adult in the cast. I’ve worked enough years before the movie to know how special this one was. I’ve always kind of embraced it and kept a certain perspective. We’re all working actors, but this is so special. You’re not going to do another movie that resonates with young people and means so much to so many people around the world ever again. This is a gift. The last two years I’ve been thinking about doing something for the fans because I feel like I’m the biggest fan of the High School Musical fans.

I appreciate them so much, and they’ve been good to me. I thought about what I could do for them. Everybody in the cast has been interviewed a million times, but nobody has been interviewed by someone in the trenches with them. I know things real Wildcat fans will want to hear. Let’s just tell stories and talk about experiences as living through the experiences with them gave me a lot of insight into their experience. I feel like I can mine some new and interesting things people have never heard of before.

What can people expect from each installment? Any rumors you hope to set the record straight on?

It’s interesting to hear some of the rumors. We talk about where those come from and why do people believe it. The whole frenemies or was there conflict between characters or did they really hate each other on set. Was it a publicity stunt that Zac and Vanessa were together? Did the studio manufacture it? No, I was there. I saw it all. It was a real relationship. It was so cute, and they were so great. They were so charming throughout the whole experience. So, it’s that kind of stuff with trivia, rumors, but there is also meaningful stuff like personal experiences going from that tiny little movie we did to a pretty big global phenomenon. It’s a special thing that resonates with so many people.

When was the moment you knew this movie was special?

I just have to pay homage to Kenny Ortega. The dude is a genius. I’ve known him forever. My mom funny enough was his hair stylist on a couple of projects. He did a musical called Hull High. He was ahead of his time. Then he did Newsies. My mom Charlene was his hair stylist. I hung out on set and got to know Christian Bale and Ele Keats and all the different cast Newsies my age. It got me thinking of this as a career. I met Kenny, who is directing these amazing movies.

Then of course he did Hocus Pocus, so I knew he did these big important things. I knew when Disney Channel brought him that he would approach this movie the same way he would a $100 million movie. He put his heart and soul in the movie. He’d do a 16-hour day, and we’d go to dinner where he is talking about my character. There was no off switch. He was on a mission to bring back musicals. Then I remember we were filming “Stick to the Status Quo” in the cafeteria of East High. It was so big and incredible. I was watching the monitors, and it was almost like Kenny was painting on a canvas making magic happen. I think it was the musical numbers that really felt epic.

Disney

What would you say the success of the movie did for your career? I can see how it could be a double-edged sword.

Honestly, and I think a lot of people have a hard time believing this, but I’d say it took about 10 years. I had already done a TV series with Warner Brothers and some really cool movies. Then I got this job and the movie was so big. Imagine an agent trying to pitch this really cool show for HBO and saying, “hey, we got the dad from High School Musical.” They may be like, “well, we’re interested in the kids and new talent. Tell us about those guys.” They didn’t want the dad, so I think some time had to pass or maybe I went to actor jail for a decade or so.

I did smaller movies for a long time. I always worked, which I’m grateful for. I did a ton of guest spots, recurring roles and about 75 movies or so since then. It has been good, but now it’s different and kind of cool. The movie is not as new, so it’s nostalgic and iconic in its status. Now it opens all sorts of doors. Everyone was blowing up when the movie came out, and I thought, ‘here we go!” It took a little time. Now it’s great. The people who grew up with the movie are now producing movies and can give me jobs. That part is nice too. The fanbase is important too as that is global. That matters when you are trying to get casted in a show.

Is there a set you wish you’ve been on more or having a character fleshed out more?

I love comedies, but I did my first horror movie during COVID called Held where it all took place under lockdown in a house. We made this independent film. I liked that because the stakes were so high because someone was always going to die. I like dramas. I did Yellowstone and recurring on Landman now. The Taylor Sheridan world, I can die there and do that for the rest of my career. It’s so fun. What he has created, the dialogue and characters, I could be on a horse and live my years on a Taylor Sheridan show.

You also had a spot on All American where you played a coach.

That was so fun. Great show. The cast was amazing. It was the only time in my life on set where on breaks we’d do pushups. Those guys were killing me. They were great. I love that cast.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA – MAY 10: (L-R) Robyn Lively, Bart Johnson and Kate Johnson attend iHeartRadio’s 102.7 KIIS FM Wango Tango at Huntington City Beach on May 10, 2025 in Huntington Beach, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Your wife Robyn Lively also has a nostalgic fanbase for Teen Witch. She is regularly working like yourself. How do you find the balance between work and home life?

I feel so fortunate in so many ways. I feel like we’ve had this personal balance between home and work. We’ve never been TV series regulars at the same time. Our jobs overlapped very few times. When she’s off at a job, I’m Mr. Mom at home with the kids. I’m running the show, and I love it. I wouldn’t trade a minute of it. Then when I do a job, she’s home. We’ve been so lucky. The first 20 years of our marriage we never worked together. I think the first thing we may have done together is 9-1-1: Lone Star.

I got this audition for a part, and it was the dummy side where they wouldn’t tell me the character. They told me I had to commit to playing the role before I knew what the role was. I got the job, and they said I was playing my wife’s fiancé on the show. Since then we’ve done a few things. It has been amazing. Both sides of our families are actors. We’re all nuts and have a very gypsy lifestyle. Fortunately, we have people around and we’ve been able to maintain a healthy balance at home, which is far more important than any job in my opinion.

The High School Musical: The Series came around in recent years. Do you think that as the swan song for the franchise or do you see the potential for more?

That was really fun. The showrunner Tim Federle had the brilliant idea to do this reunion episode where the last season they brought the original characters back into this world. The storyline was they were filming High School Musical 4 inside their school. It was this meta type thing where I was Bart Johnson, there to do the role of Coach Bolton. Not to be too corny, when myself, Corbin, Monique Coleman, Kaycee Stroh, Alyson Reed, Lucas Grabeel, we all got in our trailers where we had for the other movies back at East High. I was in my coach wardrobe and they were in their clothes. They walk us to sit and look at each other. I’m shameless with selfies and got pictures with all of us and videos. I should post that.

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We walked into the old basketball court where we shot all these things like when I yelled at Zac as Troy that he was late for practice and where we did “We’re All in This Together.” I felt all emotional when 18 years had passed, and I was with my friends. It all looked the same. That was crazy. We all got in a circle before we started shooting where everyone got to speak. Tim treated us like rock stars. It was a fun reunion. But to answer your question, I don’t think that is the end! I think there is more. There is something brilliant out there to bring everyone together. Maybe the time is not right. Maybe people are not ready. Maybe the cast needs to go back and live life a little more. This movie gave us so much. Everyone in the cast was changed for the better from this movie. I think we need to get back when we can. I think the special project is yet to come.

High School Musical is streaming on Disney+

Listen to “Get Your Head in the Game” iHeartPodcasts wherever you listen to podcasts.

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