Biography

Monique Coleman stars as Taylor McKessie, president of the Decathlon Team, in the Disney Channel Original Movie "High School Musical 2." She reprises the role from the Emmy Award-winning smash hit "High School Musical" which has been seen by over 160 million people in more than 100 countries.

A talented dancer, Coleman also participated in the hit ABC reality show "Dancing with the Stars" and was among the final four contestants.

Born on November 13 in Columbia, South Carolina, Coleman studied dance and piano in her childhood and performed in multiple stage plays. After graduating from high school, she earned a BFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago.

She went on to land a role in the Hallmark movie "The Reading Room," opposite James Earl Jones, for which she received a 2006 Camie Award (Character and Morality in Entertainment), and another in "The Ditchdigger's Daughters" with Carl Lumbly and Dule Hill, for which she received a Young Artists Award nomination. She guest stared on "Boston Public," "Veronica Mars," "Gilmore Girls," "Strong Medicine" and "Malcolm in the Middle," and on Disney Channel's "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody."

On stage Coleman starred in productions of "Noises Off," "Polaroid Stories," "The Real Thing" and "The Colored Museum."

In fall 2006, she toured in "High School Musical: The Concert," a sold-out 42 date arena concert tour throughout North America which, after a break to film the sequel to the movie, carried on through spring 2007 in Latin America, playing stadiums in Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Venezuela and Mexico.

Coleman fulfilled one of her dreams when she was a guest co-host on ABC's "The View." She was selected as one of Teen People's 25 Under 25 and Teen Vogue's Young Hollywood Stars.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends, shopping, Pilates, dancing and reading.