What Do Louis C.K. and Ashley Tisdale Have In Common?

Outside of the fact that they both recorded songs called “Hot Mess,” nothing. Until now. Deadline reports that Ashley Tisdale, best known as one of Disney’s dancing puppets in the “High School Musical” series, has been cast as the lead in Louis C.K./Spike Feresten’s CBS sitcom about an “ensemble of young people trying to achieve their creative dreams in these tough financial times.”

Tisdale will play Petra, the beautiful and sarcastic assistant to a vintage clothing designer struggling to carve out her niche in New York. Louis C.K. and Spike Feresten wrote the pilot, an update of a script the two originally penned 13 years ago. (Deadline)

A week ago, I would have laughed off the idea of Ashley Tisdale starring in Louis C.K.’s CBS sitcom (that feels weird to write), dismissing it as an elaborate joke staged by a jaded “Hellcats” fan. But after watching last week’s excellent “Raising Hope,” my opinion of the actress has slightly changed — she had good comedic timing and showed impressive range as a theater nerd who kept slipping in and out of character. That being said, if this show is eventually titled “The Devil Wears Petra,” I’m DONE.

Little known fact: Louis wrote this for “High School Musical,” but Disney rejected it.