Disney Channel actress Tiffany Thornton to visit Worcester

By Jeffrey McMenemy, Sentinel and Enterprise, Fitchburg, Mass.

Nov. 5--Actress Tiffany Thornton plays Tawni Hart, a spoiled and at times mean-spirited teenage television star on the Disney Channel's hit show, "Sonny with a Chance."

Thornton's character on the show goes out of her way to torment the title character, played by rising Disney Channel star Demi Lovato, who she's afraid will steal away her star-status on the make-believe show.

But in real life, Thornton, a 23-year-old Texas native, said, "Demi is like my little sister."

And while Thornton feels she's old enough to offer Lovato advice when she can, the 23-year-old is not worried her younger co-star will suffer the same pitfalls that other young celebrities, like Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan have.

"Demi is a tough kid.

She's a hard worker and she has a great family," Thornton told the Sentinel & Enterprise during an interview Monday from Arkansas where she was making an appearance. "She and I share the same faith. We talk about the Lord a lot."

Thornton stressed that while no one is perfect and everybody makes mistakes, "I'm not worried about Demi."

Thornton will make a special appearance at the Nov. 14 Worcester Sharks game, which starts at 7 p.m. at the DCU Center in Worcester. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.

As part of the Sentinel & Enterprise's year-long partnership with the Sharks, the newspaper is giving away two pairs of tickets to the VIP meet-and-greet with Thornton and two pairs of family four packs of tickets, which include

tickets to the game, two pictures of Thornton and entry to the general admission autograph session with Thornton.

The VIP meet-and-greet is closed to the public. If you're interested in winning either prize, please send an e-mail to news@sentinelandenterprise.com, briefly describing why you should get the chance to meet Thornton. Please include your age, name, address and phone number.

For more information about ticket availability, visit SharksAHL.com or call 1-(508) 929-0500.

Thornton talked about a variety of topics during an interview with the Sentinel & Enterprise, including her singing career, the exploding popularity of "Sonny with a Chance," which has been picked up for a second year and protecting her name and reputation in the Internet age.

She also didn't shy away from talking about her faith in God, how it impacted her life growing up in Texas and how it helps steer her burgeoning acting and singing career.

"My faith has always been very important to me," Thornton said.

The Texas native endured what she described as "a rocky childhood."

"When I started hearing yelling and arguing in the house, I'd go into my closet and write poetry," she said.

Her faith helped her through those days, and Thornton is willing to talk about it today if it helps someone else.

"Nobody has a life that's always shining and shimmering," Thornton said. "I think the great thing about my self is my faith. It doesn't pain me to talk about those kind of things once they're past me. I'm glad to talk about it if it helps someone else."

Thornton's faith has also helped her as her career revs up, she said.

"I prayed a lot about my career," she said.

Thornton knew her career was really starting to take off when she flew back to New York from Los Angeles -- where she lives now -- in February 2008.

"The show had just been out for maybe a month. It was pretty new. I was in a bathroom at the airport and this girl standing next to me, ... her mouth just dropped open for about 10 seconds," Thornton said.

The girl asked her if she was Tiffany Thornton and she said yes.

Kory Lunsford, vice president, Original Series, Disney Channel & Disney XD, said Thornton's character has been key to the popularity of "Sonny with a Chance."

"Clearly, Tiffany has been great for the show, her character has been very well liked," Lunsford said during a telephone interview Wednesday.

Lunsford said the show is about to start its second season and Thornton will be "front and center" as the show moves forward.

Thornton's popularity is continuing to grow on Twitter as well, where she has more than 135,000 followers.

"How crazy is that?" she said when asked about her followers.

Twitter gives her a way to communicate directly with her friends, fans and family.

"I don't have a Facebook or Myspace page, but there's about 10 people out there pretending to be me," she said.

Thornton frequently posts on her Twitter profile -- twitter.com/therealTiffany -- to tell her fans they should only go there to get real information about her.

Thornton bristled when asked about people pretending to be her online or saying mean things about her on the Internet.

"Why is it necessary to put out such negativity," she said.

She tries hard to protect her reputation, especially because she's a star on a Disney Channel show.

"The important thing to remember is that working for Disney, we want to put a positive message out to kids," Thornton said.

Watching the Disney Channel means parents can go make supper and they don't have to worry about what their kids are going to see on the show, Thornton said.

She thinks it's great Disney Channel shows don't deal with topics like teenage sex or drinking.

"Why bring that up and bring that into their lives," she said.

Thornton is proud to be a role model and takes it very seriously.

"Being 23 and playing a 16-year-old for me means being in a better place in my life," she said.

And she realizes there's temptation everyone, especially for young actresses in Los Angeles.

"In any occupation there's opportunity to take the bad over the good," she said.

Thornton tries to avoid getting in trouble -- while stressing everyone is human and makes mistakes that they can grow and learn from -- by surrounding herself with good people and relying on her faith.

Career-wise, she is very busy.

She does a song, "Someday My Prince Will Come," on the Diamond Edition of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."

And she's also singing a duet with Kermit the Frog in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Asked if she is a singer who can act or an actress who can sing, Thornton said, "I would consider myself both."

"Singing is my passion. I sang at church when I was a kid. Singing was what I always did," she said. "Acting I've just gotten into during the past six years."

The 23-year-old says she also loves doing appearances like the one she's making at the Worcester Sharks game on Nov. 14.

"I love kids," she said. "If I wasn't an actress I'd be a pediatrician."

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