KEY POINTS:
From Britney and Justin to current teen queen Miley Cyrus, Disney has a history of breeding superstars. New Zealand actress Amelia Reynolds is the latest to join Disney Channel's ranks of young stars, and says she's thrilled to give Kiwi kids a homegrown role model.
"If they can see that I'm a New Zealander, it brings it home to them. Like 'oh, I can do that as well'. It makes it a reachable goal.
"It's cool to have a Kiwi character on board so they can see it's not just an American franchise."
Reynolds, who is from Nelson but is studying theatre and political science at Victoria University, says the whole Disney experience has been surreal. "It didn't click that it was Disney. I didn't realise the scale of the show until I arrived over here."
And though she does feel a certain responsibility to uphold the family friendly brand, the 19-year-old says there is no pressure or directive from Disney to do so.
"I think we're all naturally responsible people," she says.
"It comes with the territory."
As for on-screen behaviour, Reynolds says there are plenty of references to her character's New Zealand roots, but there are never any jokes targeting the Kiwi's background. That just wouldn't be Disney.
