Lindsay Arnold Shares Surprising Pay From ‘High School Musical 2’

Before her time on “Dancing With the Stars,” Lindsay Arnold had a brief stint in the “High School Musical” franchise.

Arnold appeared as a background extra in “High School Musical 2,” which premiered on Disney Channel in 2007. The following year, she had a small role as a dancer in “High School Musical 3: Senior Year.” Both films, along with the original 2006 Disney Channel Original Movie, were filmed in Arnold’s home state of Utah.

While she was part of one of the most successful film franchises on Disney Channel, Arnold revealed the surprisingly low paycheck she received.

“That was the highlight of my childhood,” the 30-year-old said during a recent episode of the “Lightweights” podcast. “I was, maybe, 14, and I got to get paid. I think I got paid literally $50 for, like, three full days, but that was the coolest thing ever.”

“I was like, ‘I’m getting paid to dance, like what? I would do this for free.’ Then, being able to tell my friends I was going to be in High School Musical was pretty cool,” she recalled. “I was in the second movie. So, the first movie had already come out and had its whole thing.”

“That was a really, crazy cool moment as a young dancer,” the pro dancer added.

According to reports, the main stars of the movie were paid significantly more. Zac Efron, for example, earned around $25 million with Vanessa Hudgens reportedly taking home $18 million.

Lindsay Arnold honed her skills in ballroom dance while growing up and competing in Utah. At just 18, she auditioned for “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 8, where she impressed audiences and judges alike, earning a spot in the Top 8. Her success on the show quickly led to her being hired as a professional dancer on “Dancing With the Stars.”

“’Dancing With the Stars’ called, and they were like, ‘We want you to do this season,’ so I pushed [college] back again,” Arnold previously revealed in 2022 on the “Trading Secrets” podcast. “Then, I think after that first season of Dancing With the Stars, I realized, like, ‘Oh, maybe I don’t need to go to college right now.’ … It just fell into place.”

Lindsay Arnold achieved a career milestone by winning “Dancing With the Stars” Season 25 alongside actor Jordan Fisher. Since stepping away from the show, she has focused on family life, raising her two young daughters with her husband, Sam Cusick, in Utah.

While Lindsay may not be on the show anymore, her younger sister, Rylee Arnold, made her “DWTS” debut last year, partnering with “Too Hot to Handle” star Harry Jowsey. The pair was eliminated during week two.

She returned to the ballroom the following season where she teamed up with Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik. Their journey on the show was impressive, earning them a fourth-place finish.

One of their standout performances came in Week 7 with a stunning Viennese waltz, which scored an almost-perfect 29 out of 30. In the finale, their freestyle routine wowed both the judges and the audience, incorporating Nedoroscik’s skills on the pommel horse and earning them their first perfect score of the season.

Off the dance floor, Arnold and Nedoroscik formed a genuine friendship. They often shared moments outside of rehearsals, even attending events together, like the Los Angeles premiere of “Wicked.”

Off the dance floor, Nedoroscik and his “DWTS” partner have built a strong friendship. They frequently spent time together outside of rehearsals, enjoying activities like game nights. “Tess is the best. We get along so well, too, so it’s so fun,” Lindsay said of Stephen’s girlfriend.  “We enjoy so many fun game nights together and I drive up to the studio every day and it’s just been so fun getting to know Stephen,” she added.

“We really are having so much fun together,” she continued before Nedoroscik emphasized that she is the “greatest coach ever.”