Sons of Anarchy had various guest stars throughout its seven seasons, among them Ashley Tisdale, who played a role very different from what she had been playing before. Thanks to its crime drama tone, themes, storylines, and performances, Sons of Anarchy became one of the most popular TV shows of the 2000s and 2010s, running for a total of seven seasons, from 2008 to 2014. Sons of Anarchy received critical acclaim, so it’s not surprising that it had some notable guest stars in both big and small roles.

Sons of Anarchy followed the ups and downs of the title club, both within the group and with other organizations. At the front and center of Sons of Anarchy was SAMCRO’s VP and later President, Jackson “Jax” Teller (Charlie Hunnam), through whom the audience met a variety of characters – from his loved ones to allies of the club and different enemies. Among Sons of Anarchy’s most notable guest stars is Ashley Tisdale, who played a character that was nothing like what she had done before over at Disney.

Ashley Tisdale Played Emma Jean In Sons Of Anarchy

Emma Jean Worked At Diosa International

Ashley Tisdale ed Sons of Anarchy in season 5 as Emma Jean, appearing in just two episodes. Emma Jean was a high-class sex worker at Diosa, Nero's (Jimmy Smits) business that Jax and SAMCRO ended up involved in. Emma was first seen at Diosa waiting for Nero to arrange her schedule, when Clay arrived and asked for her services. However, Gemma was tipped off about Clay’s presence in Diosa and arrived, with Nero trying and failing to stop her. Gemma found the room where Clay and Emma were, and she attacked the young girl, throwing her into a wall and choking her.

In the following episode, Diosa was raided and all the girls were arrested, with Carla (who tipped Gemma off in the previous episode) blaming Emma for it. Carla believed that, after she was attacked by Gemma, Emma had called the police, leading to their arrest. As a result, Latino gangsters arrived at Diosa looking for Emma, with Nero telling them he would find her and let them handle it – however, Nero asked Jax to find her and help her get out of Charming before those guys get to her.

Jax made a deal with them by telling them SAMCRO wanted Emma dead, too.

Jax and Chibs found Emma and took her with them, but Nero’s men caught up with them. Jax made a deal with them by telling them SAMCRO wanted Emma dead, too, so they let them take her under the condition that they sent proof that they had killed her. It was eventually revealed that Carla was the one who called the police and blamed Emma, and in the end, Jax managed to get Emma out of Charming safely.

Kurt Sutter Wrote The Part Of Emma Jean For Tisdale

There Couldn’t Have Been Anyone Else For Emma Jean

Speaking to Collider in 2012 about her experience in Sons of Anarchy, Ashley Tisdale revealed that she didn’t have to audition for the role of Emma Jean. Tisdale shared that she was a fan of the show, and as her father built a house for series creator Kurt Sutter and Katey Sagal, she asked him to tell Sutter she wanted to be on the show. Tisdale’s father didn’t say anything, but Kutter asked him to tell her he wanted her on the show.

Sutter wanted Emma to have an innocent-looking appearance so no one would expect that she was a high-priced sex worker.

Tisdale added that Sutter told her he thought of her when writing the character of Emma Jean, as he wanted her to have an innocent-looking appearance so no one would expect that she was a high-priced sex worker. Tisdale itted to being nervous about playing a character so different from what she had done so far at the time, but praised Sutter and company for being “so cool” about it.

How Tisdale Used Her Disney Channel Image To Inform Her SOA Character

Ashley Tisdale’s Disney Channel Past Was No Problem

As mentioned above, Sutter chose Tisdale because she had the image he was looking for for Emma Jean: an innocent, “Disney-esque girl” that no one would expect to work as a sex worker. Tisdale’s Disney Channel image was definitely key to the character, as it helped build sympathy with the audience, leading them to root for her when Gemma attacks her and when Carla tries to blame her for something she had nothing to do with.

As for the young audience that still followed her back then, Tisdale mentioned the fans who grew up with her, so she wanted to try something she had never done before, like Emma Jean in Sons of Anarchy. Ashley Tisdale definitely brought the image and vibe that Emma Jean needed, and she became one of the most notable guest stars in Sons of Anarchy.

Source: Collider.