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Matt Cornett | BELLO Young Hollywood

Matt Cornett has been in the industry long enough to know what it takes to grow with each role. From his early days on Nickelodeon to becoming a Disney fan favorite on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, he’s built a career grounded in consistency and passion. With his latest film Summer of ‘69 premiering at SXSW, Matt is taking on new challenges and expanding his range. In this Young Hollywood feature, he opens up about what keeps him focused, how he approaches each character, and why staying connected to his roots matters more than ever.

You’ve been in the spotlight since a young age, how has your relationship with acting evolved over the years?

Growing up I was always a huge fan of movies growing up. My dad and I would go to the movies every Friday night, and that was always such an amazing way to get out of the daily things happening and give a bit of a release from worldly stresses. Acting has always been something I’ve done because I enjoy the ability to get to play and have fun. But, more than that, it’s always been a way for me to give people that escape that I always looked forward to every week. 

What was the first moment on set where you felt, “This is where I belong”?

I had worked on a few projects that really showed me that this is the career that I wanted to pursue, but I think the biggest moment for me was when I was working on the Nickelodeon show Bella and the Bulldogs. That was the first time I was on a show for more than just one episode. The friendships, and really family, that you cultivate by working with people every single day and getting to just goof off and have fun with people you love really gave me that fire to want to keep doing it forever. 

You’ve played a range of characters, including E.J. on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. How do you approach stepping into someone else’s shoes?

Ya know, a lot of times it’s really just about reading the script a bunch of times and trying to find the small, little nuances of a character that isn’t written on the page. You learn through the things you see written to figure out how’d characters would react in different scenarios or different relationships they have. I think it’s a completely different approach when you’re playing someone that has a ton of emotional depth to them; I think you really start to dive into the why behind every single tiny move they make. 

Tell us about your new film, Summer of ‘69. What drew you to the project?

My favorite thing about this movie is that while it is so ridiculously crazy and hilarious, it has such incredibly deep heart and an amazing story driving it. It’s a dual coming-of-age story between two women who are in completely different stages of life, yet still teaching each other things, showing that no matter where you’re at in life, as long as you’re being you and embracing that you’re set. It’s amazing to see, and something I hope audiences can take away from the movie. 

What was it like to attend the premiere of Summer of ‘69 at South by Southwest and watch the film for the very first time with an audience? 

Oh my goodness, it was a WHIRLWIND in all of the best ways. I was incredibly nervous going into the premiere because I hadn’t seen an ounce of the film at that point. So, the idea that I was going to be seeing it for the first time with 1,200 people was a bit daunting haha. But once I started hearing the audience react to what we all put so much love and care into, all the nerves were out the window. At the end of the day, you want people to love it, and from the sound of their reactions, they sure loved it. 

How do you balance your personal identity with the public persona fans have come to know?

I think the biggest thing for me is that I only utilize social media to the extent that I need to for work and for my own enjoyment. I try not to look too deep into comments or fan edits or anything like that or let myself get consumed into thinking I’m someone I’m not. While I do still look at comments and tagged posts – because I love seeing the things that people put their heart and effort into – I think the intake of those things in moderation is important. 

If you could write your dream role from scratch, what kind of character would you create?

I feel like my dream role has changed so much as I get older and keep growing as an actor. There continue to be new and different things that I want to explore in my work, which I think is something that will always shift a bit. As of right now, I would love to play something military-related. There is so much to explore with a person who’s been through the act of war; it is something that puts such an immense toll on every single aspect of a person’s life and being. It’s something I’d love to try and dive into. 

Is there a specific moment in your career so far that you look back on as a turning point?

By far I believe HSMTMTS (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) has been the biggest turning point in my career thus far. That show changed my life in so many ways, and I will forever be so incredibly grateful for that show, for those people, and for those 4 years of my life. 

What do you do to stay grounded when the industry starts to feel overwhelming?

I go home. I call my parents, I see my family, and I go back to Arkansas for a week or two just to reset and slow down. It’s so incredibly easy to get bogged down by the weight of this industry, compare yourself to others, or see people doing things that you wish you were doing. Especially when you’re working so much, it’s easy to lose the sense of normal life and what it feels like to slow down a bit. 

As someone who grew up watching Disney, what was it like to become part of that legacy?

It was huge, and I will forever love Disney, the work I’ve been able to do with them, and, hopefully, continue to do with them in the future. The Disney family is so loving and so welcoming. It truly does just feel like one big happy family. 

If you could give your younger self one piece of advice before stepping into the industry, what would it be?

Don’t let what other people say you can’t do dictate what you do. Use that to fuel yourself to push yourself even harder. 

What are you most excited about in this next chapter — whether in acting, life, or otherwise?

I’m really just excited to see where my career continues to take me. I have been so incredibly fortunate to have met so many wonderful people and traveled to amazing places and gotten to do seriously bucket list things all because of my job. So, I can’t wait for the relationships that are to be made in the future, and the smiles I am hopefully able to put on people faces through my work.

Matt Cornett @mattcornett Photography Henry Wu @hello.henry Styling Veta Adrion @vetastyledme Assistant Stylist Jessica Graber @jessicaonfilm Grooming Aika Danica Flores @by.aikaflores Special Thanks Christy Osler @christy_osler at SSM&LLocation x Production BELLO Media Group x Maison Privée @bellomediagroup x @maisonpriveepr_la

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