ANNA Maria Perez de Tagle rubs elbows with Miley Cyrus a.k.a Hannah Montana, and the very popular Jonas Brothers. She is popularly known for her role as Ashley Dewitt on Hannah Montana and Ella on Camp Rock. She is also known as Miracle on Cake T.V.

The 17 year-old was born in San Francisco, and was raised in San Jose by Filipino parents.

When she was 13 and with zero showbiz background, Anna Maria sent her audition tape to Disney in the hopes of clinching the role of either Hannah or Lily. Her dad Artie was initially opposed to that plan as he knew how stiff the competition and how high the rejection rate in Hollywood were.

Yet Anna Maria was determined. Born in the Bay Area in California, Anna?s only exposure to performance was with the Children?s Musical Theater. She joined Star Search as well and even beat American Idol?s David Archuleta.

?I always wanted to be a singer, I just love to sing. I was the very first Asian Cinderella in the Bay Area, by the way,? she smiles.

Anna Maria has a showbiz bloodline, being the granddaughter of Sylvia Latorre, one of the famous comediennes-actresses during the heydays of Sampaguita Pictures and LVN Films. In fact, of all the Perez de Tagle grandchildren, Anna Maria is the one who enjoys her grandmother?s TV shows and movies so much. Her lola discovered that Anna Maria, at four years old, could already sing!

?My mother said may tono daw ang batang ?to, and from then on, she would give voice lessons to Anna Maria whenever she could. Even during her performances, she would ask Anna Maria to go up the stage and perform with her, and Anna Maria never said no,? relates her dad Artie, Sylvia?s eldest son. Anna Maria?s mom is Evelyn Enriquez.

When Anna Maria bagged the Ashley role over the thousands who auditioned, the entire Perez de Tagle family had to relocate to Los Angeles from the Bay Area. After all, their baby, the youngest among three children, was about to make a name for herself in Hollywood and all the support she could get was needed.

She enrolled for a time at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACSA or Arts High) where she was an honor student. Singer Josh Groban, actress Jenna Elfman, and Corbin Bleu of ?High School Musical? also went to the same school for the artistically gifted. At present, she is being home-schooled by her parents.

It has been four years since that big move and Anna Maria has been reaping the rewards of the entire family?s work ever since. Recently, she was seen with the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato in ?Camp Rock,? a Disney Channel original movie, which drew 8.9 million viewers during its premiere last month, rating even higher than ?High School Musical 1.? ?Camp Rock? will soon be shown in the local Disney Channel in September.

?In Camp Rock, I play the role of Ella, a talented girl who gets bossed around by Tess Tyler (Meaghan Jette Martin) to make the life of Mitchie Torres (Lovato) miserable. In the end, Ella realizes she is her own person and does not need to be anybody?s follower,? Anna Maria shares. ?I think I am breaking out of the Asian actress mold who is usually typecast as ditzy. Disney takes good care of me.?

A ?Camp Rock 2? is reportedly in the works, and hopefully Anna Maria?s talent for singing would be showcased all the more. ?Not many people know that I sing and I write songs because I show a different side of me in Hannah Montana. But I do all these and I also design clothes,? she says.

No wonder she looks up to Lea Salonga, who is another Disney alumna. Anna Maria says she always watched Lea?s concerts when she was a young girl, and until now when her busy schedule permits.