Martha Cox

Background:

“Oh my gosh, how could I not give thanks for the whole ‘High School Musical’ series that has changed my life? And more importantly than that, I am grateful for my family.” KayCee Stroh

Formerly a dance instructor, American actress, singer, dancer and plus size model KayCee Stroh is popular for portraying Martha Cox in the hit Disney Channel Original Movies “High School Musical” (2006) and the installments “High School Musical 2” (2007) and “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” (2008). She also provided her vocals for the films’ soundtracks and has appeared in two episodes of the Disney series “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” (2006, 2008).

“I am so grateful! Words can not express how much I adore my fans. I would like to tell them all how much I love them and appreciate their support. I hope that they will be inspired by the things I do and know in their hearts that anything they can dream they can do!” KayCee Stroh

Stroh suffered from a blood clot in her leg and was bed ridden for three months because of it. She is active with the Make-a-Wish Foundation, United Cerebral Palsy, and Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation.

Stroh and her boyfriend, Ben Higginson, were married in January 2009 in the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Newlywed

Childhood and Family:

Kaycee Stroh was born on May 29, 1984, in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is the youngest of three girls born to Bruce and Cindy Stroh. She began dancing at age 2 and while in high school, participated in gymnastics and cheerleading.

On January 9, 2009, KayCee married Ben Higginson. The couple met at a concert in 2007. In her free time, KayCee loves cooking, snowboarding, boxing and tap dancing.

Dance Instructor

Career:

KayCee Stroh won her breakout role of Martha Cox in the Disney Channel Original Movie “High School Musical” (2006) while she was a professional dance instructor at the Thompson Lane Entertainment Center. Under the direction of Kenny Ortega, the film won two Emmy Awards and was a big commercial success. She also contributed to the “High School Musical” soundtrack, which rose to the top position on the Billboard 200. The single “Stick to the Status Quo,” which she sang with the rest of the “High School Musical” cast, peaked at No. 43 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 37 on the Billboard Pop 100.

“In ‘High School Musical 2,’ I was so excited because they let Martha come out of her shell and have the big hair and makeup.” KayCee Stroh

In 2007, Stroh reprised her role of Martha in the sequel “High School Musical 2.” Debuting on the Disney Channel on August 17 that year, the movie went on to become the most watched made-for-cable movie ever with over 17 million viewers watching the premiere. It also received primarily positive reviews from critics. Stroh also joined the cast of “High School Musical 2” to perform the song “Work This Out” for the film’s soundtrack. Although the song failed to enter the Billboard Hot 100 and only rose to the Top 75 on the Billboard Pop 100, it did chart in the U.K., where it peaked at No. 78. Stroh's success in “High School Musical” landed her a recurring role on “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” (2 episodes, 2006, 2008), where she played Leslie, the forever optimistic and ditsy friend of Maddie and London (played by Brenda Song and Ashley Tisdale, respectively).

In 2008, Stroh made her feature acting debut in “High School Musical 3: Senior Year,” where she recreated her role of Martha Cox and was reunited with TV costars such as Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the movie was a success at the box office. In the soundtrack, which was released on October 21, 2008, and went on to peak at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, she contributed to the songs “A Night To Remember” and “Senior Year Spring Musical.” In addition to the “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” soundtrack, 2008 also saw Stroh participate in “DisneyMania 6” and “Princess DisneyMania.”

Stroh has been a plus size model since 2006. She said, “There were some boys who couldn't see past the body image at all, but I decided I'm just going to be me and be happy. Now I do plus size modeling.”

Awards:
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