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Before her three-time Grammy-winning debut album "Sour," the record-breaking song "Drivers Licence" and a worldwide tour, Olivia Rodrigo was the breakout star of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (HSMTMTS).
Rodrigo burst onto the scene as Nini Salazar-Roberts, a musical theatre enthusiast who played Gabriella Montez (a role originated by Vanessa Hudgens) in East High's production of High School Musical.
She returned for Season 2, where at the end of the season she was presented with the opportunity to leave East High behind and move to Los Angeles to pursue her career in music.
So, will Olivia Rodrigo return for Season 3 of HSMTMTS? Newsweek has everything you need to know.
Is Olivia Rodrigo in HSMTMTS Season 3?
There is some bittersweet news for fans of Olivia Rodrigo and her character Nina in HSMTMTS.
The good news is, that Rodrigo will be back as Nini in Season 3, chasing her dreams of songwriting.
However, the downside is, that Rodrigo is only returning in a recurring role, meaning Nini will not be around as much in Season 3.
At the beginning of the new series, Nini is still working on her songwriting career and will be heading to Los Angeles to work with some seriously big producers.
She is also heading on a road trip around Southern California with her two moms, instead of heading to Camp Shallow.
Missing Camp Shallow is something Nini is struggling with, telling teacher Miss Jenn (played by Kate Reinders) she is not sure if she made the right choice by leaving for California to chase her dreams.
And of course, she is still struggling with her complicated relationship with Ricky Bowen (Joshua Bassett) following their break-up in Season 2.
Is Olivia Rodrigo Leaving HSMTMTS?
Sadly, Season 3 of HSMTMTS will be Rodrigo's last series.
Confirming the news to Entertainment Tonight, HSMTMTS creator Tim Federle said Season 3 will give Rodrigo "a proper sendoff."
Federele said: "I think [Nini is] ready to explore the world outside the halls of East High. And Olivia herself was having such a monumental explosion in the music industry that it felt like the right thing to, frankly, work with Olivia to say, 'How do we get you out there into the world with us taking a little bit more of a backseat?' which we were all proud to do to support her. And so this season, it's about trying to give her character a proper sendoff while also leaving room for other characters to really step into the spotlight."
He added: "And personally, it's a joy to see Olivia's music explode in such a big way. It was so fun to have her back and reminisce on the beginning."
Rodrigo's exit comes after the 19-year-old shot to superstardom with her debut single "Drivers License," which was released in January 2021.
"Drivers Licence" went straight to #1 on the Billboard Chart and broke Spotify Records, with "Drivers Licence" being the most-streaming song globally in 2021.
She then released her debut album "Sour" in May 2021, receiving seven nominations at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. She won three in total, for Best New Artist, Pop Vocal Album, and Pop Solo Performance.
Rodrigo has not yet addressed her exit from HSMTMTS but she did discuss with The Guardian the difficulty she faced balancing her acting and music careers and the difference between the two worlds.
She said: "I think it's really hard to split time between the two and there are very few artists who do that efficiently, because acting is based on being a good liar and presenting a version of yourself that's believable, and being a songwriter is the complete opposite. It's like, here are all of my deepest, darkest secrets, and I want you to know me so personally."
HSMTMTS Season 3 airs Wednesdays on Disney+
About the writer
Molli Mitchell is a Senior SEO TV and Film Newsweek Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on ... Read more