E.J. Caswell

Elton John "E.J." CaswellThe Real Campers of Shallow Lake is one of the main characters in the Disney+ Original Series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series for the first three seasons. He is the son of Cash Caswell. He is Ashlyn Caswell's cousin. He was a Senior at East High School in Season 1 and Season 2. He is a freshmen in college in Season 4. In Season 1, he was casted as Chad Danforth and Troy Bolton's understudy in East High School's fall production of High School Musical. In Season 2, he was cast as Gaston in East High School's spring production of Beauty and the Beast. In Season 3, he becomes the director last minute after the original director quit early that morning on the first day of camp and was cast as Sven in Camp Shallow Lake's production of Frozen. In Season 4, he is in college but ends up helping filling in for Jack Bolton in East High School's fall production of High School Musical 3: Senior Year at the last minute.
==Background==
E.J. is an ambitious entrepre-nerd who brings homemade props to auditions. Don't cross E.J. if you get something he wants — like a starring role, opposite "his" girl Nini. The son of two high-powered corporate lawyers, E.J. is supremely confident but secretly prone to anxiety attacks when anything goes off-plan. A future producer more than an actor, E.J. calls the Steve Jobs biography his "bible" and keeps a copy on his nightstand. Voted "Most likely to report another student for cheating on a test."
===Personality===
E.J. is a very ambitious, talented, smart, popular, athletic, and confident. E.J. never does anything to half-effort. At the beginning of the series E.J. was self-absorbed and expectant. He cares a lot about what other people think of him. After he is exposed for taking Nini's phone, he starts to lose Instagram followers. E.J. also loves being seen as popular and does so many extracurriculars to maintain his popularity and increase his chances of being accepted to his dream college. He often does "the wrong things for the right reason" as Ashlyn, his cousin, says to Nini after she breaks up with him. What she means by this is that E.J. loves Nini, but he doesn't cope with that very well. He surely wants the best for her nonetheless, though. Towards the end of the first season, E.J. seems more kind and honest. In the Season 1 finale E.J. buys Gina a plane ticket so that she didn't have to miss the show. That is when people finally start seeing him as a good guy when he was all along. E.J. learns to not care as much about being the best and instead tries to develop deeper relationships with the fellow theatre kids. He just wants what's best for everyone and he really tries. Over time he becomes very caring. According to Jamie Porter his mother said that he is very charming.
E.J. also cares deeply about making his parents proud of him, which is another reason he tries so hard at everything he does. E.J. desperately wants to go to Duke because his parents met there and he feels like he needs to be a part of that legacy to not disappoint his parents. That's why it is such a crushing blow to him when he is rejected by Duke. However, E.J. has learnt not to be too attached to outcomes and to take each day as it comes. At the same time, E.J. wants to succeed on his own merit and doesn't feel right about attending Duke after his father has to call in favors.
===Physical appearance===
E.J. is a muscular white guy with teal eyes and short dark brown hair styled in a quiff.
==Biography==
===Early life===
Elton John Caswell was born sometime in 2002 to Mrs. Caswell and Cash Caswell who are both high-powered corporate attorneys. In the fall of 2016, he started high school at East High School. E.J. first met Nini Salazar-Roberts in Drama Club during her freshmen year of High School when he was a Sophomore. E.J. thought Nini was cute when he first met her but, he didn't know who she was. The summer before his senior year of High School E.J. went to the same Summer Theater Camp with Nini which is when they first started talking.
===Season One===
====The Auditions====
TBA
====The Read-Through====
At the Read-Through, E.J. is annoyed at the fact that Ricky and Nini get to sit by each other, so he tries to change the seats but his cousin, Ashlyn tells him to change it back. During the Read- Through, he believes that Ricky is texting Nini so he asks Ashlyn to steal her phone for him, but she refuses. At the end, Gina grabs Nini's phone for him and puts it in his bag and insist they work together.
====The Wonderstudies====
E.J. gets ahold of Nini's phone and listens to a voicemail Ricky sent her. He then deletes the voicemail. After realizing is mistake, he asks Ashlyn to help him come up with a song to sing for Nini to apologize, but she makes him write it instead. He sings A Billion Sorrys to Ashlyn to see if the song is good or not. After getting into a fight with Ricky at a rehearsal, he yells at him to stop sending "thirsty" voicemails to Nini. At the end of the episode, he notices Nini glaring at him after she speaks to Ricky.
====Blocking====
E.J. tries to talk to Nini, and reveals that he poisoned Emily Pratt at Camp in order to get Nini the lead. She ends up breaking up with him. Since Ricky is not at rehearsals, E.J. has to fill in for him and sing What I've Been Looking For very awkwardly. While at school, Gina confronts him and says that she has a plan. E.J. says that seniors do not follow sophomores around and leaves. That night, he tries to text Nini but realizes that she blocked his number. Then he arrives at Gina's house to learn about the "plan" she texted him about where Gina tells E.J. that he is taking her to the Homecoming Dance.
====Homecoming====
E.J. arrives to Homecoming with Gina, asking her what the actual plan is but she keeps leaving him in the dark. He then finds out that there was no plan and he begins to argue with her. Gina pours punch over his head and storms away. He feels bad for Carlos because he is dancing by himself.
====What Team?====
E.J. tries to confess all of the terrible things he's done while dating Nini because he believes that the show is over and that Miss Jenn will be fired because his father is on the committee and he knows how things work. He later goes over to Big Red's house to come up with a way to save Miss Jenn. The drama club puts on a performance and saves Miss Jenn. At the end of the episode E.J. notices Nini staring at Ricky and Gina hugging each other.
====Thanksgiving====
E.J. is ready to get out of school because he loves Thanksgiving so much. During break he begins to reveal all of the bad things he's done in his life to start fresh. He loses hundreds of Instagram followers.
====The Tech Rehearsal====
While moving props to the new theater, E.J. learns about Miss Jenn's file box, which Carlos says contains the reasons why everyone got their part. He ends up stealing the box to learn that Miss Jenn thinks he "Lacks emotional connection to the material". During the Tech Rehearsal, he begins to dramatically act out a scene with Carlos to try to prove that he has a connection to the material. He apologizes to Carlos.
====Opening Night====
On opening night, he is seen constantly on his phone with Ashlyn being annoyed with him that he is not in the moment. He performs "Stick to the Status Quo" and "Getcha Head in the Game" as Chad. At the end of the episode, Ricky quits the show and tells him that he needs to go on as Troy in his place and he agrees.
====Act Two====
E.J. takes over on the role of Troy in Act Two and tells Nini to go with it because Ricky told him to do so. At the beginning of the "Breaking Free" performance, he sees Nini and Ricky look at each other and he decides to take a step back from Nini and let go of the role of Troy. Gina thanks him for buying her a plane ticket to make it back for opening night.
===Season Two===
====New Year’s Eve====
On New Year's Eve, E.J. arrives at Ashlyn's house sad because he knows this is his final semester at East High. he reveals that he is applying to Duke and that he is a shoe-in since his entire family has basically gone there.
====Typecasting====
E.J. auditioned for Beauty and the Beast and was cast as Gaston. After auditions E.J. and his friends Ashlyn Caswell, Big Red, Carlos Rodriguez, Gina Porter, Kourtney Greene, Ricky Bowen, and Seb Matthew-Smith all go to Salt Lake Slices to celebrate.
====Valentine's Day====
E.J. goes up to Ricky Bowen and tells him that this is his first Valentine's Day being Single.
====The Storm====
E.J. doesn't showed up to Rehearsal because he's upset that he just got rejected from Duke. He reveals to his ex-girlfriend Nini Salazar-Roberts when he sees her in the hallway that he didn't get into Duke, but he did get into one state school. He speaks to Mr. Mazzara about how he felt like he let everyone down and he grows closer to Mazzara.
====The Quinceañero====
After joining the AV Club, he works with Mr. Mazzara to create a special birthday video for Carlos. After Gina's performance, he comforts her and asks her how she is feeling. Later that night Mr. Mazzara asks him a question. E.J. ignores Mr. Mazzara's question and realizes he has feelings for Gina when he finds himself staring at her across the room.
====Yes, And...====
During the Drama Club's weekend retreat, E.J. partners up with Gina for the exercise. Then Miss Jenn asks E.J. what he would ask his character Gaston future self. E.J. replies that he would ask Gaston if he could learn to love anyone after Belle mirroring his own life wondering if he could learn to love anyone after Nini.
====The Field Trip====
E.J. becomes the host of the East High Morning Show and he asks Gina if she could be his co-host and she says "Yes" because she is the only friend of his that agreed to do it. Later that day the Drama Club go on a little field trip to North High School to get back their Beast mask that North High stole. Gina is on look out duty while the rest of the East High Drama Club looks for their Beast mask that North High stole. When Gina is on look out, she meets a random North High Guy who hits on Gina asking her for Snap Chat. Then E.J. swoops in pretending to be Gina's boyfriend by putting his arm around her and calls her "Babe" to get the North High Guy to leave her alone.
====Most Likely To====
It's career day at East High and E.J.'s dad, Cash Caswell, arrives at school as a guest speaker and reveals that E.J. got into Duke. E.J. begins to feel reluctant. That night, he goes to his cousin's house to talk to Ashlyn, but instead runs into Gina. He speaks to Gina about how he feels like he didn't earn his place at Duke. After listening to Gina talk to him about how she thinks he is a great person who is trying his best, he tells Gina that she is one of the bravest people he knows. He hangs out with Gina for the rest of the night and she ends up falling asleep next to him on couch while they are watching TV. When he leaves he puts his Duke sweatshirt on her to keep her warm. He then goes to his dad to tell him that he is not going to Duke.
====Spring Break====
Over spring break, E.J. hung out at his cousin, Ashlyn's house and annoyed her. He checked up on Gina while she was at the airport waiting for her flight. Him and the drama club put together a video to show North High that they were still focused on the competition. When he found out Gina's flight was canceled, he drove to the airport to pick her up and he brought her a granola bar.
====The Transformation====
During the Transformation, E.J., Ricky Bowen, and Carlos Rodriguez went to Big Red's house to come up with an idea for the Beast's transformation. While there, he reveals that he has feelings for Gina. Back at the school that night, E.J. works up the nerve to ask Gina out for risotto and she says "Yes" to him.
====Showtime====
On opening night E.J. speaks to Mr. Mazzara about how it is his final opening night at East High. He supports Gina through the entire show as they talk about their date they are going on after the show. After the drama club performs Something There E.J. runs into Gina's older brother Jamie Porter out in the hallway where he officially meets Gina's brother Jamie Porter. At first E.J. is excited to meet Gina's older brother not just because he is a famous Music Producer it was due to the fact that Jamie is related to Gina instead. Jamie tells E.J. that him and his mom are so happy that Gina has E.J. as a "big brother figure" in her life which makes E.J. upset causing him to second guess everything.
====Second Chances====
After the show Mr. Mazzara tells E.J. that he got a call from CalTech that he got a offer for CalTech Robotics doctorate program and he was recommended by E.J.'s father, Cash Caswell the financial advisor at CalTech. After what Jamie said to E.J., he ends up canceling the date with Gina, even though it hurt him too. He goes to Salt Lake Slices with the drama club and says that out of all of the sports trophies he's won, he would trade it all for their friend group that they have. Right before E.J. heads out he tells his cousin Ashlyn that he thinks Gina sees him as a big brother figure due to what Gina's older brother Jamie Porter told him. Then Ashlyn goes up to Gina and tells her about her most recent conversation with E.J. before he left the afterparty. Gina looks at Ashlyn very confused why E.J. would think that she sees him as a older brother figure. Gina chases after E.J. as he is heading out to his car and tells him that he got "bad intel" which causes E.J. to turn around. Gina asks E.J. if he would be her first kiss which causes E.J. to drop his backpack and smiles at her. They both run into each other arms and share their first kiss (offscreen).
===Season Three===
====Happy Campers====
It's summertime and E.J. is excited to take his girlfriend, Gina Porter, and his best friends Ashlyn Caswell, Kourtney Greene, and Carlos Rodriguez to his second, second home, Camp Shallow Lake. A camp that he attends every summer since he was young. He is really excited because he knows who the secret celebrity will be at the camp. He drives the gang to camp and introduces them to one of his childhood friends, Maddox. That night, they go to the amphitheater to see the reveal that they are doing Frozen: The Musical. Later that night right after the announcement the Camp Director Dewey Woods talks to Corbin Bleu about how he thought that Corbin was going to be director for the musical because Camp Shallow Lake's director for the past 40 years quit early that morning to go on a boat to Alaska. Corbin tells Dewey that he doesn't have time to be the director for the musical because he is working on filming the documentary. Dewey had no idea how he was going to find someone last minute to be the director for the musical. E.J. Caswell a long-time camper overhears the conversation. Then Dewey sees E.J. and tells him that he will be the new director for the musical. Although caught off guard, E.J. promises Gina that nothing is going to ruin their perfect summer together, when Ricky Bowen arrives to camp interrupting them.
====Into the Unknown====
It's auditions time and E.J. doesn't want to tell everyone that he his directing the show because he is nervous. He talks to his long time friend, Val, and she decides it's best for her to cast the show. E.J. gets overwhelmed during auditions with people continuously asking him what to do. He encourages the new kid, Jet, to audition. After auditions, he tells Gina that he knows she is going to be Anna and they race to the pool together. That night he fights Ricky with a pillow.
====The Woman in the Woods====
E.J. finds out that his childhood friend Val cast him as Sven even though he is directing the musical. Then E.J. went to The Honeycomb cabin to talk to his girlfriend Gina Porter. He surprises Gina with flowers he handpicks for her and congratulates her on getting the lead. E.J. is stressed about Corbin Bleu returning to camp tomorrow and he wants the first read-through of Frozen to be perfect. All of his friends want him to hang out with them and have fun, but he snaps on them and tells them that he is far too busy to be doing anything but working on the musical.
====No Drama====
TBA
====The Real Campers of Shallow Lake====
TBA
====Color War====
TBA
====Camp Prom====
TBA
====Let It Go====
TBA
===Season Four===
TBA
==Relationships==
===Family===
Cash Caswell (father)
Mrs. Caswell (mother)
Dennis Caswell (aunt)
Dennis Caswell (uncle)
Ashlyn Caswell (cousin)
===Friends===
Val (childhood best friend)
Maddox (childhood friend)
Emily Pratt (friend)
Gina Porter (best friend/ex-girlfriend/former frenemy)
Seb Matthew-Smith (friend)
Nini Salazar-Roberts (ex-girlfriend/friend)
Kourtney Greene (friend)
Big Red (friend)
Carlos Rodriguez (cabin-mate/friend)
Ricky Bowen (cabin-mate/former enemy/friend/teammate)
Mr. Mazzara
Miss Jenn
==Appearances==
===Season 1===
*The Auditions
*The Read-Through
*The Wonderstudies
*Blocking
*Homecoming
*What Team?
*Thanksgiving
*The Tech Rehearsal
*Opening Night
*Act Two
===Season 2===
*New Year’s Eve
*Typecasting
*Valentine's Day
*The Storm
*The Quinceañero
*Yes, And…
*The Field Trip
*Most Likely To
*Spring Break
*The Transformation
*Showtime
*Second Chances
===Season 3===
*Happy Campers
*Into the Unknown
*The Woman in the Woods
*No Drama
*The Real Campers of Shallow Lake
*Color War
*Camp Prom
*Let It Go
===Season 4===
*High School Musical 4 (mentioned)
*Admissions
*Trust the Process (mentioned)
*Night of Nights
*Born to Be Brave
==Gallery==
==Trivia==
*He is the co-captain of the Water-Polo team.
*He is the Senior class Treasurer.
*He has a 4.3 G.P.A.What Team?
*His parents used to be on the school board.
*His favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.
*Only Ashlyn knows his real name, but E.J. refuses to tell anyone else.
**In "The Real Campers of Shallow Lake", it was revealed that his full name is "Elton John Caswell" by his cousin Ashlyn Caswell.
**This also explains why his nickname at Camp Shallow Lake is 'Rocket Man', since that's the name of one of Elton John's signature songs.
*E.J is secretly prone to anxiety attacks when things start to fall apart.
*He played Harold Hill in a production of The Music Man at summer camp.
*His parents aren't very present in his life which is why E.J. acts the way he does. They didn't even show up to opening night.
*According to his Audition Application he took 4 years of voice lessons.
*He is the son of two high corporate attorneys.
*In New Year’s Eve, his New Year's resolution was "I resolve to remember everybody fondly when I go to Duke."
*His dream College was Duke but, he got rejected from Duke in The Storm.
**Both his and Ashlyn Caswell's fathers and their grandfather both went to Duke.
**In The Storm, he reveals to Nini that his parental grandparents met at Duke and his parents met at Grad School there.
**In The Storm, he reveals to Nini that he got into one state school.
**On Career Day his father Cash Caswell told him that he got into Duke after making some calls to get him accepted. He later realized that he doesn't want to go to Duke because he didn't earn it.
**In No Drama, he reveals that he is taking a gap year and his father is cool with it. Then his father sends him a letter when he is at camp saying that he is not cool with him taking a gap year so after camp is over, he is sending him to Caswell Successful Training School in St. Louis.
*He joined the AV Club after he got rejected from Duke and became the President of the AV Club.The Field Trip
*He was the only one that was excited to do "The Mob Song" in the dance-off at North High School.
*His favorite song from Beauty and the Beast is "The Mob Song."
*On Career Day, his father, Cash Caswell told him that he got into Duke after making some calls to get him accepted. He later realized that he doesn't want to go to Duke because he didn't earn it.
*He is scared of getting rejected.
*He was Gina Porter's first kiss.
*He is Gina Porter's first boyfriend.
==References==
==External links==
E.J. Caswell | High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Wiki | Fandom
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