ALTHOUGH he was born in Brooklyn, New York, to an Italian mother and a Jamaican father, actor, dancer and singer Corbin Bleu has never hidden his Jamaican heritage.

In an episode of Where Are They Now on the Oprah show in 2014 he spoke about growing up as a biracial child.

“I struggled with feeling misunderstood by my peers. My race, especially, was a question among other children. The whole bullying thing is a very important thing for me. I remember growing up and having kids ask, ‘Wait, so what are you?’ ” said Bleu.

He added, “I identify with my Italian culture and I identify with my Jamaican culture.”

The former High School Musical alum, who has appeared in dozens of films and has been featured on several songs by the cast of the popular television series, has earned his first Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified gold single with Push it to the Limit.

The song was certified for sales and streaming equivalent to 500,000 units by the RIAA on April 4.

Push it to the Limit, which was released in 2007, made it to the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was the first single issued from the Walt Disney Records album High School Musical: The Concert. It was also included on Bleu’s début album Another Side, which was released by Hollywood Records.

The official video for Push it to the Limit has racked up more than 15 million views on YouTube.

The High School Musical: The Concert album features 14 tracks including contributions from series stars Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Drew Seeley and Lucas Grabeel.

The High School Musical: The Concert album peaked at number 40 and 10 and the Spanish and Mexican albums charts. It features songs performed by members of the cast of the popular film series of the same name.

The 34-year-old Bleu (real name Corbin Bleu Reivers) moved from New York to Los Angeles in 1996 to further his interest in the arts. He has appeared in several films including Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story (2022), To Write Love on Her Arms (2015), Wild Ride: Rodeo (2019) and Nurse 3D (2013).

In 2013 he competed in season 17 of the popular Dancing with the Stars reality series.