The summertime follow-up to "High School Musical" is arguably even more memorable than the first. Efrons decisive breakthrough in his acting career came when he got the role of teen basketball player Troy Bolton in the Disney musical movie High School Musical, which was came out in 2006. Here's where each How old was Zac Efron in High School Musical as actor [7] His surname originates from Hebrew. In 2005, Efron landed the lead role in the Disney Channel film High School Musical, which proved a massive hit and spawned two sequels. Actor and singer who rose to fame for playing Troy Bolton in High Tisdale was a few years older than Sharpay would have been but still pulled off the theater diva well. The Richest Disney Channel Stars, Ranked From Lowest to Here are, as of this writing, his best films. In the early 2000s, the Californian teen actor managed to score guest roles in films such as Mainland and TV series such as Summerland.. In 2021, he won a Daytime Emmy Award for the Netflix web documentary series Down to Earth with Zac Efron (2020present). The playful flick reportedly brought in an impressive $70 million during its opening weekend alone. Come join me at 9:00am PST I'll be answering questions until the first video, "Off the Grid" drops", "Why Zac Efron's New YouTube Channel Is Pissing Off Some of Its Users", "Zac Efron Goes "Off the Grid" in First YouTube Video", "Zac Efron and Nina Dobrev Try to Get Brad Pitt's Fight Club Abs in New Workout Video", "YouTube: Zac Efron Promotion Draws Ire from Fans", "Zac Efron Net WorthZac Efron Michelle Rodriguez Vacation Pics OK! Despite this, Zac seems to be happy to return if there is something in the making. He raises his hands in fury and clenches his fists as he sings through his anger. [35] In 2019, Efron's brother Dylan, who also plays a role in the company, stated that Ninjas Runnin' Wild has started to produce more digital content in addition to their traditional film work. Zac was only 18 years old when he took on the role of Troy Bolton in the High School Musical. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! @kasey, A post shared by Zac Efron (@zacefron) on Aug 6, 2019 at 1:34pm PDT. Efron again reprised his role in High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008), the first film in the High School Musical franchise to receive a theatrical release. High School Musical saw him play Troy Bolton, a basketball player who falls in love with Gabriella Montez (played by Vanessa Hudgens) and subsequently fells conflicted when he finds himself wanting to participate in the schools musical with her. The 2015 indie was a pivotal stepping stone for Efron, in line with his musical roots but featuring far more adult subject matter than his Disney trilogy. Efron appeared as a part of the large ensemble cast in Garry Marshall's New Year's Eve (2011), which depicted a series of holiday vignettes of different groups of characters. The California native has described his upbringing as a "normal," telling The Salt Lake Tribune in 2007 that he's always had an interest in musicals, even as a kid. After the success of "17 Again," Efron tried made his way into the festival circuit by taking on more serious acting roles in a range of dramas. Efron began acting in the early 2000s with guest roles on several television series including Firefly,[18] ER, and The Guardian. He also starred in the drama At Any Price, which premiered at the 2012 Venice International Film Festival, and the historical drama Parkland, which premiered at the 2013 Venice International Film Festival. The former Disney heartthrob revealed how far he had come with a January 2018 Instagram photo, showing him as a scowling Bundy posing for a mug shot. While on the show, he performed in a skit that jokingly paid homage to the "High School Musical" movies. J. Emilio Flores/Corbis via Getty Images In 2017, Efron flexed his pecs for a tongue-in-cheek big screen reboot of the 1990s lifeguard show Baywatch, with Dwayne Johnson. Early 2000s Fashion. Disney He was 20 during Sadly, no High School Musical 4: College Freshman. Zac Efron - Age, Movies & Life - Biography So if Tiara Gold was actually only 13, how old was everybody else? In this memorable, laugh-out-loud sequence, Dan arrives on set with a ferocious intensity, punching the wall to prepare for his scene. As surreal and abstract as the sequence is, Efron anchors it in truth. Though it's unclear exactly when Efron decided to hit follow, Hudgens has yet to return the favor. The twins have worked their entire lives to star as leads in a musical and feel the roles are being stolen from them. High school musical This leads to the question: How old was Zac Efron in High School Musical? The concept of the movie was quick to grab the attention of many while also paving way for other installments of it to come in. [38][40] YouTube received backlash for promoting Efron's new channel in a post made from their official Twitter account. All Rights Reserved. He was 20 during filming, so I'm not overly surprised. But Efron wasnt the only teenage actor in the Disney musical film, as his co-stars Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale were similarly young when they starred in the hit movie and its two successors. Within two weeks, Efron received the life-changing call that he was cast as Troy Bolton. "High School Musical" put Efron on the map and made him the star he is today. By JM Hughes. Zac Efron at the premiere of "High School Musical 2" in 2007. It's a classic that we all know. After Mikey (Jordan) is served divorce papers by his wife, his roommates drag him out for a night on the town to cheer him up. In the movie, the main characters are juniors, and it's assumed they are 16 or 17. In the years since, Efron has gone on to become one of the most bankable actors in the business, with credits that range from a stuck-up frat bro to a sinister serial killer. The musical based on the life of P.T. Zac Efron revealed he is very open to the possibility of returning to the Disney franchise High School Musical for a reboot if one were to be made. In case you haven't watched the movies, Zac starred as Troy Bolton when he was just 18 years old. Zac Efron may still be widely known for his break-out Disney role, but the star has since become one of the biggest names in Hollywood. WebMichael Jackson called Zac Efron to tell him he enjoyed his work in High School Musical. In 2014 he told The Hollywood Reporter, "[The casting directors] put everybody in a room together, and we ran through different phases of what we would need to do first dancing, then singing and a few of us got tapped on the shoulder [to leave], and I didn't.". Throughout the years, his status as a heartthrob stuck with him as he developed into a News that portraying Ted Bundy was one of his most challenging experiences as an actor. "Neighbors" defines Efron's career so strongly both because of its financial success, but also because of his performance opposite Seth Rogen. WebZac Efron: his birthday, what he did before fame, his family life, fun trivia facts, popularity rankings, and more. Efron and Zendaya's characters' storyline is a standout, with their doomed romance anchoring the film with genuine, heart-wrenching emotion. One of his most popular projects as a leading man, "17 Again" cemented Efron's status as a bona fide heartthrob. Yet despite the star-studded cast, the movie was ripped apart by critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Zac Efron. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s, and rose to prominence in the late 2000s for his leading role in the High School Musical franchise (20062008). During this time, he also starred in the musical film Hairspray (2007) and the comedy film 17 Again (2009). He has since appeared in the films New Year's Eve (2011), US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data. [36], Efron announced the creation of his YouTube channel in March 2019. Can you see it ?? What other lies have I been living? In the sequence, Efron galivants through a golf course while overcome by heartache and angst, belting out the lyrics. Zac Efron, who was born as Zachary David Alexander Efron on October 18th, 1987, started acting when he took part in his high schools theater productions. Rocking his signature side-swept hair and a leather biker jacket, Efron showcases the effortless cool that made him one of the biggest young stars of his time. How Old 'High School Musical' Stars Were Vs Their Characters Before appearing in the movie, Zac had done a couple of roles in shows while also appearing in advertisements. In 2019, Efron played a drug-addled libertine in the Harmony Korine film The Beach Bum. Nonetheless, fans did get to enjoy Zacs voice in the next two parts of the film. Zac Efron busts his grandpa out of his retirement home to watch soccer. The show nearly lived up to its title, as Efron contracted a serious bacterial infection while filming in Papua New Guinea and had to be flown to Australia for treatment. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence in the late 2000s for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the High School Musical trilogy (20062008). The standout musical number "Rewrite the Stars" features dazzling acrobatics and stellar vocals from both Efron and Zendaya. With each new part, he continues to find new ways to surprise audiences. The 2019 comedy follows Matthew McConaughey as the uniquely bizarre poet Moondog. Zac Efron Zac Efron revisit Salt Lakes East High school years after the release of the High School Musical movie which was filmed there, but how old was he when the shooting took place? Unlike some movies like "Grease," where the cast was much older than their on-screen characters, many of the cast members of "HSM" were relatively close to being high school-aged during the film. However, the actor had recorded all the songs for it. Efron regularly documents his travels and fitness regiment to his YouTube channel. It's a challenge he's proven he can handle. The details of their breakup was not publicly disclosed but a source told PEOPLE that At just 21 years old, he landed a place on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list, which measures stars by fame and money. Zac Efron's ready for a 'High School Musical' reboot: 'My heart Controversy later erupted when sources disclosed that Efron wasn't actually responsible for voicing his High School Musical songs, and that Canadian singer-songwriter Drew Seeley was the actual voice behind the role. Throughout the first film, Sharpay and her brother, Ryan, attempt to sabotage Troy and Gabriella's chance to attend callbacks. "We Are Your Friends" was met with mixed reviews, but a captivating central performance from Efron grounds the film. In the film, high school junior Gabriella, played by Vanessa Hudgens, is a new student at East High, where she meets Troy, played by Efron, who is a star player for the East High Wildcats basketball team. Barnum biopic The Greatest Showman, alongside Hugh Jackman. He plays a mid-20s DJ trying to make it in the California festival scene, stumbling into temptation, romance, and trouble along the way. [28] In 2021, he won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Daytime Program Host for the Netflix web documentary series Down to Earth with Zac Efron. Law enforcement officials did not make any arrests because they viewed it as mutual combat. Efron's next release was Richard Linklater's period drama Me and Orson Welles, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2008 and received a wide release in late 2009. The film became a major commercial success and earned mostly positive reviews from critics, who also added that Efron had successfully shed his "Disney pretty boy" image.[23]. [21] In his subsequent musical films, Efron did his own singing.[22]. Our leading man, Zac Efron, is 30 years old now, and when HSM3 was released on 24 October 2008, he would've just turned 21. He followed this with the commercially successful comedy 17 Again (2009) about a 37-year-old man (Matthew Perry) who is transformed into his 17-year-old self (Efron) after a chance accident. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. It seemingly marked the beginning of Efron's tendency to get typecast as stereotypical "dude bro" characters. The film received a pretty poor reception, but it's on this list for a reason: The chemistry between three young actors makes the entire endeavor worthwhile. [55] He revealed in 2022 that he almost died during this incident, and that it was responsible for his facial swelling, apparent in a viral 2021 video for Bill Nye's Earth Day Musical. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. ", "Zac Efron: The New American Heart Throb", "Before The Fame: Zac Efron In Cute Guest Appearance! appreciated. Discover unique things to do, places to eat, and sights to see in the best destinations around the world with Bring Me! By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Many of us can still recite the lyrics for "We're All in This Together"; more than a few of us still remember the dance moves, too. 2009present: Other roles and mainstream success, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, 2007 Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards, Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, "Zac Efron - Age, Movies & Life - Biography", "The Truth About Zac Efron's Secret Baby Sister, Olivia", "Neighbors, The Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return Guest: Zac Efron", "Zac Efron on 'superwild' Camden and shedding his tweeny image", "Zac Efron Shows His "Beautiful" Circumcised Penis to Prove He's Jewish: Watch the Hilarious Clip! Having graduated from the franchise, 22-year-old Zac Efron returns to high school to play 17-year-old Matthew Perry. That same year, he acted alongside "Workaholics" star Adam Devine in the critical-flop comedy "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates.". Seriously we should've all lost faith in The Academy when this cinematic gold wasn't even nominated, but let's not get into that right now. The young actor also appeared in the lifetime movie "Miracle Run," where his performance earned him a nomination for a Young Artist Award. show has been called out for its pseudoscientific claims. My maths has always been terrible but if Jemma is 23-years-old now, that means in 2008 she was 13. Before appearing in the movie, Zac had done a couple of roles in "Hairspray" was the perfect transition to more mature projects for Efron, allowing him to play off his teen idol status and prove that his musical skills are the real deal. His ability to bring warmth and likability to the common "jock" archetype proves his potential for more complex roles. And Martha Cox aka Kaycee Stroh was 24 years old. When the two are called upon to sing a karaoke duet, it's immediately apparent they have chemistry. Not while driving, but when you're shooting a movie, one thing we can afford is a ride home, so on the way home I just do some TM and try to phase out of it."[51]. [48][49], In March 2014, Efron engaged in a fight with a homeless man on Skid Row. Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens are pictured here at the premiere of "High School Musical 2" at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, on Aug. 14, 2007. If Kelsi was 19 like Rulin, she'd already be at college, probably studying something to do with music. Its massive popularity transformed Efron and his fellow co-stars into international celebrities. You remember Tiara Gold, right? Nbd just sobbing looking at how our bbs have grown up ? If you want to, click the link in my bio. Here, Efron plays Delta Psi Beta president Teddy Sanders, who faces off with his neighbor Mac (Seth Rogen) when his fraternity moves in next door. The 2019 crime drama "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile" was a transformative moment for Efron. ", ripped apart by critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. The 33-year-old made his debut in 2006 as the singing basketball captain in the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical." The couple split in April 2016. Hudgens quoted one of her characters lines in the caption of her post: Do you remember in kindergarten how youd meet a kid and know nothing about them, then 10 seconds later youre playing like youre best friends because you didnt have to be anything but yourself?. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. He also played a supporting role in the critically successful Liberal Arts (2012), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2012 and received a limited release later that year. By this point the starlet was 22 years old and Zac was about 23 years old. Although the movie received mixed reviews overall, many critics praised Efron's performance for showing off his range as an actor. Unfortunately, another movie never happened. The starkest deviation from Efron's mainstream fare at that point in his career, "The Beach Bum" showed the actor's willingness to play weirder, more outside-of-the-box characters. [29], In 2022, he starred in the survival thriller Gold, directed by Anthony Hayes,[30] and headlined the horror film Firestarter, a remake of the 1984 film based upon the novel of the same name by Stephen King, directed by Keith Thomas. As is characteristic of Efron, he elevates the heartthrob stereotype, crafting a character who is layered and multidimensional. At the box office, "The Greatest Showman" opened to a reported $434 million, and had multiple theatrical releases, including a singalong version. "The truth is, is that they had done my hair, and they had done it very poorly in the front," she told Insider. Zac Efron High School Musical Like Troy Bolton, Efron's character is a popular kid and basketball team captain, but he has entirely different nuances and subtleties. After a string of comedies that ranged from successful to critically panned (cough, "Baywatch," cough), "The Greatest Showman" came at the perfect time, reestablishing Efron as a multi-talented performer capable of greatness when given the right material. It was his first leading role in a serious dramatic film, and he delivered tenfold. Later that year, he reprised his role of Troy Bolton in High School Musical 2 (2007), which aired on the Disney Channel in August 2007. Barnum with, "Zac Efron to play Ted Bundy in film about American serial killer", "Zac Efron, Amanda Seyfried Join Animated Scooby-Doo Film as Fred and Daphne", "Alex Trebek, Zac Efron, Karrueche Tran, More, Announced As Daytime Emmy Fiction & Lifestyle WinnersComplete Winners List", "Anthony Hayes strikes Gold with Zac Efron and Susie Porter", "Zac Efron Starring in 'Firestarter' Reboot From Blumhouse, Universal", "Zac Efron Goes Indie, Will Star in A24 Film 'The Iron Claw', "Zac Efron Has a Production Company: Help Pick His Next Project! With a heart-melting central romance between Efron and Vanessa Hudgens and an abundance of catchy musical numbers, "High School Musical" gave Efron everything he needed to achieve stardom. The directorial debut of Max Joseph, one of the brains behind the MTV phenomenon "Catfish: The TV Show," "We Are Your Friends" was Efron's first venture into arthouse territory. The film became a major box office success despite negative reviews from critics. Efron's performance in "17 Again" earned him a Teen Choice Award for choice comedy actor and proved to audiences that he was capable of being a leading man in a non-musical movie. While Efron's character, a popular frat boy, doesn't seem like a huge stretch for the actor on the surface, he gets to sink his teeth into genuinely sharp comedic material. Get Toofab breaking news sent right to your browser! 61 of 61 found (86-4) 82 points, "Breaking Free" by Zac & Vanessa. "The Greatest Showman" proved Efron's natural vocal and musical talents for anyone who had doubts, and smartly let the actor return to his musical roots to balance out his raunchier comedies. The nuances of their relationship as it changes throughout Bundy's murder trial allow "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile" to transcend what could've been another tired true-crime endeavor. ", "The 2010 Australian Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award Winners", "Winners Announced for the First Ever Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards UK", "Nominees Announced for the 2009 People's Choice Awards", "The 35th Annual People's Choice Awards Kicked Off Award Season with Big Names and Even Bigger Surprises", "37th Annual People's Choice Awards Winners and Nominees", "2013 People's Choice Awards Winners List", "People's Choice Awards 2015: Full Winners List", "People's Choice Awards 2017: The Complete Winners List", "The 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards", "Zac Efron Named Breakthrough Performer of 2009", "2008 Teen Choice Awards Winners and Nominees", "OTRC: 2011 Teen Choice Awards: Check Out the Full List of Winners", "Teen Choice Awards 2012: Breaking Dawn, Snow White Lead Second Wave of Nominations", "The 2012 Teen Choice Awards: EW's Alternate-Category Winners Plus the Real Ones", "Teen Choice Awards: The Complete Winners List", "Teen Choice Awards 2016: All the Nominees and Winners", "Teen Choice Awards 2018: The Complete Winners List", "26th Annual Young Artist Awards Nominations/Special Awards", "28th Annual Young Artist Awards Nominations/Special Awards", "2014 Young Hollywood Awards Nominees Include. Rogen, arguably one of the foremost voices in modern cinematic comedy, and Efron go head-to-head, and Efron doesn't miss a beat.