Zach Efron
He began acting professionally in the early 2000s, and became known to young audiences after his roles in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical, the WB series Summerland, and the film version of the Broadway musical Hairspray. Speaking to Newsweek in June 2006, director Adam Shankman described Efron as "arguably the biggest teen star in America right now." In 2007, right before the release of High School Musical 2, Rolling Stone declared him the "poster boy for tweenyboppers" and featured him in their late August issue.
Early life and background
Efron was born in San Luis Obispo, California and later moved to Arroyo Grande, California. His father, David Efron, is an engineer at a power plant, and his mother, Starla Baskett, is a former secretary who worked at the same power plant as Efron's father. Efron had a self-described "normal childhood" in a middle class family, and has a younger brother, Dylan. Efron is of Jewish ancestry and is an agnostic, having never been religious. He has said that he would "flip out" if he got a B and not an A in school, and that he was a "class clown". Although self-described as not academically gifted, he remained focused enough to achieve an impressive overall GPA of 4.3.
Efron's father encouraged him to begin acting when Efron was eleven. He subsequently appeared in theater productions at his high school, worked in a theater called The Great American Melodrama and Vaudeville, and began taking singing lessons. Efron performed in plays such as Gypsy, Peter Pan, Or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, Little Shop of Horrors, and The Music Man. Efron was recommended to an agent in Los Angeles by his drama teacher, Robyn Metchik (the mother of actors Aaron Michael Metchik and Asher Metchik). He was later signed to the Creative Artists Agency.
Education
Efron graduated from Arroyo Grande High School in 2006, and was then accepted into the University of Southern California, but he deferred his enrollment while he worked on film projects.
He plans to return at some time. Efron also attended Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, a community college located in Santa Maria, California, which provided him with the opportunity to perform as a "young player" during the years of 2000 and 2001.
Acting career
In 2002, Efron began to appear in guest roles on several television series, including Firefly, ER, and The Guardian. Originally introduced as a recurring character, Efron became a regular cast member on the show in the second season in 2004, starring opposite the likes of Kay Panabaker, Lori Loughlin and Jesse McCartney.
"Breaking Free", at the time, made the fastest climb in the history of the Billboard charts, from #86 to #4 between the two weeks; the record was beaten by Beyoncé and Shakira's "Beautiful Liar". Efron also appeared in the 2006 Disney Channel Games as captain of the Red Team.
Efron's singing talents were disputed when it was revealed that Andrew Seeley's voice was blended with his on the soundtrack of High School Musical. An August 23, 2007 interview in Rolling Stone magazine revealed that he had been cast in High School Musical after the songs were written, and the songs (written for a tenor) were somewhat out of his baritone vocal range. However, Efron stated in interviews that he felt his future is that of a serious dramatic actor, not necessarily a singer.
2007-present: Recent roles
On April 7, 2007, Efron appeared in an episode of Punk'd.
Efron also starred in the music video for Vanessa Hudgens's single "Say OK", where he played her love interest. That year, he was named one of People magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People in 2007.
Efron performed all of his own vocals in the role, which was filmed in Toronto, Ontario, from September 5 to December 2, 2006. His next role will be in 17 Again, a high school-set comedy-drama produced by Adam Shankman and based on a pitch by Jason Filardi; the plot involves an adult who is transformed into a 17-year old (to be played by Efron). 17 Again will be released in 2009.
In early 2008, Efron was cast as the lead role in the film Me and Orson Welles.
As of April 5, 2009, his personal wealth equaled about $10 million dollars.
Vanessa Hudgens confirmed, in an October 2007 interview with Teen Magazine, that she and Efron had been dating since the filming of High School Musical, which took place in 2005. They were still dating as of April 5, 2009.
Filmography
Discography
Soundtracks
2007: Hairspray Soundtrack – July 10, 2007
2007: High School Musical 2 Soundtrack - August 14, 2007
2008: High School Musical 3: Senior Year Soundtrack - October 21, 2008
Charted songs
Awards and nominations
Awards
2006 - Teen Choice Award: Choice Breakout Star
2006 - Teen Choice Award: Choice Chemistry for High School Musical (with Vanessa Hudgens)
2007 - Kids' Choice Award: Best male Actor
2007 - Teen Choice Award: Choice Male Hottie
2007 - Hollywood Film Award: Ensemble of the Year (shared with the rest of the Hairspray cast)
2007 - Young Hollywood Award: One to Watch in Hairspray
2008 - MTV Movie Award: Breakthrough Performance
Nominations
2005 - Young Artist Award: Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special by a Supporting Actor for Miracle Run
2007 - Young Artist Award: Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special by a Lead Actor for High School Musical
2008 - Critics Choice Award: Best Song for Hairspray (2007) Shared With: Queen Latifah, Nikki Blonsky, Elijah Kelley — "Come So Far"..