Zac Efron: Snapshot
- Name
- Zac Efron
- Date of Birth
- October 18, 1987
- Birth Place
- San Luis Obispo, Calif.
In the summer of 2007, Efron laced up his b-ball sneakers again for HSM 2 with his costar and real-life girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens. He also jumped to the big-screen in the star-studded remake of Hairspray and landed a sexy cover of Rolling Stone, which proclaimed him, "The New American Heartthrob."
After smashing the box office with the final installment of the HSM franchise, High School Musical 3: Senior Year, Efron prepped for non-Disney roles opposite Matthew Perry in 17 Again and Claire Danes in Me and Orson Welles.
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Zac Efron: Five Fun Facts
- Growing up, Zac Efron had a crush on Tyra Banks. "She was the first poster I had on my wall. I had it on my ceiling!" he told Seventeen. "And I had a bunk bed, so she was, like, really close. It was the famous purple bathing suit shot."
- Not all of Zac Efron's vocals in High School Musical belong to him. "I didn't even sing on the first album," Efron tells Rolling Stone. "It wasn't my voice in the movie. Even though I wanted to do it...I felt extremely guilty."
- Zac Efron says no to sex scenes. "I want to save a little bit of that young image that I've earned from the Disney Channel," he told The San Luis Obispo Tribune.
- Zac Efron was Punk'd in April 2007 by High School Musical costar Ashley Tisdale and Ashton Kutcher. The set-up: He was accused of letting men steal a cash box from a clothing store.
- Zac Efron was scheduled to attend his first year at USC, but deferred after landing his HSM role.
Zac Efron: Biography 
- 1987
Welcome, Zac
David, an electrical engineer, and Starla Baskett, a former secretary, welcome son, Zachary David Alexander Efron. Younger brother Dylan soon joins the family, who lives in Arroyo Grande, Calif., 190 miles north of L.A.
- 1998
The Acting Bug
Efron, 11, tries out for a minor role in the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (PCPA) musical Gypsy and lands the part. "From day one, I got addicted to being on stage and getting the applause and laughter," he tells his hometown newspaper The San Luis Obispo Tribune in 2006. He goes on to audition for a slew of local plays, and undertakes singing lessons and drama classes.
- 2002
Trying Out
Efron and his mother Starla drive to L.A. three days a week for auditions, while he studies at Arroyo Grande High School in San Luis Obispo, Calif. "For every role that I have done on TV and movies, I've auditioned for 30 or 40," he tells the Tribune. The young actor makes the jump from local plays to national TV with TV series guest spots on Firefly, ER and The Guardian.
Photo Credits
Top Left: Lance Staedler
