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Zachary David Alexander Efron (born October 18, 1987) is an American actor.

Efron is best known for his appearances in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical and Summerland. He will also be starring in 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."

Biography

Early life

Efron was born in San Luis Obispo, California to David Efron, an electrical engineer, and Starla Baskett, a former secretary. He is of Jewish descent, although he does not practice the Jewish religion. Efron has a brother, Dylan, and owns two Australian Shepherds named Dreamer and Puppy, as well as a Siamese cat named Simon. In many magazines, Efron claims he would freak if he got a 'B' and not an 'A' in school. But, he also claims he has been a class clown. His interest in singing was discovered and encouraged at the age of eleven, and he was subsequently cast in the musical Gypsy for 90 performances, and went on to have roles in stage productions of Peter Pan, Little Shop of Horrors, The Music Man, and Mame.

Career

In 2002, Efron began to have guest roles on television series, including Firefly, ER, and The Guardian.

Efron is known for portraying "Cameron Bale", whose father beat him, on the now-cancelled WB series Summerland. 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. Since appearing in Summerland, he has also had guest roles on the shows CSI: Miami, NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and The Replacements.

In 2003, Efron starred in the Lifetime original TV movie Miracle Run. He played Steven Morgan, one of two autistic twins. Overcoming incredible odds, with his mother's support, he achieved the unimaginable, winning a cross country competition. For his performance, he was nominated for a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special - Supporting Young Actor. In 2005, Efron was a main character in Hope Partlow's music video for "Sick Inside".

In 2006, Efron starred in the Disney Channel original movie High School Musical as Troy Bolton alongside actresses Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale and Monique Coleman who have all starred in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody like Efron, and actors Lucas Grabeel and Corbin Bleu. This role helped Efron gain recognition among teenage audiences as both an actor and a successful singer. Combined with his simultaneous appearances on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and NCIS, Efron placed as high as #4 on the IMDBPro's STARMeter for the week of January 29 2006. Efron's singing talents were disputed when it was revealed that Andrew Seeley's voice was blended with Efron's voice on the soundtrack of High School Musical. (It was later explained that Efron is a baritone singer and so Seeley's voice was used for the higher notes - the part of Troy was written for a tenor singer.)

Efron debuted with two charted songs in the same week on the February 4, 2006, Billboard Hot 100, with Get'cha Head In the Game and Breaking Free, a duet with Vanessa Hudgens from High School Musical. On the following week's chart, Efron had five simultaneous song credits, all from High School Musical, including, once more, Get'cha Head in the Game, Start of Something New, What I've Been Looking For: Reprise, We're all in this Together (which was credited to the whole High School Musical cast) and Breaking Free. 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 has since been beaten by Eminem and Akon's Smack That. Efron also appeared in the 2006 Disney Channel Games as captain of the Red Team. On his team were Kay Panabaker, Anneliese van der Pol, Moises Arias, Dylan Sprouse, and Shin Koyamada.

In June of 2006, Efron was cast as Link Larkin in the upcoming film version of Hairspray, also starring Amanda Bynes, Queen Latifah and John Travolta. Efron will perform all of his own vocals in the film. Filming took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from September 5 to December 2, 2006. Efron has cut and dyed his hair dark brown and gained about 15lbs for the role in Hairspray.

Television and film roles

Discography

Albums

• 2006: High School Musical: The Soundtrack #1 US (2x Platinum) (US Sales: 2.8 million; shipped: 3 million), #1 AUS (Platinum)
• 2007: High School Musical 2: The Soundtrack — August 2007

Singles

• 2006: Breaking Free with Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Zac Efron & Andrew Seeley #4 US #9 UK
• 2006: Start of Something New with Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Zac Efron & Andrew Seeley #28 US
• 2006: We're All In This Together with High School Musical Cast & Andrew Seeley #34 US
• 2006: I Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You with Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Zac Efron and Lucas Grabeel
• 2006: What I've Been Looking For (Reprise) with Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Zac Efron & Drew Seeley
• 2006: Get-cha Head in the Game with cast of High School Musical

Footnotes

1. "Zac Efron Joins Cast of 'Hairspray'". CBS Studios. 2006-06-26. Retrieved 2006-08-15. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
2. ^ "MSNBC". Hollywood: Hello to Hairspray. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
3. http://www.juf.org/tweens/new_cel.asp?id=123
4. "IMDB". IMDB Awards for Zac Efron. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
5. "IMDB Pro". IMDB Prop StarMeter. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
6. Billboard.com
7. "Eur Web". MUSIC/WEB BITS: Akon’s record; Fat Joe’s label; Madonna denies adoption; Ice T & NYC mayor; B-Real on ‘Scarface’ LP; Doin' It Network. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
8. "Canada.com". Summer of stars. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)

External links

• Zac Efron at IMDb

• Official Site
  
• Interview with Zac for Cosmo Girl

• 1987 births
• American actor-singers
• American child actors
• American child singers
• American television actors
• CSI: Miami actors
• ER actors
• Hairspray actors
• High School Musical actors
• Jewish American actors
• Living people
• People from California
• The Suite Life of Zack & Cody actors