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Zachary David Alexander Efron (born October 18, 1987) is an American actor. Efron is known for his appearances in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical and the series Summerland, with his next role scheduled to be a 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 and later moved to Arroyo Grande. His father, David Efron, is an electrical engineer, and his mother, Starla Baskett, is a former secretary who worked at the same power plant as Efron's father. Efron has a younger brother, Dylan. He is of Jewish descent, although he does not practice the Jewish religion. Efron 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. Efron's father encouraged him to begin acting; he subsequently appeared in theater productions at his high school, and starting at the age of eleven, began taking singing lessons and performed in plays such as Gypsy, Peter Pan, Little Shop of Horrors, The Music Man and Mame. A drama teacher of Efron's recommended him to her agent in Los Angeles.

Career

In 2002, Efron began to appear in guest roles on several television series, including Firefly, ER, and The Guardian. Efron portrayed Cameron Bale 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 and Lori Loughlin. 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 & Cody and The Replacements.

In 2003, Efron starred in the Lifetime original television movie Miracle Run. He played Steven Morgan, one of two autistic twins. 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 Anne Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale and Monique Coleman, who, like Efron, have all appeared on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and actors Lucas Grabeel and Corbin Bleu. The role helped Efron gain recognition among teenage audiences as both an actor and a 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. In August 2006, Efron won a Teen Choice Award in the Breakout Star and the TV - Choice Chemistry categories, shared with Hudgens. The film's cast, along with Efron, toured Sydney, Australia, London, England, and other locations to promote the film, although Efron did not participate in the High School Musical Concert that toured the U.S. and Canada throughout fall and winter 2006.

Efron debuted with two simultaneous charted songs on February 4, 2006, Billboard Hot 100, with "Get'cha Head in the Game" and "Breaking Free", a duet with Vanessa Anne 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.

In June of 2006, Efron was cast as Link Larkin in a film version of Hairspray, also starring Amanda Bynes, Queen Latifah and John Travolta and scheduled for release on July 20, 2007. Efron performed all of his own vocals in the role, which was filmed in Toronto, Ontario from September 5 to December 2, 2006. Efron cut and dyed his hair dark brown and gained about 15 lbs. for the role.

Efron's next films include the made-for-television High School Musical 2, which completed filming on April 13, 2007 and is scheduled to air on Disney Channel on August 17, 2007. Efron has also been cast in an untitled high school-set comedy produced by Adam Shankman and based on a pitch by Jason Filardi.

On April 7, 2007, Efron starred as himself in an episode of Punk'd with High School Musical co-star Ashley Tisdale. He was set up by two guys pretending to steal a box at a local store (they were really taking it to the "manager's" house) and finding out that the "security guard" (who left the store at the time to eat a hot dog) never saw the whole thing. The "manager" questions both stars, but he doesn't believe Efron when he tells what happened. Just when things weren't looking up, Tisdale tells him that "you've just been Punk'd!"

Efron appeared in the music video for Vanessa Hudgens's single 'Say OK', where he played her love interest. The video aired on 16 March, 2007 on Disney Channel. Efron was named one of People magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People in 2007. A picture and short profile of him was in the section "Coming of Age", along with pop singer/actress Hilary Duff, actress Hayden Panettiere and R&B singer Chris Brown. In it, he relates how he was always the shortest kid in school (he's now 5ft 6in) and that he got teased for the "huge gap" in his teeth. He also states his belief that "older women appreciate my eyes."

Personal life

Upon the premiere of High School Musical, rumors began to circulate that Efron was dating his co-star, Ashley Tisdale. The two denied the relationship rumors, stating repeatedly that they were "just friends". Efron was also rumored to be dating his leading lady, Vanessa Anne Hudgens. In April of 2007, the Efron/Hudgens relationship was confirmed in the myspace blog for the Tween magazine, Popstar!, J-14 and by Hudgens' rep on AOL.com.

Television and film roles

Discography

Albums

• 2006: High School Musical: The Soundtrack - January 10, 2006
• 2007: Hairspray Soundtrack - July 10, 2007
• 2007: High School Musical 2: The Soundtrack — August 14, 2007

Singles

• 2007: Ladies' Choice as Zac Efron from Hairspray
• 2006: Breaking Free with Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Zac Efron & Andrew Seeley
• 2006: Start of Something New with Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Zac Efron & Andrew Seeley
• 2006: We're All In This Together with High School Musical Cast & Andrew Seeley
• 2006: I Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You with Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Zac Efron, Andrew Seeley and Lucas Grabeel
• 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.zefron.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=143&pos=44
4. http://www.juf.org/tweens/celebrity.aspx?id=11018
5. http://www.zefron.com/zac/rumors.html
6. http://bopmag.com/its_true/18/1.shtml
7. http://www.zefron.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=229&pos=37
8. http://www.zefron.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=143&pos=33
9. "IMDB". IMDB Awards for Zac Efron. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
10. "IMDB Pro". IMDB Prop StarMeter. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
11. Billboard.com
12. "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)
13. "Canada.com". Summer of stars. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
14. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117960264.html?categoryid=13&cs=1
15. "Coming of Age." People Magazine 7 May 2007: 171.
16. http://www.zac-efron.us/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=4434&fullsize=1
17. http://www.zac-e.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=7253&fullsize=1

External links

• Zac Efron at IMDb

• 1987 births
• American actor-singers
• American child actors
• American child singers
• American television actors
• Jewish American actors
• Living people
• People from California