Zac Efron’s had a long and illustrious career. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing, however. In honor of his new movie NEIGHBORS, we’ve decided to do a career and life timeline of one of our favorite actors. Check it out!
1998 – This year, an 11 year old Efron tries out for his first play, Gypsy, at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts and lands the part. It’s the first of many and causes him to get the acting bug.
2002 – Zac and his mom Starla commute to LA three days a week for auditions. It’s a tough time but one that will lead to big payoffs. At this time he books guest starring roles on ER, The Guardian and Firefly.
2004 – This year he books one of his first TV shows, Summerland. The show is cancelled in 2005 but it continued to fan the flames for him. Later that year he stars in the Lifetime movie Miracle Run as one of two autistic twins to rave performances.
2006 – In a surprise twist, Disney Channel’s original TV movie High School Musical draws in 26 million viewers for it’s first 6 airings and Zac’s performance as Troy Bolton put him into the hearts of viewers everywhere. His career is at a new high. Later that year, the soundtrack generates 5 top 40 singles and becomes the first TV soundtrack to hit number 1 on charts.
2007 – was also a big year for Zac as he starred on the big screen for the firs time in Hairspray. He also filmed HSM2 that year.
2008 – Efron reprises his role as Troy Bolton in High School Musical 3: Senior Year– the final installment of the franchise. Disney moved it from the small screen to the big screen in a gamble that pays off. The movie made 42 million dollars opening week. Zac also starts to win some awards this year, including an MTV Movie Award and takes on more serious roles, for example his turn in Me and Orson Welles.
2009 – Zac effectively crosses over past the HSM world and takes his first part in 17 Again. The movie does well and solidifies his status as a box office hit.
2011 – Zac continues to focus on his post-HSM career, appearing in the ensemble romantic comedy New Year’s Eve alongside many Hollywood A-listers. Although the movie doesn’t get rave reviews, it lands at number one at the box office
2012 – Zac tries his hand at more adult fare, taking his first romantic leading role. He proves that he’s up to the challenge in The Lucky One, based on the Nicholas Sparks novel. The movie is a financial success.
2014 – Back and healthy again, Zac stars in That Awkward Moment alongside Michael B. Jordan. He also stars in the hotly anticipated Neighbors, hitting theaters in May.
While we don’t know what the future holds for Zac, we have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of him in the years to come!
