Zac Efron

Zac Efron (born Zachary David Alexander Efron, 18.10.1987)

Zac Efron is an American actor and is also a singer. He rose to fame after appearing in High School Musical and the TV series Summerland.

Zac Efron: Childhood

Zac Efron was born in San Luis Obispo, California, to father David (a power plant engineer) and Starla Baskett (a former secretary). They later moved to Arroyo Grande, California.

When Zac was 11, his father encouraged him to try acting. He later appeared in a number of productions at his high school and found work in a theatre named The Great American Melodrama and Vaudeville. He also took up singing lessons. In 2001, Efron completed a course at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts.

Efron's drama teacher, Robyn Metchik, recommended him to an agency and he soon signed up with the Creative Artists Agency.

After graduating from high school in Arroyo Grande, Efron deferred an offer of a place at the University of Southern California, whilst he worked on a number of film projects.

Zac Efron: Acting Career

Efron's TV career started out with appearances in shows such as Firefly, The Guardian and ER. He also played Cameron Bale in the WB series Summerland. In the second series of the show, he became a regular cast member.

Since his appearance in the series, Efron has also accepted offers to appear in the likes of CSI:Miami, The Replacements and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.

In 2003, Zac Efron received a Young Artist Award for his performance as an autistic twin in the TV movie Miracle Run.

Efron's career took an upturn in 2006 when he appeared in High School Musical. He played the role of Troy Bolton, the basketball captain. He won two Teen Choice Awards following the release of the film and the cast travelled to Europe and Australia to promote the movie.

In 2007, Efron appeared in a remake of Hairspray, and received positive reviews for his performance. The same year saw the release of High School Musical 2. His role will be revisited in the 2008 release of High School Musical 3: Senior Year.

In 2008, Efron spent time filming Me and Orson Welles, which was filmed on the Isle of Man, New York and London. The film was first screened at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2008.

Zac Efron: Music Career

Efron released his first two singles shortly after the release of High School Musical. 'Get'cha Head in the Game' and 'Breaking Free' both charted at the same time. The next week, he had five tracks from the film's soundtrack in the charts.