Watch former Disney star Zac Efron transition from teen dream to chiseled leading man in beefcake roles in “Neighbors 2” and “Baywatch”
Zachary David Alexander Efron was born on October 18, 1987 in San Luis Obispo, California, to humble beginnings: His father and mother both worked at the same power plant.
Efron caught the acting bug early, appearing in plays and taking singing lessons at age 11. Here he’s sporting some sick frosted tips.
Here’s a photo of a young Zac Efron channeling his inner Justin Guarini.
Efron’s baby blues, boyish looks and acting-singing chops caught the attention of Hollywood casting agents.
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In his early teens, Efron started landing major guest TV roles on shows such as “ER” and “Firefly” then series regular role on The WB’s “Summerland.”
Efron got his big break with the role of Troy Bolton, the popular basketball team captain on Disney Channel’s “High School Musical.” The role cemented his status as a bona fide teen idol.
Here’s Zac with his “High School Musical” castmates during their Disney heyday. Whatever happened to Corbin Bleu, anyway?
“HSM” paved the way for more song-and-dance roles, including 2007’s remake of “Hairspray.” But fearing the dreaded typecasting, Efron backed out of the lead role in a “Footloose” remake.
Zac Efron‘s Rolling Stone cover sparked a frenzy in 2007, and signaled his arrival as a chiseled leading man.
“HSM” paved the way for more song-and-dance roles, including 2007’s remake of “Hairspray.” But fearing the dreaded typecasting, Efron backed out of the lead role in a “Footloose” remake.
Determined to shed his squeaky clean image in three “HSM” TV movies, Zac Efron began taking more serious younger leading-man roles, including “Me and Orson Welles,” “Charlie St. Cloud,” “The Paperboy” and “The Lucky One,” in which he played a former soldier suffering from PTSD.
In January 2014, Zac Efron opened up about his battle with substance abuse in an interview with Savanna Guthrie of “Today” following a stint in rehab. “I’m in the best place I’ve ever been in. I’ve never been this happy before.”
Read original story The Evolution of Zac Efron: From ‘High School Musical’ to ‘Greatest Showman’ Stud (Photos) At TheWrap