Zac Efron

Birth Date:

October 18, 1987

Birth Name:

Zachary David Alexander Efron

Birth Place:

San Luis Obispo, California, USA

Nick Name:

Zefron

Film Debut:

The Derby Stallion 2005

Breakthrough Film:

High School Musical 2006

Biography

Zac Efron is an American actor and singer who became one of the most recognizable young stars of the 2000s. He was born Zachary David Alexander Efron on October 18, 1987, in San Luis Obispo, California. Raised in nearby Arroyo Grande, Efron became interested in performing when he was young. At the age of 11, he began taking singing and acting lessons and appeared in local theatre productions, including Gypsy, Peter Pan, Little Shop of Horrors, and The Music Man. He soon began auditioning for television roles and made his television debut in 2002 with a guest appearance on the science-fiction series Firefly. He subsequently appeared in shows including ER, The Guardian, CSI: Miami, and NCIS.

Efron made his feature-film debut in 2005, playing Patrick McCardle in the sports drama The Derby Stallion. However, his major breakthrough came the following year when he was cast as Troy Bolton in Disney Channel’s High School Musical. The 2006 musical became a major success and transformed Efron into an international teenage star. He returned as Troy in High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year, while also appearing in the successful 2007 musical Hairspray as Link Larkin. His performances in these films helped him move beyond television and establish himself as a leading young actor. He later starred in the comedy 17 Again and the drama Me and Orson Welles, demonstrating his interest in taking on different types of roles.

As his career developed, Efron moved toward more mature and varied roles. He starred in films including The Lucky One, The Paperboy, Neighbors, Dirty Grandpa, Baywatch, and The Greatest Showman. In 2019, he played serial killer Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, taking on a dramatically different role from his earlier work. He later portrayed wrestler Kevin Von Erich in The Iron Claw (2023). Throughout his career, Efron has worked across comedy, drama, romance, musicals, and biographical films. His nickname is “Zefron,” a shortened version of his first name and surname that has been used in entertainment media.

Movie Portfolio