Zac Efron facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Zac Efron
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Efron in 2017
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| Born |
Zachary David Alexander Efron
October 18, 1987 |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2002–present |
| Relatives | Dylan Efron (brother) |
Zachary David Alexander Efron (born October 18, 1987) is an American actor. He started acting in the early 2000s. He became very famous as a teen idol for his main role as Troy Bolton in the High School Musical movies (2006–2008). During this time, he also starred in the musical film Hairspray (2007) and the comedy film 17 Again (2009).
Zac Efron has had main roles in many films. These include New Year's Eve (2011), The Lucky One (2012), The Paperboy (2012), Neighbors (2014), Baywatch (2017), and The Greatest Showman (2017). In 2023, he played Kevin Von Erich in The Iron Claw. In 2021, he won an award for hosting the Netflix travel show Down to Earth with Zac Efron (2020–2022).
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Acting
Zachary David Alexander Efron was born on October 18, 1987. He grew up in Arroyo Grande, California. He has a younger brother named Dylan Efron. Zac has said he had a "normal childhood" in a middle-class family.
He was a good student and also a class clown. Zac worked at local theaters and took singing lessons. He performed in plays like Gypsy and Peter Pan. His drama teacher helped him find an agent in Los Angeles. Zac later signed with a big talent agency.
Efron finished Arroyo Grande High School in 2006. He was accepted into the University of Southern California but did not go. He also studied at a theater company called Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts.
Career Highlights
Becoming a Star: High School Musical Era (2002–2009)
Zac Efron started acting in the early 2000s. He had small roles on TV shows like Firefly and ER. In 2004, he joined the TV series Summerland. He also appeared in the TV movie Miracle Run (2004). For this role, he was nominated for a Young Artist Award.
His career changed a lot with the TV musical film High School Musical (2006). It came out on the Disney Channel. In the film, Zac played Troy Bolton. Troy is a high school basketball player who also wants to be in the school musical. The movie was a huge hit. It made Zac very popular with young audiences. The movie's music album sold millions of copies. For his later musical films, Zac did all his own singing.
Next, Zac played Link Larkin in the musical comedy film Hairspray (2007). This movie was also very successful. Later that year, he played Troy Bolton again in High School Musical 2 (2007).
Efron played Troy Bolton one more time in High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008). This was the first High School Musical film shown in movie theaters. It was a big hit at the box office. After that, he starred in the comedy 17 Again (2009). In this movie, a 37-year-old man turns back into his 17-year-old self, played by Efron.
New Roles and Mainstream Films (2009–Present)
Zac Efron then appeared in the drama Me and Orson Welles (2009). Critics liked this film. He then played the main role in the romantic drama Charlie St. Cloud (2010).
In 2011, Efron was part of a big cast in New Year's Eve. He also had a role in Liberal Arts (2012). He starred in The Paperboy (2012).
He lent his voice to the animated film The Lorax (2012). Then he was the main actor in the romantic drama The Lucky One (2012). This film was very popular at the box office. He also starred in the drama At Any Price (2012) and the historical drama Parkland (2013).
In 2014, Efron starred in the romantic comedy That Awkward Moment. He was also a producer for this film. Later in 2014, Efron was in the comedy Neighbors. This movie was a big success. It helped him show that he could play different kinds of roles.
In 2015, Efron starred in We Are Your Friends. In 2016, he was in the comedy sequel Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising. This film was also a success. His third comedy in 2016 was Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates.
In 2017, Efron starred in Baywatch, an action comedy based on the TV show. Also in 2017, he had roles in The Disaster Artist and the musical The Greatest Showman. Both films were nominated for awards.
In 2020, Efron voiced Fred Jones in the animated film Scoob!. In 2021, he won a Daytime Emmy Award for hosting the Netflix show Down to Earth with Zac Efron.
In 2022, he starred in the thriller Gold. He also played a main role in the horror film Firestarter. This movie was a remake of a 1984 film based on a Stephen King novel. Also that year, he starred in the comedy The Greatest Beer Run Ever.
In 2023, he played Kevin Von Erich in The Iron Claw. This movie is about the Von Erich family of wrestlers. In 2024, he starred in Ricky Stanicky and A Family Affair.
Other Projects
In 2010, Zac Efron started his own production company called Ninjas Runnin' Wild. This company helped make some of his films. His brother, Dylan Efron, also works with the company. They now also create online videos.
Zac Efron started his YouTube channel in March 2019. It has two weekly series. "Off the Grid" shows Zac and his brother Dylan doing outdoor activities without electronic devices. "Gym Time" focuses on fitness and healthy eating. Zac plans to train with famous people and athletes on this show.
Personal Life
Zac Efron has been on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list. In 2008, he was number 92. His wealth has grown over the years.
Zac Efron moved to Australia after selling his Los Angeles home in early 2021. He bought a property in Byron Bay.
Images for kids
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Efron in 2017
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Efron at the 2007 Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards
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Efron in 2012
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Efron and Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile co-star Lily Collins in 2019
See also
In Spanish: Zac Efron para niños
