To celebrate Zac Efron’s first leading man role in his new film The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, which is released on October 8, we are taking a look at his career to date and the milestones that have brought this young talent to where is now.
We all know Zac Efron as the guy that sang and bopped his way through the successful Disney franchise High School Musical, but did you know that his actual first film debut came as an autistic kid in a 2003 television movie called a Miracle Run and he was nominated for a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Movie.
In 2006 Zac starred as Troy Bolton, the popular student and captain of the Wild Cats basketball team a roll that catapulted him in to star status among teenage audiences and marked the beginning of a serious roller coaster ride. He received a Teen Choice Award in the Breakout Star and TV Choice Chemistry categories, and the film's cast, toured Australia and England.
Shortly after High School Musical aired, Zac debuted with two simultaneous charted songs on Billboard Hot 100, one of which was a duet with Vanessa Hudgens.
Although Zac was enjoying success as singer and commanding a colossal teenage girl following, he made it clear from early on that he intended to persue a career as a serious dramatic actor.
Efron played the part of Link Larken in the 2007 film version of the stage musical Hairspray, he performed all of his own vocals in the film and both his performance and the film received positive reviews. It was significant turning point in his career as he was introduced to audiences outside of High School Musical.
High School Musical 2 was released in August 2007 and Zac topped IMDB Pro's Star Meter at number one and made it on to the cover of the of Rolling Stone magazine. In the article he revealed that he hoped to someday play an Action Hero!
In 2008 Zac said goodbye to the High School Musical that had brought him so much success, fame... and a girlfriend. He went out with a bang though and High School Musical 3: Senior Year was a success and a fitting end for the modern day Fred Astaire .
Zac’s next venture 17 Again marked his first steps outside of the world of the world of Musicals since achieving celebrity status. The film also starred funny man Matthew Perry of Friends fame. Asked whether he was happy with the choices he had made since he was 17 he replied;
"Absolutely. This is the best job in the world, I'm having the time of my life. I wake up every day with a new challenge, whether it's filming, learning a new skill on the set, interviews, press, that kind of stuff. It's always fun. It's always interesting. And it's always a challenge.
So yeah, I'm very happy with that, I'm very happy with my life right now. And 17 Again, it was exactly what I was looking for. This was an opportunity to work with a brilliant cast and an amazing director. And it was that chance to switch it up. It does take place in high school and a high school setting, but it's not a very high school character. And that's what I want to do more of."
In early 2008, Zac was cast in a lead role in Me and Orson Welles. The story, set in 1937 New York, tells of a teenager hired to star in Orson Welles' production of Julius Caesar, where he becomes attracted to a career-driven production assistant (Claire Danes). During an interview Zac was asked:
Why this film? I feel like you have no shortage of scripts, so what about this movie made you want to do it, , this is a lot different than I think any film you’ve done so far.
Zac: "It was different, and it was a very unique opportunity for me at the time and it still is, I think it was something that just didn’t seem so cut and dry, it wasn’t an obvious decision, and even I was a bit surprised, and that’s very cool, I hope I can continue to maintain that, and have those options, I mean, that’s why we do this.
"To grow, and try new things, and that was exactly what this movie represented for me, so thank god it came at the perfect time."
2010 marks the first leading man role for Zac as he teams up with director Burr Steers again on the release of The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, which hits our screens this Friday October 8th.
Based on an acclaimed novel, "Charlie St. Cloud" is a romantic drama starring Zac Efron as a young man who survives an accident that lets him see the world in a unique way. In this emotionally charged story, he begins a romantic journey in which he embraces the dark realities of the past while discovering the transformative power of love.
Zac: "I read the script first and when I read it there were so many similarities between Charlie and my own sort of philosophy. Early on when he’s about to go to school, which is where I found myself a couple of years ago and when this all started to happen, I had that sort of mentality that if I put my mind to it I could accomplish anything."
The Death and Life of Charlie St Cloud is released 8th October.
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