In a basketball jersey and with long hair, he made his breakthrough as an actor at the age of 19 and gained worldwide fame in the role of teen heartthrob Troy Bolton in “High School Musical”.
We’re talking about Zac Efron, who turns 35 today. As the son of an engineer and a secretary, he says he grew up in normal circumstances in a middle-class family. At that time he was already considered a class clown, started acting at an early age and took singing lessons. His acting teacher recommended that an agent in Los Angeles hire Efron.
After roles in “Emergency Room” and “CSI: Miami” in childhood and adolescence, he made it into the cast of “High School Musical” in 2006, which was considered Disney Channel’s most successful film at the time. Two sequels followed, and rumors among fans for a fourth part still persist 14 years later. He then starred in the comedy 17 Again, in 2017 he starred alongside Dwayne Johnson in Baywatch and alongside Hugh Jackman in The Greatest Showman.
drug and alcohol problems
Despite his success in front of the camera, Efron had to cope with some setbacks in terms of health. About 10 years ago he went into therapy. The then 26-year-old struggled with drug and alcohol problems, but has since been considered a sober alcoholic. That same year, he broke his jaw in a fall that had to be wired. Most recently, he made the headlines for alleged cosmetic surgery. According to Efron, however, his jaw has grown so tight since the fall that his face now looks different. He thinks it’s “just funny” that there were rumors about failed surgeries. In September this year, in an interview with “Mens Health”, he spoke about mental problems, suffering from insomnia, agoraphobia and depression. The latter comes from the income from medication for his role in “Baywatch”.
Efron has been in front of the camera for his own production since 2020. Under the title “Down to earth” he flies around the world, informing viewers about sustainability, lifestyle and travel. The series he is directing for Netflix won a Daytime Emmy Award. The California-born actor and singer also sold his Los Angeles mansion for Down to Earth and now resides in Byron Bay, Australia.
