- - Where Is the “High School Musical” Cast Now? A Look at the Stars' Lives 20 Years Later (Including Who Reprised Their Roles for the Show!)

Andrea Wurzburger, Stephanie Sengwe, Emily BlackwoodJanuary 20, 2026 at 6:00 PM

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Fred Hayes/The Disney Channel/Kobal/Shutterstock

Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens in High School Musical. -

High School Musical premiered on Jan. 20, 2006

The movie kicked off a franchise and the career of its starring cast: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale

Most of the actors and actresses from the original movie have continued to find success in Hollywood

The cast of High School Musical is all in this together, even 20 years later.

Premiering on Jan. 20, 2006, the hit Disney Channel movie starred Zac Efron as Troy Bolton, a high school basketball star with a secret love for theater, and Vanessa Hudgens as Gabriella Montez, a shy academic transfer student who discovers she shares his passion for singing. With catchy numbers like "Get'cha Head in the Game," "Stick to the Status Quo" and "Breaking Free," the film followed the pair as they challenged their classmates — and themselves — to step outside their assigned cliques.

"The cast and the group of people making that movie was just magical," Efron said during a December 2023 interview with Variety. "It was still, to this day, maybe one of the most fun experiences of my whole life, and it just shows on camera ... It changed everything for me."

High School Musical spawned three films, including a spinoff starring Ashley Tisdale's iconic character, Sharpay Evans, and a four-season spinoff series, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. It also flung its lead actresses and actors into mainstream success, with many of them going on to build lasting careers in film, television, music and theater.

Here's everything to know about where the cast of High School Musical is now.

01 of 09

Zac Efron as Troy Bolton

Fred Hayes / © Disney Channel / Everett ; Tommaso Boddi/WireImage Zac Efron in 2005 ; Zac Efron in 2022.

It's hard to believe now, but the Disney Channel Original Movie was the now-heartthrob's breakout role. Before playing Troy Bolton, Efron had a few small parts on shows like CSI: Miami and The Guardian, but he shot to fame following High School Musical's success. His gorgeous head of hair didn't hurt.

Efron has starred in plenty of movies since, including the movie adaptation of the musical Hairspray (2007), The Greatest Showman (2017), Baywatch (2017) and Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019), in which he played prolific serial killer Ted Bundy. He also starred alongside Ryan Kiera Armstrong in the 2022 remake of 1984's Firestarter and portrayed former pro wrestler Kevin Von Erich in The Iron Claw (2023).

In 2021, he received a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding daytime program host for the Netflix travel docuseries Down to Earth with Zac Efron.

02 of 09

Vanessa Hudgens as Gabriella Montez

Fred Hayes/The Disney Channel/Kobal/Shutterstock; Jamie McCarthy/Getty Vanessa Hudgens in 2006 ; Vanessa Hudgens in 2020.

Back when she went by Vanessa Anne Hudgens, the actress played Gabrielle Montez, the academically inclined newbie to East High who got involved with the school's musical theater program — and Efron's Troy. Following the film (and its sequels), she dropped the "Anne" and continued acting and singing.

Hudgens has stayed busy since her High School Musical days. She released two albums — 2006's V and 2008's Identified — has acted on both television and in movies and performed on Broadway in the 2015 revival production of Gigi.

She has also become a Netflix leading lady, starring in holiday films such as The Princess Switch franchise (2018–2021) and The Knight Before Christmas (2019), as well as 2021's Tick, Tick... Boom alongside Andrew Garfield.

Hudgens has been married to MLB player Cole Tucker since 2023, and the couple share two children.

03 of 09

Corbin Bleu as Chad Danforth

Fred Hayes / © Disney Channel / Courtesy: Everett Collection; Gabriel Olsen/Getty Corbin Bleu in 2005 ; Corbin Blue in 2019.

Even though his High School Musical character did not approve of his best friend Troy's theatrical pursuits, in real life, Corbin Bleu went on to star in a number of Broadway productions: In the Heights (2010), Godspell (2012), Holiday Inn (2016) and the 2019 revival of Kiss Me, Kate.

Bleu also showed off his dance moves on Dancing with the Stars in 2013, where he made it to the finale and placed second.

In 2022, Bleu returned to his HSM roots with a special appearance on season 3 and 4 of Disney+'s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

Speaking with PEOPLE in February 2023, Bleu revealed that going back to the fictional high school was surprisingly emotional, saying, "I did not expect the reaction that I had when walking back into East High," he said. "Even when I first saw it, just driving up, I took my breath away and I was like, 'Whoa. This is doing something to me. Why?' "

"It wasn't until showing up there that all of these emotions came up," he continued. "When I walked into the gym, that was actually when I started crying. I had so many life-changing special experiences in that room where we shot 'Get'cha Head in the Game,' where we shot 'We're All in This Together,' where we had so many emotional, important scenes, crazy moments. It wasn't until going back and just seeing it again going, 'I can't believe this.' It really was gratitude."

The actor has been married to Canadian actress Sasha Clements since 2016.

04 of 09

Ashley Tisdale as Sharpay Evans

Fred Hayes/The Disney Channel/Kobal/Shutterstock; Phillip Faraone/Getty Ashley Tisdale in 2006 ; Ashley Tisdale in 2019.

Tisdale played Sharpay Evans, who was all about getting the most attention possible. Before High School Musical, Tisdale had already been acting on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

Following the movie's release, Tisdale continued to act on Suite Life until 2008 and lent her voice to Phineas and Ferb from 2007 to 2015. She has voiced many characters on animated shows like Sabrina: Secrets of a Teenage Witch, American Dad, Ginger Snaps and more.

Her role as Sharpay earned her a spin-off movie, Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure (2011).

On top of acting, Tisdale has released three albums and launched her own beauty brand. From 2019 to 2020, she starred alongside Patricia Heaton on Carol's Second Act.

In 2014, Tisdale married musician Christopher French. They welcomed their first child, Jupiter Iris, in March 2021, and their second, Emerson Clover, in September 2024.

05 of 09

Lucas Grabeel as Ryan Evans

Fred Hayes/The Disney Channel/Kobal/Shutterstock; Walt Disney Pictures/Kobal/Shutterstock Lucas Grabeel in 2006 ; Lucas Grabeel in 2019.

Lucas Grabeel played second fiddle to Tisdale as Sharpay's brother, Ryan Evans. Since the final HSM film's release, Grabeel has continued to act and starred in Freeform's Switched at Birth.

He also voices animated characters on shows like Family Guy, Pinky Malinky and Elena of Avalor.

He's one of the few original cast members who made an appearance on the Disney+ show High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. In a sneak-peek clip from the first episode of the fourth and final season of the Disney+ show, Ryan's sexuality was finally confirmed as the character was seen kissing another man.

High School Musical director Kenny Ortega previously spoke about shielding Ryan’s sexuality in the movies, admitting he was “concerned” about Disney’s and audiences’ reaction at the time.

“I was concerned because it was family and kids, that Disney might not be ready to cross that line and move into that territory yet,” Ortega told Variety in June 2020. “So, I just took it upon myself to make choices that I felt that those who were watching would grab."

He added, "They would see it, they would feel it, they would know it and they would identify with it. And that is what happened.”

06 of 09

Monique Coleman as Taylor McKessie

Fred Hayes / © Disney Channel / Courtesy: Everett Collection: Kevin Winter/Getty Monique Coleman in 2005 ; Monique Coleman in 2019.

Like Bleu, Monique Coleman also laced up her dancing shoes to compete on Dancing with the Stars in 2006, though she came in fourth place in the competition.

Coleman continues to act, though her most important role is one of advocacy, and in 2010, she was named the UN's first-ever Youth Champion. She founded Gimme Mo, an organization that empowers youth to make change in the world, and starred in a talk show of the same name that aired on Discovery Life in 2018.

In 2021, Coleman had a mini HSM reunion with Bleu when they costarred in the Lifetime holiday film A Christmas Dance Reunion. She also appeared in season 4 of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

07 of 09

Olesya Rulin as Kelsi Nielson

Fred Hayes / © Disney Channel / Courtesy: Everett Collection: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Olesya Rulin in 2005 ; Olesya Rulin in 2019.

Olesya Rulin, who played the shy pianist Kelsi, continued to act post-HSM. She appeared on series like The Mentalist and CSI: Miami, had a recurring role on the show Greek and starred on PlayStation Network's Powers.

In 2018, she acted in the TV movie Devious Nanny; she appeared on the show SEAL Team the following year.

In 2022, Rulin and husband Joseph Noel Pauline welcomed their first baby together, daughter Ondine Michelle Pauline.

08 of 09

KayCee Stroh as Martha Cox

KayCee Stroth in 'High School Musical 2' ; KayCee Stroth in 2018.

KayCee Stroh popped, locked and jammed her way onto our screens for High School Musical 1, 2 and 3, but then did not do much acting after appearing on Shapetown, USA in 2011.

However, she returned to perform her signature dance moves in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series in 2019.

Stroh has been married to Ben Higginson since 2009. They share two daughters, Zetta Lee and Lettie Lou.

09 of 09

Alyson Reed as Ms. Darbus

Fred Hayes/The Disney Channel/Kobal/Shutterstock; Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Alyson Reed in 2006 ; Alyson Reed in 2018.

You didn't think we would forget Ms. Darbus, did you?!

Before she played the oh-so-dramatic theater teacher in HSM, Alyson Reed was a Broadway star. She was even Tony-nominated for best featured actress in a musical for her role in the 1987 revival of Cabaret.

She also starred as Cassie in the film adaptation of A Chorus Line (1985) and acted in TV series like Party of Five and Providence.

Post-HSM trilogy, she's still acting, and has appeared on shows like How to Get Away with Murder, NCIS, Grace and Frankie and Modern Family (to name just a few). She also acted in the 2019 film Ad Astra. Reed also appeared on season 4 of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”