Zac Efron - photo, biography, personal life, news, films 2021

Biography

Zac Efron is a Hollywood artist whose star shone especially brightly after the release of the Disney film series “High School Musical” and the comedies “Hairspray”, “Daddy's 17 Again” and “Grandpa of Easy Virtue”.

Zac Efron

His bright appearance, charisma and love of love made this artist one of the first heartthrobs in Hollywood.

Climbing Olympus

Efron's first serious work was the musical Hairspray. To get the role, the guy had to come to castings several times and beat more than two hundred competitors. The role, naturally, went to Zach. And along with it comes the experience gained by collaborating with the most famous Hollywood stars:

Michelle Pfeiffer;
John Travolta.

From 20 to 25 years old, the young star’s track record was replenished with a whole list of interesting films:

"The Double Life of Charlie St. Cloud";
"Old New Year";
"Newsboy."

During the same period, the handsome man was offered the role of a marine. But for a complete transformation, Zack lacked a pumped up figure, and the guy enthusiastically plunged into sports. Soon it was difficult to even imagine that this same Zac Efron - the guy’s height allowed him to add more than 10 kilograms of muscle mass, which, thanks to intensive training, turned into clear relief.

As a result, the role in “Lucky” brought the aspiring star not only the admiration of an army of fans, but also prestigious awards.

“I received extraordinary pleasure from working on my body,” the young man shared with reporters. “I was pleased to observe the transformations taking place. Besides, I felt great, which I attributed only to regular exercise. Now I’m unlikely to give up going to the gym and will be constantly in touch with the trainer.

Each new film brought fame and awards to the actor:

"Daddy is 17 again";
"Newsboy";
"At any cost";
"That awkward moment";
"Grandfather of easy virtue";
"128 heart beats per minute."

The last 3 films on the list captivated the audience the most, as they fully revealed Zach's talent as a comedic and dramatic actor.

Childhood and youth

Zac Efron (full name Zachary David Alexander Efron) was born in October 1987 in the family of power plant engineer David Efron and housewife Starla Baskett. Zachary's parents have Jewish roots.

When Zach was 6 years old and his younger brother Dylan was one year old, the Efron family moved from San Luis Obispo, California to the small town of Arroyo Grande, which was located 3 hours away from the famous “Dream Factory” in Los Angeles.

Zac Efron in childhood and now

Like everyone his age, Zach played football and attended regular school. The only thing that distinguished the boy from his peers was his singing talent: Zachary sang invented simple songs everywhere, throwing his family off balance. In the end, the parents decided to develop their son’s musical abilities and took him to a music school.

Zac Efron began performing on stage at the age of 4, playing small roles in school plays. And at the age of 11, he auditioned and got into a play called “Gypsies,” which was performed at the Arroyo Grande Theater. “Gypsy Girl” was repeated 90 times, and the young artist appeared on stage dressed as a gypsy woman the same number of times. Thus began the acting biography of Zac Efron.

Zac Efron in his youth

At the age of 11, the teenager attended the music school of the Alan Hancock Theater College in Santa Monica for a year and completely fell in love with the stage, laughter and applause of the audience. Zac and Dylan Ephron have become indispensable members of the drama school troupe. Zachary was entrusted with more and more complex and responsible roles, and each time he coped with the assigned tasks perfectly. He was especially successful in the image of Peter Pan, the never-growing boy from the magical Neverland.

Efron later admitted that this was his favorite role, which he would happily embody not only on the stage, but also on the screen.

Movies

When Zac Efron turned 15, he and his mother went to Los Angeles, where they tried their luck at announced castings. The efforts were crowned with success: the guy was entrusted with a number of episodic roles in top-rated TV series: “CSI: Miami”, “Firefly” and “Emergency”.

And in 2004, 17-year-old Zach was noticed by producer Harry Weiner and included him in the permanent cast of the multi-part family film “Eternal Summer.” In the first season of the saga, the young actor played a minor role, but in the second he appeared on screen much more often. Filming on the ocean shore opened up surfing for Zach, to which he became seriously addicted.

After the release of the family saga “Eternal Summer,” Zac Efron becomes a recognizable and sought-after artist. After filming this series, he was offered a major role in the film High School Musical, where Efron played Troy Bolton. This musical tape brought real fame to the young artist. He played in close collaboration with the beauties Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale. This trio was so loved by teenagers that director Kenny Ortega soon filmed 2 more parts, calling them “High School Musical: Vacation” and “High School Musical: Graduation Day”.

During this period, Zach graduated from high school and continued his education at the University of Southern California, but due to his incredibly busy schedule, he had to postpone his studies.

Zac Efron in the movie "High School Musical"

The famous young actor Efron is noted by well-known critics in their reviews, finding flattering words for him, and the youth audience adores him so much that the name Zac Efron rises to second place in search engines, ahead of the most popular program called “American Idol.” The guy was presented with the prestigious Teen Choice 2005 award.

After High School Musical, Zac Efron accepted director Adam Shankman's offer to play Link Larkin Shankman in his new musical Hairspray. The young actor met on the set with such top Hollywood stars as Michelle Pfeiffer and John Travolta. To get the role of Link, Efron beat out 200 colleagues in auditions.

Zac Efron in the movie "At Any Cost"

From 2007 to 2012, the artist played vivid characters in the films “The Double Life of Charlie St. Cloud,” “Old New Year” and “The Newsboy.” For his work in Scott Hicks' melodrama "Lucky" Zac Efron received three prestigious Teen Choice Awards. The artist thoroughly prepared for the role of a marine; for the sake of the image, he had to gain 11 kg, gaining only muscle mass. For a long time, Efron trained with an instructor and constantly ate only chicken puree. The result of such activities impressed the artist’s fans.

Zach received 2 more of the same awards for the comedy “Dad Is 17 Again.” In the film, the actor plays the main character, who temporarily becomes a 17-year-old boy. The character uses this opportunity to correct the mistakes of his youth.

Zac Efron in the comedy "Dad's 17 Again"

The thriller “The Paperboy” received high ratings from viewers and positive reviews from film critics. For his role in this film, Zac Efron was nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes for the first time. The actor played the young hero Jack, who falls madly in love with a Balzac-age lady, Charlotte (Nicole Kidman). The woman helps the young man and his older brother, reporter Ward (Matthew McConaughey), in investigating the crime.

This year, viewers saw the drama “At Any Cost” directed by Ramin Bahrani. This is a story about a father who wants to pass on the family business to his son, but the guy does not want to join the business, dreaming of a racing career. The role of the son went to Zac Efron. The film competed for the Golden Lion in Venice.

Zac Efron and Alexandra Daddario

Critics unanimously admit that the actor is talented and also has prospects for growth, since he is capable of multifaceted roles in different roles.

Among Zac Efron's prominent roles, his work in the popular comedies “That Awkward Moment,” “Grandfather of Easy Virtue” and the youth drama “128 Heart Beats per Minute” should be mentioned.

The comedy “Grandfather of Easy Virtue” was released in 2021 and instantly captivated viewers, which is not surprising, because the main roles in it went to Zac Efron and Robert De Niro, who played the grandson and grandfather.

Robert De Niro and Zac Efron

The Hollywood star is at the peak of her popularity today and regularly pleases her army of loyal fans with new films. In 2021, the films “Wedding Frenzy” and “Neighbors. On the warpath - 2." The latest film is especially popular, because, in addition to Efron, Hollywood stars Chloe Grace Moretz, Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne appeared in it. In addition, Zac Efron demonstrated an excellent physique in this project.

Thanks to hard training, his torso remains sculpted. Fans of the star are interested in his training system and nutrition, wanting to get the same athletic figure.

Zac Efron's torso in the movie Baywatch

And in 2021, when the adventure film “Baywatch” was released, attention to Zac Efron’s appearance increased: the actor achieved stunning results, demonstrating an ideal figure on the screen. The heroes of the film are ocean coast rescuers who declare war on an oil company that wants to get the coastal zone for its use.

Zac Efron and Zendaya

Efron played the role of former swimming champion Matt, who ended his career in the sport by a curious incident, having gone too far before the last tests. The comedy also stars Dwayne Johnson, Alexandra Daddario and Priyanka Chopra.

Another bright premiere of the year was the screening of the musical “The Greatest Showman,” in which Zach was lucky enough to work in a star-studded ensemble along with Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya. This work received nominations for the Golden Globe and Oscar and was enthusiastically received by the audience.

Zac Efron and Kevin Zegers

Admirers of the star’s work note Zach’s striking resemblance to his Canadian colleague Kevin Zegers, known for the films “Dawn of the Dead” and “Transamerica.”

He commands Zach's love

Dating the likes of Vanessa Hudgens, Michelle Rodriguez and designer Sami Miro is bound to have its complications. Whenever negotiating the various pitfalls, triumphs and tribulations of his strong romantic life, Zac Efron has no qualms about hitting up his brother for advice. "If I'm dating someone, one of the few people I have to weigh in is my brother," he told Cosmopolitan in 2021. "We're different in a lot of ways, but he's really grounded."

And why is Dylan his guy when it comes to matters of the heart? Mainly because Dylan's life was relatively down to earth, so keeping it real comes naturally. “He lived a more normal life than I did,” says Zach, “so he’s a great Barometer for me.”

Songs

Fans of Efron's acting talent love him both for his films and for his wonderful vocals. Zach has recorded many popular movie soundtracks.

In 2007, the artist and singer released his first successful composition for the musical Hairspray. After that, Efron sang 8 more songs for the series “High School Musical 2.”

Zac Efron - "Bet On It"

These compositions were a great success among music lovers, and the artist had to record 10 new songs for the third part of the musical. One of the soundtracks even reached fifth position in the top 40 popular singles, selling 4 million copies.

The song performed by Zac Efron and actress Vanessa Hudgens, which reached number four on the Billboard chart, became especially popular and beloved.

Personal life

Zac Efron is number 92 on the 2008 Forbes Celebrity 100 list. At that time, his income was already $5.8 million. People magazine recognized Zach as the most handsome actor. Rolling Stone magazine agreed with him and published an article entitled “The New American Heartthrob Zac Efron.”

Zac Efron Hairstyles

With a height of 173 cm and a weight of 75 kg, the actor has an athletic figure. At the same time, Zach monitors not only the definition of his torso, but also pays attention to his image, in the creation of which hairstyle plays an important role. With his light hand, “shaggy” styling became the trend of the time.

It’s no wonder that Zac Efron’s personal life is stormy and eventful. Star beauties are constantly next to the popular American macho. The longest-lasting romance was between Zac Efron and actress Vanessa Hudgens: they met on the set of the first film “High School Musical” and lived together for 5 years. They were called the most beautiful couple in Hollywood, but in 2010 the romance came to an end.

Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens

Soon after the breakup, the artist was spotted at a Hollywood nightclub in the company of the charming Teresa Palmer. The couple relaxed at the VIP table in the “company” of a jug of tequila and demonstrated real passion. But, as it turned out later, it was only a short affair without further continuation.

Zac Efron and Teresa Palmer

In 2011, the beautiful Selena Gomez admitted to reporters that she really liked Zac Efron. Moreover, she was in love with him. In 2012, during the presidential election, Zac Efron and Selena Gomez, along with other popular artists, starred in a campaign video encouraging citizens to vote. Then the girl uttered the famous phrase that spread all over the Internet: “I vote for everything that Zac Efron suggests.”

Zac Efron and Selena Gomez

In 2014, the entire show business started talking about Zac Efron’s gayness, suspecting him of having a tender relationship with his colleague in the film “Neighbors” Dave Franco. Friends were caught by the paparazzi at a basketball game. The photo was posted on his personal Twitter page by Dave’s brother, James Franco, known for his excellent sense of humor. He captioned the photo: “Efron and my brother are dating!!! Congratulations guys! I'm so happy for you!!!" Of course it was a James style joke.

Zac Efron and Dave Franco

In 2015, Zac's fans and ubiquitous journalists started talking about Efron's new romance with actress Michelle Rodriguez. Michelle, 10 years older, and Zach vacationed together in a villa in Sardinia, accepting the invitation of businessman Gianluca Vacchi. Some joint photographs that the couple posted on Instagram led to suspicions that bisexual Michelle “switched” to men after the end of her relationship with model Cara Delevingne.

Zac Efron and Michelle Rodriguez

In fact, at this time, Zac Efron was dating a little-known model, Sami Miro, a charming girl, but far from the world of cinema and show business. As it turned out, feelings flared up between them back in 2014, but the lovers carefully hid the romance. Only at the end of 2015 did Zac Efron go out in public with his girlfriend, no longer wanting to hide his beloved from his fans.

Zac Efron and Sami Miro

For a long time, the tabloids happily published joint photos of the couple, but the beautiful fairy tale came to a sad end at the end of 2021: the chosen one never became the official wife of the artist, the young people separated. Zac Efron did not explain the reasons for the breakup, but some tabloids suspected that the star had reunited with former lover Vanessa Hudgens.

Zach does not comment on the rumors, but he deleted Sami Miro’s photos from his Instagram page and unsubscribed from her account.

Zac Efron and Rebecca Ferguson

In December 2021, rumors appeared in the media about a romance between Zac Efron and Rebecca Ferguson, the actor’s partner in the film “The Greatest Showman.” As evidence, reporters cited a joint photograph of the performers, which appeared on the artist’s Instagram page. The photo was accompanied by a touching comment from Efron.

Later it became known that Rebecca was expecting a child, and her future motherhood was also associated with Zach’s name. It was rumored that the actor is already at the age when many people think about children.

Other facts

Zac Efron's addictions and scandals

The stormy youth spent were not in vain - at a fairly early age, Zach acquired a persistent addiction to alcohol.

Subsequently, the actor dealt with it, which was facilitated by his regular visits to the Alcoholics Anonymous Club. According to the artist, he began drinking constantly at the age of twenty, which was due to his lifestyle in those years, namely, the wide fame that came to him, professional success and big money.

Having firmly decided to quit the bad habit, Efron began attending the Alcoholics Anonymous Club, thanks to which he was able, although not without difficulties, to overcome his addiction.

In addition, the actor was treated more than once for drug addiction, repeatedly trying on the role of a patient in one of the Los Angeles drug treatment clinics.

According to him, he was addicted to cocaine for two years, and then got hooked on a new drug called Molly. There have long been rumors that Zach's drug addiction was partly provoked by his difficult relationship with his father and mother, who sought to overly control their son, who had suddenly become popular.

After several rehabilitation courses, the actor got rid of drug addiction, and then decisively cut off ties with almost all of his old friends, who at one time got him hooked on drugs.

Efron is also known for his scandalous behavior, and some episodes from his adventures became known to the media and were then discussed for a long time. For example, one day photographers caught the artist wearing his clothes, and another time he decided to fight with a homeless man on one of the Los Angeles streets at night.

Best kiss in cinema

Throughout his film career, Efron had the opportunity to kiss Halston Sage, Vanessa Hudgens, who was his girlfriend at the time, and once even Nicole Kidman.

But he considers the best and most memorable movie kiss to be the kiss with Zendaya Coleman, which took place on the set of the film “The Great Showman.”

The actor singled it out separately and called it his favorite movie kiss at the moment. Zendaya responded to this with a remark about the positive atmosphere and chemistry that arose between them while working on the tape. After this, many publications began to circulate rumors about a romance between the actors, which they soon denied.

Auditioned for the role of Gray in Fifty Shades of Gray

There has long been a rumor in the press and on the Internet that Efron was assigned the main role in the film adaptation of the novel “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

However, before the launch of the project, Zack was removed from participation in it, and another actor was approved for the main male role.

The reason for the refusal was allegedly the artist’s problems with alcohol and drugs. Zach did not confirm this information, but it was at this time that he went for treatment to a drug treatment clinic and, after successful rehabilitation, was able to get a number of key roles in serious film projects.

Has a good sense of humor

In 2014, rumors about the actor’s non-traditional sexual orientation began to rapidly spread on the Internet. Their reason was not so much Zac’s numerous reincarnations as female characters, but rather a photo taken at one of the baseball games, where Efron came with his co-star in “Neighbors” Dave Franco.

Brother Franco posted this photo on his Twitter and, deciding to joke, provided him with a caption “recognizing” that the artists were dating. But both actors turned out to have a good sense of humor and after what happened they decided to continue and develop the joke - sometimes Zach and Dave publish joint photos on their pages, simultaneously thinking about the date of their future wedding.

12. Relaxes when he meditates and takes photographs.

The actor has two proven ways to relax after a hard day.

The first is meditation, which Efron conducts through a special program installed on his iPhone. According to Zach, meditation helps relieve stress and gain self-confidence, and it also rids the brain of all unnecessary thoughts.

The second way for Efron to relax is to take photographs. He tries to spend his free time outdoors, always having a camera with him, while giving preference to old film cameras.

Been involved in music for a long time

The actor has been interested in music since childhood; he naturally has good vocal abilities and an ear for music.

At the age of eleven, Zach began attending music school, and a little later he developed an interest in playing musical instruments, especially playing the guitar. Already as a teenager, he played in several theatrical musicals on the school stage, and then began to participate in television musicals. Nowadays, most of the songs performed by his fans can be taken from there.

Efron's most famous singing film is Disney's High School Musical, in which he plays a high school basketball player and co-stars with his then-girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens, who plays a high school student on the decathlon team.

The soundtrack to this film became popular, it was released as a separate music album, and the disc sold well. It received a lot of positive reviews from critics, although some of them took issue with Efron's vocal talents - as it turned out, his voice was mixed with Drew Seeley's soundtrack.

The artist himself called the incident a forced measure caused by differences in the vocal ranges between his voice and the planned vocals for the songs (the tracks were written for a tenor, while Efron has a baritone). Later he always sang on his own.

Quick Facts

14. Since childhood, Zach had a pretty appearance, but his classmates constantly teased him because of the gap between his teeth.
15. In 2007, he was included in the ranking of the wealthiest people whose age did not exceed twenty-five years.
16. Several times recognized as the most handsome Hollywood actor.
17. In an interview, he admitted that he missed out on a lot due to his rapidly and early-started film career, especially regretting stopping his studies at the university.
18. He is a longtime fan of the San Francisco Giants baseball club and collects baseballs autographed by the players.
19. He prefers healthy food, but indulges in a piece of chicken with mustard and honey sauce and a bacon sandwich. He drinks only special water recommended for consumption by those who are trying to cope with alcoholism.
20. At the age of fourteen he independently mastered playing the guitar.
21. He admitted that the only one with whom he would like to exchange lives is the British Queen Elizabeth II.
22. Since childhood, he has been actively involved in sports, preferring skiing, golf and surfing.
23. Lives in his own house with his dogs and Siamese cat Simon.
24. Efron has poor eyesight, but he refuses on principle to wear glasses and contact lenses.
25. He is a fan of the London football club Arsenal, trying not to miss a single match of the team. In London, Efron appeared in public more than once wearing a Gunners T-shirt.
26. Preparing for filming in “Baywatch,” he spent whole days in the gym. Now the actor continues to keep himself in good physical shape, for which he trains daily and swims in the pool.
27. In 2013, he underwent treatment for alcoholism and substance abuse.
28. Zach is 1.73 m tall and weighs 75 kg. The actor has blue eyes and light brown hair.
29. Efron's zodiac sign is Libra, he was born in the year of the Rabbit.

Zac Efron now

The actor spent 2018 on the set of the thriller “The Beautiful, the Bad and the Ugly.” He worked on the image of serial killer Ted Bundy, whose victims were 36 girls. The role turned out to be psychologically difficult, but this is what attracted the artist. His partners on the work site were Lily Collins, Kaya Scodelario, and John Malkovich. The premiere of the film is scheduled for 2021.

Zac Efron in the 2021 film The Beautiful, the Bad and the Ugly

Soon the artist will delight fans with the next new items in his filmography. Zach is currently working on a role in the comedy The Beach Bum, where he will appear alongside Matthew McConaughey and Snoop Dogg.

In addition to his comedic image, Zach is mastering another dramatic role in the thriller “You Belong with Me,” where he will play alongside Harrison Ford. According to the plot of the film, the sister of Efron’s hero commits suicide, and he decides to take revenge on her psychotherapist by seducing his wife and daughter at the same time.