It’s hard to believe: “High School Musical” came out 20 years ago.Bild: Disney Channel/Courtesy Everett Collection
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2026-01-25, 05:052026-01-25, 05:05
Twenty years ago, on New Year’s Eve 2005, a karaoke duet launched a cultural phenomenon. High School Musical, the Disney Channel movie that had everyone singing along, continues to resonate with audiences today, and its stars have all navigated life after East High with varying degrees of fame and reinvention.
- High School Musical 2 remains the most-watched Disney Channel premiere, drawing 17.2 million viewers in a single day.
- The film trilogy propelled its cast to stardom, with many continuing successful careers in entertainment.
- Stars like Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron have branched out into diverse roles, moving beyond their teen idol image.
- Some cast members, like Monique Coleman, have pursued careers outside of acting, focusing on activism and humanitarian work.
The Cast, Two Decades Later
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The original High School Musical remains one of Disney Channel’s most popular film trilogies. The second installment still holds the record as the most-watched premiere with 17.2 million viewers in just one day. The third film, HSM 3, made the jump to the cinema in 2008.
Vanessa Hudgens
Played the good math genius: Vanessa Hudgens in “High School Musical.”Bild: Disney Channel/Courtesy Everett Collection
Vanessa Hudgens played Gabriella Montez, the bright and talented transfer student who found her voice both in the classroom and on stage. Hudgens released several songs during her time on High School Musical and continued her musical career, making her Broadway debut in 2015. The 37-year-old’s filmography includes roles in “Beastly”, “Sucker Punch”, “Spring Breakers” and “Machete Kills”—films that allowed her to shed the “nerd” image she’d initially become known for.
“‘High School Musical’ was a fantastic journey, but it completely took me away from my original career goal. I always wanted to be the indie girl – I always wanted to be in films where I played a drug addict, a stripper or a prostitute. That’s been my goal since I was about 11 years old.”
Beyond acting, Hudgens has established herself as an influencer, launching her own beverage brand and makeup line. She has been married to baseball player Cole Tucker since 2023, and gave birth to her second child in November.
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Hudgens and Zac Efron famously dated for around five years, separating in 2010, two years after the release of High School Musical 3.
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Zac Efron
Zac Efron as Troy Bolton had to choose between basketball and music. Bild: Disney Channel/Courtesy Everett Collection
Zac Efron portrayed Troy Bolton, the popular basketball star torn between athletics and his newfound passion for singing. The 38-year-old continued to embrace his all-American image in subsequent roles such as “Hairspray,” “17 Again,” and “Bad Neighbors,” before taking on more complex characters in “The Greatest Showman”, “Baywatch” and “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile”, where he played the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy.
In 2021, Efron moved to Australia for the Netflix documentary “Down to Earth with Zac Efron” and received an Emmy Award as a presenter. In recent years, he has faced online scrutiny regarding changes to his appearance. After returning from a break, fans speculated about cosmetic procedures, but Efron clarified in 2022 that he broke his jaw in an accident and underwent several surgeries.
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Efron’s relationship status is currently unknown, following previous relationships with Lily Collins, Michelle Rodriguez, and Alexandra Daddario.
Ashley Tisdale
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Ashley Tisdale embodied the delightfully dramatic Sharpay Evans, the twin sister who dominated the halls of East High. Tisdale reprised her role in the spin-off “Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure” and appeared in films like “Scary Movie 5”, “Hellcats”, and “Phineas and Ferb”. She also pursued a music career, releasing three albums, the last in 2019, and works as a producer.
Outside of Hollywood, Tisdale runs a wellness and lifestyle blog and has launched a corresponding product line.
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Tisdale married musician Christopher French in 2014 and they have two daughters together. Earlier this year, she sparked discussion after writing about a toxic friend group in The Cut, describing feeling excluded and revisiting high school dynamics.
Lucas Grabeel
Bild: Disney Channel/Courtesy Everett Collection
Lucas Grabeel played Ryan Evans, Sharpay’s often-overlooked twin brother. Speculation about Ryan’s sexuality has persisted for years, and director Kenny Ortega revealed in 2020:
«I was worried that Disney might not be ready to cross that line. So I just took it upon myself to make decisions that I thought would resonate with viewers.”
HSM director Kenny Ortega on Ryan Evans’ sexuality.
He continued, “[The audience] They will see it and feel it, they will know it and they will identify with it. And that’s exactly what happened.”
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After High School Musical, Grabeel played Toby in “Switched At Birth” for six years. He has since focused on voice acting and has a recurring role in “Family Guy”. He is also a singer and produces short films.
His partner is producer and writer Rahim El-Ounsi.
Corbin Bleu
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Corbin Bleu played Chad Danforth, Troy’s loyal best friend and basketball teammate. Bleu continued to pursue musical theater, appearing in several Broadway plays after High School Musical ended. He also took on various guest roles in films and series, including a lead role in the Christmas film “A Christmas Dance Reunion” alongside Monique Coleman.
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The 36-year-old showcased his dancing skills on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2013, reaching the finals and placing second with partner Karina Smirnoff.
Bleu proposed to Sasha Clements at Disney World in 2014 and married the Canadian actress two years later.
Monique Coleman
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Monique Coleman played Taylor McKessie, Gabriella’s intelligent and supportive best friend. After High School Musical, Coleman largely stepped away from acting, taking on smaller guest appearances. She founded “Gimme Mo”, an organization dedicated to empowering young people to create positive change. In 2010, she was appointed as the first Youth Ambassador by the UN.
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The 45-year-old is also a figure skater and competes nationally. She separated from her husband Walter Jordan after 10 years of marriage in 2022.
Coleman remains close friends with many of her HSM co-stars. “We’re really close friends and I’ve always cared about her,” Coleman said to Us Weekly in 2019.
She added: “Many people put each other down when they get into a certain position. It was really important for us to stick close together and protect each other. Because at the end of the day we were all teenagers.”
Olesya Rulin
Bild: Disney Channel / Courtesy: Everett Collection
Olesya Rulin played Kelsi Nielsen, the often-overlooked composer who brought the school musical to life. After High School Musical, Rulin took on smaller roles in series such as “CSI: Miami”, “The Mentalist”, “NCIS”, “NCIS: Los Angeles”, and “The Rookie”.
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The 39-year-old is now primarily an environmental activist and describes herself as a sustainability expert, promoting a sustainable lifestyle on Instagram.
Rulin married entrepreneur Joseph Noel Pauline in 2021 and they have a four-year-old daughter together.
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