Summary

• The original High School Musical cast members have pursued diverse careers since the trilogy, with Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ashley Tisdale being the most successful.
• Zac Efron focused on acting in comedies post-High School Musical and even ventured back into musicals with "The Greatest Showman."
• Vanessa Hudgens expanded her acting career, became an influencer, and appeared in reality shows while Ashley Tisdale created her own brand and continued acting.

The High School Musical trilogy was initially many of the actors' big breaks, so naturally, the original High School Musical cast has pursued various careers. Disney's High School Musical trilogy began in 2006, as a Disney Channel Original Movie and ended in 2008 in international theaters. The franchise brought the Disney Channel network into a completely new era. The film saga is still one of the most popular and beloved franchises from the Disney Channel - High School Musical 2 still holds the record for the highest viewed Disney Channel Original Movie premiere with 17.2 million viewers.

The films even garnered a television spinoff; High School Musical: The Musical ended after four seasons on Disney+. High School Musical has undoubtedly left its mark on the world, especially the lives of its own cast. Since the trilogy ended, the cast members have pursued various endeavors - some have remained in Hollywood, while others have left the industry altogether. The three most successful actors are Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ashley Tisdale, who also played the main characters. However, other cast members have had their own successes.

Zac Efron As Troy Bolton

Zac Pursued A Successful Acting Career Away From Musicals

Zac Efron portrayed Troy Bolton, the lead role in the High School Musical trilogy. Since the last film premiered, he established a career as a successful actor, starring primarily in comedies. Some of his most successful films include 17 Again, Neighbors, and Baywatch. Zac also tried to avoid musicals. In fact, it was almost 10 years since High School Musical 3: Senior Year before Zac Efron decided to add another musical to his resumé—The Greatest Showman. He also portrayed the serial killer Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.

In addition to film, Efron created a YouTube series with his brother, Dylan, called Off The Grid. Zac moved to Australia in 2021 and began his own show called Down To Earth With Zac Efron—a documentary series that follows the actor on his travels around the world. Most recently, Zac Efron starred in the wrestling biopic The Iron Claw, which drew critical acclaim from critics, including an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. He also starred in the Netflix romantic comedy A Family Affair.

Vanessa Hudgens As Gabriella Montez

Vanessa Expanded Her Acting Career And Became An Influencer