Working Wildcats: 10 Years After High School Musical
It’s been 10 whole years since the cast of High School Musical first broke free on the Disney Channel. The tween movie franchise sang the songs of a generation and the cast recently came together for a reunion and High School Musical’s 10 year anniversary. What have Troy, Gabriela, Sharpay, Ryan, Chad, and Taylor been up to in the last decade and where are they now?
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Zac Efron (Troy Bolton)
As early as 2002, Zac Efron has been making a living with TV roles on ER and Summerland. But since High School Musical, this hearthrob to tweens, teens, and moms made his rounds with casting directors and talent recruiters. Zac has starred in some box office hits like 17 Again, The Lucky One, That Awkward Moment, Neighbors, and Dirty Grandpa alongside Robert De Niro. He’s probably worked the hardest to shed his Disney image and though he’s had a few bumps along the way, all his hard work has laid paid off. You can bet on it, bet on it, bet on it.
Vanessa Hudgens (Gabriella Montez)
One of East High’s biggest breakout stars got straight to work on the hollywood scene after the first movie. She found the music in her and released two studio albums, V and Identified, while she was working on the High School Musical sequels. After the Wildcats graduated, Vanessa went from interview to interview, audition to audition and made a name for herself on the big screen. She’s starred in hits like the sleeping beauty allegory Beastly opposite Alex Pettyfer, she partied on Spring Breakers with Selena Gomez and James Franco, and most recently she’s been cast as Rizzo for the Fox remake of Grease.
Ashley Tisdale (Sharpay Evans)
Ashley Tisdale, who portrayed theatre queen Sharpay Evans, bopped to the top of the big stage in real life. Like most of the stars of HSM, Tisdale made a career in Hollywood. She recorded two studio albums, starred in multiple films and television shows, and worked as a model with Ford Models. Tisdale, however, made a name for herself on and off camera. In 2008, she launched Blondie Girl Productions and debuted as a quadruple threat: singer, actress, model, and film producer. And as of 2014, Ashley Tisdale added “wife” to her resume when she married singer Christopher French.
Corbin Bleu (Chad Danforth)
“What team?!” Wildcat alum Corbin Bleu threw that graduation cap into the air and got to work on his resume. Corbin Bleu hit the recording studio and released two albums, Another Side and Speed of Light, worked long night and late hours and starred in films like Jump In! and To Write Love On Her Arms, he even put his feet to work when he placed fourth on the 17th season of Dancing with the Stars. Bleu has also kept busy this past decade working for several charities like Make-A-Wish Foundation, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Lucas Grabeel (Ryan Evans)
Sharpay’s other half found his own spotlight since graduating from East High. Lucas Grabeel continued working with Disney Channel and appropriately starred in College Road Trip alongside Raven Symoné. He also appeared in two installments of the Halloweentown series. Grabeel’s portfolio has some out of the box entries too. In 2008, he starred in the gay rights biopic about activist Harvey Milk and he also works as a regular cast member on the ABC Family series Switched at Birth. Like his stage loving sister, Grabeel also founded his own production company, 14341 Productions.
Monique Coleman (Taylor McKessie)
The captain of East High’s scholastic decathlon has kept herself busy since graduating from High School Musical. Monique has been working her way through the philanthropy and social work circuits. She’s created and GimmeMo, an online platform for teens to be educated about world issues and teenage support organizations. Monique also got the promotion of philanthropy promotions when she was appointed UN Youth Champion by UN Assisstant Secretary General Jomo Kwame Sundaran where her job is “to raise awareness about the challenges young people face and will highlight the positive contribution they make to their communities.” 10 years later and there can be no doubt. The Wildcats are work, working this out.
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