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Zac Efron is 38: Photos of the ‘High School Musical’ Star Then & Now

By:
October 18, 2025 11:30AM EDT
Zac Efron is 38: Photos of the ‘High School Musical’ Star Then & Now
Getty Images for Netflix

Zac Efron is 38. Celebrate his birthday with photos from his ‘High School Musical’ days and beyond.

Zac Efron rose to superstardom in the mid-2000s by playing teen heartthrob Troy Bolton in the High School Musical movies. From then on, his career soared to new heights. He even returned to his musical roots by starring in The Greatest Showman alongside Hugh Jackman, Zendaya and a star-studded cast.

But Zac also ventured into different film genres, including thrillers. His performance as Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil & Vile chilled viewers to the bones. However, his knack for comedy also makes him a triple threat! Zac has starred in hilarious and memorable films such as 17 Again and A Family Affair.

Keep scrolling through the gallery to check out photos of the actor, from his teen years to today, and of course, everything that’s come in between!

1 of 18

Zac Efron in 2004 TV Movie

Zac Efron in 2004 TV Movie
ITV/Shutterstock

Zac Efron stars in the 2004 Lifetime movie ‘Miracle Run.’ He was just 17 years old at the time, and looked even younger!

April 22, 2020, 2:26PM
2 of 18

Zac Efron & Paula Abdul

Zac Efron & Paula Abdul
Jim Smeal/BEI/Shutterstock

Zac Efron is all smiles while attending the ABC All-Star TCA Party and posing with Paula Abdul on the red carpet. He attended the event to promote his 2004-2005 show, ‘Summerland.’

April 22, 2020, 2:26PM
3 of 18

Zac Efron in ‘High School Musical’

Zac Efron in ‘High School Musical’
Fred Hayes/The Disney Channel/Ko

Zac Efron strikes a pose in his ‘High School Musical’ 2006 promo pic. The movie was the first time he portrayed Troy Bolton on-screen.

April 22, 2020, 2:25PM
4 of 18

Zac Efron at ‘Hairspray’ Premiere

Zac Efron at ‘Hairspray’ Premiere
Gregory Pace/BEI/Shutterstock

Zac Efron attends the premiere of ‘Hairspray’ in July 2007. He played the heartthrob, Link Larkin, in the movie.

April 22, 2020, 2:27PM
5 of 18

Zac Efron in ‘High School Musical 3’

Zac Efron in ‘High School Musical 3’
Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock

Zac Efron films a scene for ‘High School Musical 3 – Senior Year’ in 2008. In just two years, from when the first movie dropped, he had already grown up quite a bit.

April 22, 2020, 2:23PM
6 of 18

Zac Efron at Talk Show Appearance in 2009

Zac Efron at Talk Show Appearance in 2009
Henry Lamb/Photowire/BEI/Shutter

Zac Efron shows off much darker hair while out in New York City in Nov. 2009. He was making an appearance on ‘The Late Show With David Letterman’ at the time.

April 22, 2020, 2:23PM
7 of 18

Zac Efron at ‘Charlie St. Cloud’ Premiere

Zac Efron at ‘Charlie St. Cloud’ Premiere
Sipa/Shutterstock

Zac Efron attends the premiere of his film, ‘Charlie St. Cloud,’ in 2010. He looked dapper in a gray suit with facial hair on the red carpet.

April 22, 2020, 2:23PM
8 of 18

Zac Efron at ‘New Year’s Eve’ Premiere

Zac Efron at ‘New Year’s Eve’ Premiere
Jim Smeal/BEI/Shutterstock

By 2011, Zac had shaved off his facial here. Here, he walked the red carpet for his movie, ‘New Year’s Eve,’ in Dec. 2011.

April 22, 2020, 2:23PM
9 of 18

Zac Efron on Movie Set

Zac Efron on Movie Set
Mediapunch/Shutterstock

Zac Efron looks cool and casual on the set of his movie, ‘Are We Officially Dating,’ in 2012. The movie filmed in winter in New York City, so Zac bundled up for the scene.

April 22, 2020, 2:23PM
10 of 18

Zac Efron on ‘Townies’ Set

Zac Efron on ‘Townies’ Set
Broadimage/Shutterstock

Zac Efron shows off his emerging muscles in a white t-shirt while filming the movie ‘Townies’ in May 2013. He had his hair in a shorter style, swept to the side.

April 22, 2020, 2:23PM
11 of 18

Zac Efron at 2014 MTV Movie Awards

Zac Efron at 2014 MTV Movie Awards
Matt Sayles/Invision/AP/Shutters

Zac Efron embraces his shirtless body while attending the MTV Movie Awards in 2014. Of course, the strip down was appropriate, as he had won the award for Best Shirtless Performance.

April 22, 2020, 2:22PM
12 of 18

Zac Efron at ‘We Are Your Friends’ Premiere

Zac Efron at ‘We Are Your Friends’ Premiere
Michael Buckner/Variety/Shutters

Zac Efron shows off dark hair at the ‘We Are Your Friends’ premiere. He wore a black suit to the 2015 event in Los Angeles.

April 22, 2020, 2:22PM
13 of 18

Zac Efron in ‘Dirty Grandpa’

Zac Efron in ‘Dirty Grandpa’
Moviestore/Shutterstock

Zac Efron flexes his muscles in a scene from his 2016 movie, ‘Dirty Grandpa.’ He went shirtless and wore nothing but a pair of shorts for the scene.

April 22, 2020, 2:22PM
14 of 18

Zac Efron at ‘Baywatch’ Premiere

Zac Efron at ‘Baywatch’ Premiere
Richard Milnes/Shutterstock

Zac Efron was his buffest ever in 2017’s ‘Baywatch.’ However, he kept it covered up for a moer dapper look on the red carpet, where he wore a blue suit.

April 22, 2020, 2:22PM
15 of 18

Zac Efron at 2018 Golden Globes

Zac Efron at 2018 Golden Globes
Shutterstock

Zac Efron shows off some scruff while attending the 2018 Golden Globe Awards. He wore a dark suit to the star-studded event.

April 22, 2020, 2:22PM
16 of 18

Zac Efron at ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile’ Premiere

Zac Efron at ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile’ Premiere
Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP/Shutters

Zac Efron poses for photographers upon arrival at the ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile’ premiere in London in April 2019. He had bleached blonde hair at the event.

April 22, 2020, 2:22PM
17 of 18

Zac Efron at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival

Zac Efron at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival
Ovidiu Hrubaru/Shutterstock

Zac Efron smiles while rocking a Burberry ensemble during the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile’ on May 2, 2019. His icy blonde hair matched his silver tie.

May 13, 2022, 12:13PM
18 of 18

Zac Efron at the Premiere of ‘The Greatest Beer Run Ever’

Zac Efron at the Premiere of ‘The Greatest Beer Run Ever’
Shutterstock

Zac Efron looked sharp at 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on Sep. 13, 2022. He wore grey for the premiere of ‘The Greatest Beer Run Ever.’

October 17, 2022, 4:14PM