The High School Musical Cast: Revisiting Their Journeys

In 2006, High School Musical captured the hearts of over 7.7 million viewers in the United States, becoming the top-rated Disney Channel Original Movie of its time.

The movie tells the story of Troy Bolton (played by Zac Efron), a basketball player, and Gabriella (played by Vanessa Hudgens), a new student, who challenge the norms at East High School by auditioning for the school musical. This decision doesn't sit well with the drama siblings Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) and Ryan Evans (Lucas Grabeel).

The movie was a huge hit and featured actors like Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman. It led to two sequels, High School Musical 2 in 2007, and High School Musical 3: Senior Year in 2008.

In an interview with We in April 2019, Monique Coleman, who played Taylor McKessie, shared her experience of filming with a young cast.

Coleman exclusively shared with We in April 2019 that they are really close friends and care about each other. They emphasized the importance of staying tight-knit and protecting each other while making the beloved film. Coleman expressed their belief that many people in similar positions tend to tear each other down, but they wanted to maintain a strong bond because they were working with adolescents.

Scroll down to see what the cast of High School Musical is up to now.

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The Cast of 'High School Musical': Where Are They Now?

When High School Musical debuted in 2006, it captured the attention of over 7.7 million viewers in the United States, becoming the most-watched Disney Channel Original Movie at that time.

The movie followed Troy Bolton (played by Zac Efron), a basketball star, and Gabriella (played by Vanessa Hudgens), a smart transfer student, as they defy the norms of East High School by trying out for the spring musical, much to the annoyance of drama siblings Sharpay (played by Ashley Tisdale) and Ryan Evans (played by Lucas Grabeel).

This popular film also featured Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, and others. It led to two sequels: High School Musical 2 in 2007 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year in 2008.

In April 2019, Monique Coleman, known for her role as Taylor McKessie in the movie, shared with We about her experience filming with a young cast.

"We were actually really close friends and I genuinely cared," Coleman revealed exclusively to We in April 2019. "I feel like many people in similar positions tend to bring each other down. For us, it was important to stay united and support each other. After all, we were just teenagers."

Scroll down to see what the cast of High School Musical is up to now:

Zac-Efron-Then-And-Now

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Zac Efron (Troy Bolton)

After starring in High School Musical, Efron quickly became a Hollywood heartthrob. He appeared in popular movies like Hairspray (2007), 17 Again (2009), and the critically acclaimed The Greatest Showman (2017).

In 2019, Zac took on the challenging role of portraying notorious serial killer Ted Bundy in the Netflix movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. The following year, he traveled the world in the docuseries Down to Earth, which was released on the streaming service.

Efron dated Hudgens from 2006 to 2010. After that, he had some shorter relationships. In September 2020, it was revealed that he was really into Vanessa Valladares, who is from Australia. Unfortunately, the couple broke up in April 2021.

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Vanessa Hudgens (Gabriella Montez)

Vanessa Hudgens, who played Gabriella in High School Musical, pursued her love for musical theater by starring in Gigi on Broadway. She also took on lead roles in two live TV musical adaptations, portraying Rizzo in Grease: Live and Maureen in Rent: Live.

Hudgens rose to fame as the queen of Christmas through her roles in various holiday films on Netflix. These include The Princess Switch (2018), The Knight Before Christmas (2019), The Princess Switch: Switched Again (2020), and The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star (2021).

Following her ****breakup with Efron in 2010, she found love with actor Austin Butler. However, after nearly nine years together, the two decided to go their separate ways in January 2020. Subsequently, Hudgens was linked to MLB player Cole Tucker, and their relationship became official on Instagram in February 2021.

Hudgens and Tucker got engaged in February 2023 and got married in December of the same year. Hudgens surprised everyone by showing off her baby bump at the Oscars red carpet in March 2024, announcing that they were expecting their first child.

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Ashley Tisdale (Sharpay Evans)

After rising to fame in Disney Channel's Suite Life of Zack & Cody and High School Musical, Tisdale ventured into pop music with hits like "He Said She Said" and "Not Like That" in 2007. She took a break from music for almost ten years before making a comeback with her third album, Symptoms, in 2019.

In addition to her music career, Tisdale appeared on the teen cheerleader series Hellcats in 2010 and had small roles in Sons of Anarchy and Scary Movie 5. She also lent her voice to the character Candance Flynn on Disney Channel's animated show Phineas and Ferb from 2007 to 2015. More recently, in 2019, she starred in the Netflix holiday series Merry Happy Whatever and CBS' Carol's Second Act.

Ashley Tisdale tied the knot with musician Christopher French in 2014 and after almost ten years, she came out with her latest album, Symptoms. Fast forward to September 2020, Tisdale happily announced that she and French were expecting their first child. Their little bundle of joy, Jupiter, arrived in March 2021.

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Lucas Grabeel (Ryan Evans)

Before he donned Ryan’s signature colorful outfits, the Missouri native appeared in the third installment of the Halloweentown franchise, Halloweentown High, in 2004.

Seven years later, Lucas Grabeel landed the lead role of Toby Kennish on the Freeform series Switched at Birth, which came to an end in 2017. He then transitioned into voice acting, taking on a recurring role in Family Guy and lending his voice to the main character in Pinky Malinky.

In 2019, Grabeel joined the cast of the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, making him one of the few East High alumni to appear in the show. He portrayed a fictionalized version of himself in this teen musical comedy. Grabeel expressed his excitement for the cameo, stating, "It was an immediate 'yes'!" during an interview with Entertainment Tonight in December 2019.

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Corbin Bleu (Chad Danforth)

Corbin Bleu, known for his role as Chad Danforth, later landed the lead role in the movie Jump In in 2007. He then showcased his talents on Broadway in Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical In the Heights three years after that.

Bleu danced with partner Karina Smirnoff on the 17th season of Dancing with the Stars in 2013, where they finished in second place. He also made a return to the show in season 25 to perform a salsa with Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold.

In December 2021, Bleu teamed up with his High School Musical costar Monique Coleman for a Lifetime Christmas movie called A Christmas Dance Reunion.

Bleu from Us Magazine got engaged to his longtime girlfriend Sasha Clements in a romantic setting at Walt Disney World in October 2014. He proposed to her with a beautiful engagement ring hidden inside a glass slipper. The couple tied the knot in July 2016.

Monique-Coleman-Then-and-Now

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Monique Coleman (Taylor McKessie)

After portraying the brainy character Taylor McKessie in the High School Musical movies, Monique Coleman decided to take a break from the limelight. In 2006, she showcased her dancing skills by participating in the third season of Dancing With the Stars. Despite finishing in fourth place, she impressed audiences with her talent, coming behind Joey Lawrence, Mario Lopez, and the eventual winner, Emmitt Smith.

In December 2021, Coleman and her High School Musical costar Corbin Bleu came together once again for a festive Lifetime Christmas movie called A Christmas Dance Reunion.

Following this, Coleman started her own online talk show titled Gimme Mo' in the year 2010. Two years later, she tied the knot with her love, Walter Jordan, in a beautiful ceremony held in Thailand.

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Olesya Rulin (Kelsie Nielsen)

Olesya Rulin portrayed the character Kelsie in all three High School Musical movies. Before that, she appeared in other Disney Channel Original Movies such as The Proof Point (2001) and Halloweentown High (2004). Kelsie is known as the composer and pianist for the school musical in the High School Musical series.

The actress, who is Russian-American, has appeared in popular TV shows like NCIS, Family Guy, Greek, and the PlayStation Network series Powers. However, she has not landed another major role since her time in the Disney musical franchise.

Kaycee Stroh High School Musical Where Are They Now

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Kaycee Stroh (Martha Cox)

The character played by the Utah native in High School Musical was famous for her love of "pop and lock and jam and break" and for her rebellion against the norm by refusing to "Stick to the Status Quo."

Three years later, after gaining fame in the Disney Channel musical, Stroh got married to Ben Higginson in her hometown. Some of her costars attended the wedding. The couple had two daughters, Zetta in May 2013 and Lettie in October 2015.

Though she’s taken time away from the spotlight, Stroh competed on season 7 of VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club, which aired in 2010.

Editor's P/S:

The article provides a nostalgic look back at the cast of High School Musical, a beloved Disney Channel movie that captured the hearts of millions. It highlights the success and subsequent careers of the main cast members, including Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Olesya Rulin, and Kaycee Stroh.

The article also touches on the close bond that the cast members formed during filming, as shared by Monique Coleman. She emphasized the importance of staying united and supporting each other, especially as they were working with a young cast. This anecdote adds a heartwarming touch to the article, showcasing the genuine friendships that blossomed on set.dale married musician Christopher French in 2014 and welcomed a daughter in 2021. Bleu married Sasha Clements in 2016, and Coleman married Walter Jordan in 2012. The article also mentions the absence of major roles for Olesya Rulin and Kaycee Stroh since their involvement in the High School Musical series.