Today marks 16 years since the original premiere of Highschool Musical on Disney Channel. The movie franchise influenced an entire generation, and the movies are still loved to this day. Let’s take a look at what the stars are up to now!
Zac Efron
For Efron, the past couple of years have been filled with adventure and hard work. Our beloved Troy Bolton has long moved past the hearthrob role. Most recently Efron landed a major role in the movie Gold, a survival thriller filmed in the South Australian Outback. Efron co-stars alongside Anthony Hayes in this intense film.
Efron’s series, Down to Earth with Zac Efron on Netflix features Efron traveling around the world, exploring sustainable options to live a healthy life. After positive reviews of the first season, fans are waiting for the release date of season 2. Although the exact date is unknown, the hit series is planning on returning during 2022.
Here we go- Down to Earth season 2! @netflix pic.twitter.com/OQlReZjFdq
— Zac Efron (@ZacEfron) March 8, 2021
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Vanessa Hudgens
Queen Vanessa seems to be thriving in 2022! Although the celebrity is creating brands and playing new roles, she hasn’t forgotten about her HSM family. Hudgens even posted a throwback instagram story of her and Ashley Tisdale on set. In the past year the star has created iconic roles in The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star and Tik, Tik…BOOM! Hudgens also co-founded a skin care line with Madison Beer called Know Beauty and fans seem to be loving it!
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Hudgens celebrated the new year by honoring her one year anniversary with MLB player Cole Tucker, and the couple is adorable!
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Corbin Bleu
Bleu has been just as busy as his former castmates. He’ll be returning to Disney for High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. In a heartfelt post, Bleu reveals his excitement for the role. In 2021, Bleu starred in A Christmas Dance, acting alongside both his wife, Sasha Clements and former co-star Monique Coleman.
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Bleu also announced that he will join the cast of The Real Dirty Dancing, a competition series airing on February 1st. We’re glad to see that those HSM moves are still being put to good use!
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Monique Coleman
Monique Coleman has acted in a number of films over the past 16 years. Most recently, Coleman expressed how much she loved acting again with Bleu in A Christmas Dance. Coleman is very active on Instagram where she posts inspirational messages, photoshoots, and videos of her hobbies. Who knew our scholastic decathlon leader would later in life love learning martial arts?
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Ashley Tisdale
Tisdale has been no stranger to the spotlight after her HSM days. Now, Tisdale is adding more balance and serenity to all of our lives through her wellness journey. She created the platform, Frenshe to help others discover the happiest and healthiest versions of themselves. The celebrity is also very active on TikTok and never fails to make us laugh daily.
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Tisdale is married to Christopher French, and they welcomed their daughter Jupiter into the world last year!
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Lucas Gabreel
Similar to his previous co-star, Corbin Bleu, Gabrieel guest-starred on the Disney+ TV show remake of HSM. He also starred in Switched At Birth and is the voice for Anthony in Family Guy. More recently, Garieel’s been enjoying his time with his friends and family. We’re excited to see what he has in store for us in the future!
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The cast sure has come a long way from their childhood stardom days, and we couldn’t be prouder. Whether we see their faces on theater screens, streaming platforms, or TikTok, we can’t help feeling a bit nostalgic every time.
Now grab some popcorn and watch this classic to honor it’s 16th anniversary!
