This is what the cast of High School Musical is up to now

It’s been 17 years since High School Musical first came out on Disney Channel and honestly no other movie musical will ever compare. It had everything – banging songs, ridiculous plots and an impressive cast. Since the film trilogy ended the High School Musical cast have been busy making more films, getting married and going viral on TikTok. A number of cast members have even gone onto have children of their own and I’ve never felt more old.

This is what the cast of High School Musical are up to now:

Troy Bolton – Zac Efron

via Netflix

Zac Efron was everyone’s crush when High School Musical first came out and 16 years later I’m still not over him. The man just ages like a fine wine.

He’s easily been the most successful following the end of the film trilogy. Zac has consistently been acting in films including big blockbusters like 17 Again, Neighbours, Dirty Grandpa, Baywatch, The Greatest Showman and Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile amongst many others.

Zac also has his own documentary series on Netflix called Down To Earth With Zac Efron, with its second season being released in November 2022.

In terms of his personal life Zac has been sober since 2013 after seeking treatment for alcoholism and substance abuse. For over 12 years he’s had his own production company called Ninja’s Runnin’ Wild.

In 2021 Zac moved to Australia and sold his house in Los Angeles and bought a property in Byron Bay. He was in a relationship with model Vanessa Valladares before they split up in April 2021.

In more recent projects, Zac Efron is set to star in the A24 movie, The Iron Claw, alongside Jeremy Allen White and Harris Dickinson.

Gabriella Montez – Vanessa Hudgens

via Netflix

Ever since High School Musical finished Vanessa Hudgens has been acting consistently, most notably in the Netflix Christmas series The Princess Switch.

She’s also had notable roles in Beastly, Spring Breakers and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. Vanessa has appeared in the stage productions live of Rent and Grease. She also had a stint on stage as Gigi in the musical Gigi and In The Heights.

After her relationship with Zac Efron ended in 2010 she began dating Austin Butler for nine years before they broke up in 2020. Now Vanessa is in engaged to baseball player Cole Trucker.

Vanessa has faced a number of controversies in her career since High School Musical. She was charged $1,000 by the U.S. Forest Service for carving her name into a rock in the Cococino National Forest after she shared a picture of the rock on Instagram. During the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic Vanessa said on her Instagram it was inevitable people would die in the pandemic and was accused of minimising the impact of the disease. She has since apologised for her comments.

Sharpay Evans – Ashley Tisdale

Sharpay Evans was never the villain she was made out to be and this is the hill I will die on. After High School Musical Ashley Tisdale continued to work with Disney in the role of Candace on the show Phineas and Ferb, which she voice acted in until 2015.

Ashley has appeared in a number of sitcoms and served as an executive producer on a number of shows including the sitcom Young & Hungry. In 2019 Ashley released her own music with an album called Symptoms.

Ashley has been married to her husband singer Chris French since 2014 and in 2021 they welcomed their first child together, a girl whom they named Jupiter Iris French.

She’s been on the judging panel for The Masked Dancer and has her own wellness platform on Instagram called Frenshe.

Ryan Evans – Lucas Grabeel

via Disney+

Lucas Grabeel’s biggest role since playing Ryan Evans in High School Musical is undoubtedly Toby Kennish in the series Switched at Birth. He was on the show for six years, starting in 2011.

Lucas has done a lot of voice acting work, voicing characters such as Gustav in DreamWorks Dragons, Chadley in Family Guy and Deputy Peck in the Disney Junior show Sheriff Callie’s Wild West.

On Instagram Lucas has 440,000 followers and regularly posts pictures with his nephew. Lucas has had a guest star role in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series as himself.

Chad Danforth – Corbin Bleu

via Disney+

Corbin Bleu has been consistently acting since the end of High School Musical. He’s appeared in episodes of The Middle, The Fosters, Supergirl and Dynasty.

Last year he reunited with his High School Musical co-star Monique Coleman as the leads in a Christmas movie called A Christmas Dance Reunion. In 2013 he competed on Dancing With The Stars and was the runner-up of the series.

Corbin meet his wife Sasha Clements in 2011 and they got married in 2016. They’re currently renovating their house and Corbin has 868,000 followers on Instagram.

Like Chad, Corbin guest stars in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series as himself.

Taylor McKessie – Monique Coleman

After the end of High School Musical Monique continued acting and has starred in a number of TV movies and sitcoms.

She’s been married to her husband Walter Jordan since 2012. The couple got married on Valentine’s Day in Thailand.

Monique currently has 716,000 followers on Instagram and regularly posts pictures of her reunion with Corbin. My heart 🥺.

Kelsi Nielsen – Olesya Rulin

Olesya played the school’s resident pianist Kelsi in High School Musical. Her biggest role since the movies is the character Calista in the TV show Powers. Olesya has also been in the shows NCIS, Greek and Drop Dead Diva.

She’s written a poetry collection called The Hounds of Love and currently has 227,000 followers on Instagram.

Olesya has been married to her husband Joseph Pauline since last year and she gave birth to their first child together in August 2022.

Zeke Baylor – Chris Warren Jr

Who could forget Zeke saying he was going to make Sharpay a crème brûlée at the end of the first film? Since playing Zeke Chris Warren has continued acting with main roles in Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel and in Tyler Perry’s TV show Sistas.

Over the years Chris has had guest roles in series such as The Fosters, Good Luck Charlie and the American version of The Inbetweeners.

Chris got married to TV host Layla Kayleigh in 2019 and they have one child together.

Martha Cox – Kaycee Stroh

Martha was a pretty iconic role, particularly in the first High School Musical film. Kaycee Stroh who played Martha hasn’t done a lot of acting since the movies.

In 2009 she got married to her husband Ben Higginson with all the High School Musical cast at the wedding. Imagine Zac Efron being at your wedding? I would be ditching my new husband straight away.

Kaycee and Ben have two daughters together and live in Salt Lake City. Though she may not act as much anymore Kaycee is still dancing and has nearly three million followers on TikTok who have become obsessed with her dance routines. She also has nearly 700,000 followers on Instagram.

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Related stories recommended by this writer:

• The biggest transformations in the High School Musical series cast from season one to four

• QUIZ: Every High School Musical song is a banger, but do you remember the lyrics?

• Troy Bolton will only marry you if you get 22/26 on this bumper High School Musical quiz

Featured image credit via Instagram @vanesshudgens, @corbinbleu and @_moniquecoleman.