It’s hard to believe, but High School Musical premiered 20 years ago! That means if it were a person, it would be heading off to college right now. We know this might be a little shocking, so we’re gently letting you know – we’re all feeling the nostalgia together!
The Disney Channel Original Movie, which first aired on January 20, 2006, was a huge hit and helped launch the careers of Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ashley Tisdale. It quickly became the most-watched DCOM ever, attracting around 225 million viewers.
Since then, the actors – including Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, and Monique Coleman – have continued to thrive and stay successful.
Zac Efron was thrilled to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December 2023. During the ceremony, he shared that he’s been performing since childhood but never expected to be honored in such a way, saying it surpassed his wildest dreams.
A lot of that enthusiasm can be traced back to Kenny Ortega’s High School Musical. The actor from Ironclaw even confessed, “I still sing the songs in the shower! Go Wildcats!”
And he’s not the only East High alum to prove you can very much go home again.
In 2022, Vanessa Hudgens drove to Salt Lake City with her now-husband, baseball player Cole Tucker, and revisited places from her childhood, saying she wanted to take some photos for nostalgia. When asked about her ex, Zac Efron, visiting the same spots shortly after, she jokingly replied, “I guess I started a trend!”
Now that she and her old colleagues are becoming parents, it really feels like a fresh chapter is beginning.
Ashley Tisdale shared on TikTok in May 2025 that her oldest daughter, Jupiter, loves to dramatically announce in public that she’s ‘Sharpay’s baby!’ Tisdale jokingly said she’s completely overwhelmed by it.
But you can get’cha head in the game and look back on these 25 secrets about High School Musical.
The movie High School Musical didn’t actually have a title at first. It was just a temporary name used while Disney and the creators were still brainstorming ideas.
Both Hunter Parrish and Sterling Knight tried out for the part of Troy Bolton, but Zac Efron ultimately got the role. Interestingly, they later appeared with Efron in the movie 17 Again, with Parrish playing a rival from his high school days and Knight portraying his son.
Corbin Bleu originally tried out for the role of Ryan Evans, but he didn’t even know about the character of Chad Danforth at the time, he told Buzzfeed. After getting cast as Chad, Corbin actually created all the sayings that appeared on his character’s famous graphic t-shirts. He says he still has them all stored in a box in his garage.
Both Ashley Tisdale and Monique Coleman originally tried out for the role of Gabriella, but Vanessa Hudgens ended up getting the part. Monique Coleman admitted she didn’t feel prepared to sing and dance well enough during her audition, saying, “I just knew that I was terrible.”
Lucas Grabeel initially auditioned for the role of Troy, but quickly realized he didn’t have much of a chance. He told Buzzfeed that he auditioned right after Drew Seeley, who ultimately sang for Troy in the movie. Grabeel overheard Seeley’s audition through the thin walls and immediately thought, “Oh no, I’m not going to get this role—that guy is amazing!”
Just so you know, Drew Seeley actually sang as Troy in the original High School Musical movie. He also stepped in to perform as Troy on the High School Musical tour when Zac Efron had other commitments. However, Zac did all the singing for Troy in the sequels.
It meant the world to me to finally get my voice featured on the soundtrack. I really had to advocate for myself and push to make it happen. You wouldn’t believe it, but after recording everything for the first movie, my vocals weren’t included at all! No one really explained why, it just… happened. It put me in a really uncomfortable position, honestly.
According to a famous Rolling Stone article about Zac (dubbed “The New American Heartthrob”), roughly one-third of teenage girls in the US reportedly had a poster of him – though the source of that information was an unverified website.
Ashley and Lucas, who played siblings on screen, actually didn’t get along at all when they first started working together. Ashley confessed in a YouTube video that they “hated each other” and weren’t close friends. Lucas agreed that things started off rocky when they began filming the first movie, but they eventually became good friends – which is wonderful!
In a Buzzfeed interview, Lucas shared that he advocated for exploring Ryan’s sexuality from the beginning. He recalled asking director Kenny Ortega after reading the script, “Is Ryan gay? I know it’s Disney Channel, so it won’t be explicit, but that’s the vibe, right?” Ortega responded by suggesting they focus on Ryan’s personality – a young, artistic, theater enthusiast – and build the character from there. Ortega also shared his own personal experience, telling Lucas he identified with Ryan and had known he was gay in high school but hadn’t come out. The goal, Lucas explained, was to portray Ryan’s sexuality authentically.
The famous jazz squares performed by Ryan, as well as the vocal warm-ups for both Ryan and Sharpay, were all created by Lucas. He explained that these elements were inspired by two choreographers from his childhood who frequently used jazz squares in their routines. While playfully poking fun at this habit, Lucas also wanted to pay tribute to it by making it a running gag for Ryan’s character – a desire to include a jazz square in every performance.
I’ll never forget Kenny’s ‘yawn jar’ on set! If anyone yawned, they had to put money in it. But it wasn’t just for fun – every Christmas, for about five years, he’d donate all the money to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Utah in all of our names. It was such a sweet thing to do!
Once filming for the first movie wrapped up, Monique came home to find she was being evicted and was having trouble affording her bills. Lucas faced similar difficulties, struggling to find work after High School Musical.
Following the huge success of the first movie, Disney involved fans in creating the sequel. They got to vote on details like the slogans on Chad’s shirts, what Troy and Gabriella would eat on their date, and even a quick cameo by Miley Cyrus, known for her role in Hannah Montana.
Just like her character Ms. Darbus in High School Musical, Alyson Reed also guided and supported the young actors behind the scenes. She even became Monique Coleman’s acting teacher later on. Monique shared with Buzzfeed that Alyson was who she felt most comfortable around and that she really helped her regain her confidence.
Originally, the filmmakers planned a Halloween-themed third movie called Haunted High School Musical, but they quickly abandoned that idea. As Zac Efron later mentioned to MTV, the haunted concept didn’t last long. The final installment, High School Musical: Senior Year, was the only film in the series released in theaters.
Selena Gomez was considered for the part of Tiara Gold in High School Musical 3, Sharpay’s new competitor. However, she decided not to take the role, telling the New York Daily News she wanted to pursue more challenging acting opportunities. She explained that after her time with Disney, she hoped to be recognized as a serious actress for years to come. Ali Lohan was also reportedly up for the part, but Jemma McKenzie-Brown ultimately landed the role.
In the third movie, we meet Chad’s dad, who is portrayed by Corbin Reid’s actual father, David Reivers. This isn’t the first time the two have played a father-son duo – they also shared that role in the films Jump In! and Free Style.
Ashley Tisdale told Buzzfeed she kept most of her character Sharpay’s wardrobe from the first High School Musical movie, jokingly admitting she initially thought she might even wear the outfits to red carpet events. When Disney later asked for the clothes back, Ashley refused, saying she’d rather endure a painful experience than give them up. She famously told them, “No, this is mine,” and still owns the entire collection from the first film.
After the first movie was released, fans were convinced that Zac Efron and Ashley Tisdale were a couple. Ashley remembers being amused by the rumors, fueled by their frequent appearances on magazine covers while promoting the film. She explained that Zac was already in a relationship and that they were simply close friends.
Oh, and who could forget Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens? As a lifestyle expert, I remember the High School Musical fandom practically exploded when they confirmed they were a real-life couple! They dated for four years and were seriously one of the most adored young couples in Hollywood before calling it quits in 2010. Vanessa actually shared on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast that it all felt very natural, and she was so thankful for that relationship when they were together.
Although they always maintained a professional demeanor while filming, there was one instance during rehearsals for High School Musical 3 where they had a disagreement. She recalls the director, Kenny Ortega, looking worried, as if the movie production might be in jeopardy.
Back in 2016, Disney Channel began searching for actors for a potential High School Musical 4, hoping to launch a fresh group of East High Wildcats. Jeffrey Hornaday, the director behind popular movies like Teen Beach Movie and Teen Beach 2, was set to direct and handle the choreography. However, despite the initial plans, the movie was never actually made.
According to Billboard, the soundtrack for High School Musical was the best-selling album of 2006, selling 3.7 million copies. It was also the first soundtrack from a TV movie to reach the top of the sales charts.
Oh my gosh, High School Musical 2 is STILL a huge deal! Like, it brought in a crazy 17.2 million viewers when it first aired! I remember Gary Marsh, the head of Disney Channel back then, saying it was their “Super Bowl” moment. He totally knew then what we all felt – it wasn’t just a movie anymore, it was a full-blown High School Musical obsession! It was everything!
Despite a small $11 million budget, High School Musical 3: Senior Year earned over $250 million around the world in 2008 and opened at number one in theaters during its first week.
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2026-01-20 14:18