Kenny Ortega Slams Rumor Zac Efron Didn’t Sing in High School Musical

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Kenny Ortega is breaking Zac Efron free from the lip-syncing rumors.

For a while now, it’s been clear that Drew Seeley provided the vocals for Troy Bolton in the movie “High School Musical“. However, to dispel any rumors, the director made it clear that Zac Efron, who portrayed the basketball star, did indeed sing in the 2006 film.

In the interview with Entertainment Tonight on July 29th, Ortega shared that he sang in the first performance. Initially, the songs were penned before Zac got the part. Although Zac could sing beautifully, his voice wasn’t what the songs were specifically composed for. So, he performed everything initially, and then parts of it were re-dubbed to give it a stronger vocal quality.

In composing the music for the later films, Zac Efron’s voice was a key consideration. As Ortega explained, “For the second and third movie, everything was written with him in mind.” It’s worth noting that this is significant because people should be aware that Zac Efron actually sang in the movies.

Furthermore, the actor from Iron Claw has demonstrated his impressive vocal skills in productions such as Hairspray and The Greatest Showman.

Regarding Seeley, he earlier shared some details about his connection with Efron when he stood in for the role of Troy Bolton.

He shared with TopMob News in April 2024 that he had encountered Zac a handful of times at various social gatherings. However, he spent significantly less time with Zac compared to any other cast member on the High School Musical set because his involvement was limited to when Zac was unavailable or absent.

In reality, Seeley teamed up with actors such as Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, among others, during their tour in 2006. However, the star of “Another Cinderella Story” emphasized that he maintains a deep respect for Efron, expressing, “I believe someday we’ll reminisce as elderly gentlemen and discuss our past.

He even has no qualms about ultimately losing the part to the Efron after his own audition.

At 43 years old, I was around five to six years older than Vanessa. In my perspective, this age gap might have played a part. Perhaps I didn’t fit well with the rest of the group visually. Additionally, Zac gave an excellent performance in the role, and I believe they made the right choice casting him.

Keep reading to see where the rest of the Wildcats are now…

In terms of his professional journey, the High School Musical films catapulted Zac Efron into the limelight as a bona fide Hollywood heartthrob. He then went on to secure roles in various movies including 17 Again, Charlie St. Cloud, That Awkward Moment, Neighbors and its sequel, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, as well as the big-screen adaptation of Baywatch where he displayed his famously fit physique alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

In the year 2017, he revisited his musical foundation (having previously sung in the 2007 movie “Hairspray”), appearing in “The Greatest Showman”. Following his portrayal of Ted Bundy in the 2019 Netflix film “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile”, he agreed to participate in a docu-series titled “Killing Zac Efron”, ironically, which came close to causing him harm. Later, in 2023, Efron appeared in the films “The Iron Claw” and “A Family Affair”. To answer your unspoken question, yes, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December 2023.

Personal Life: He had a relationship with Vanessa Hudgens, who portrayed his character’s love interest Gabriella Montez in the films, for approximately four years before they parted ways in 2010. Afterwards, he dated model Sam Miro from 2014 to 2016. In 2020, he started dating model Vanessa Valladares while residing in Australia. However, their relationship did not last long and ended after less than a year.

In the realm of her acting career, following her roles in the High School Musical trilogy, Hudgens took on various film projects that included Bandslam, Beastly, Sucker Punch, Spring Breakers, Machete Kills, Second Act, and Bad Boys for Life.

She shared with The Guardian in an August 2018 interview that her experience with “High School Musical” was an incredible adventure, yet it significantly deviated her from the career path she had envisioned earlier. From the start, her dream was to be an indie actress, starring in movies where she would portray characters like a drug addict, stripper, or prostitute. This has been her aspiration since she was around 11 years old.

2015 saw the actress making her first appearance on Broadway in a reprise of the musical “Gigi”. The year after, she went back to her roots and played Rizzo in Fox’s live production of “Grease”. In 2019, Hudgens participated in another live staging by Fox, this time for “Rent”. She also starred in a film version of the musical “tick, tick…BOOM!”, which was created by Jonathan Larson and adapted by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Finally, in 2024, she clinched victory on “The Masked Singer”.

In addition to acting and singing, Hudgens is a founder of brands Caliwater and Know Beauty.

In 2011, a year following her split with Zac Efron, she started dating actor Austin Butler. However, they parted ways in early 2020. Later in December 2023, Vanessa Hudgens tied the knot with MLB player Cole Tucker after three years of dating. Just three months afterward, she unveiled her pregnancy on the 2024 Oscars red carpet, and in the summer that followed, she and her husband welcomed their baby.

Following her time in the “High School Musical” period, Ashley Tisdale pursued a pop music career for some years, achieving a fair amount of popularity. Her album titled “Symptoms” came out in May 2019. Besides music, she played the lead role in a straight-to-video film based on her “High School Musical” character, called “Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure.” In 2010, she featured prominently in the cheerleader TV series “Hellcats,” which was well-received but unfortunately ran for only a short time.

Throughout the years, Tisdale has been a recurring cast member on shows like Sons of Anarchy, The Crazy Ones, and Scary Movie 5, among others. She also lent her voice to Candace Flynn in Phineas and Ferb for over a decade. Notably, she played the lead role Maddie in Disney’s Suite Life. Additionally, Tisdale has ventured into production, executive producing Bravo’s series Miss Advised and the ABC Family-turned-Freeform sitcom Young & Hungry, as well as founding Frenshe.

Over time, Tisdale made appearances in shows like Sons of Anarchy, The Crazy Ones, Scary Movie 5, and more. She was also the voice of Candace Flynn in Phineas and Ferb for many years. She’s best known for her role as Maddie on Disney’s Suite Life. Furthermore, Tisdale has become a producer, working on shows like Miss Advised and Young & Hungry, and starting Frenshe.

In 2014, the actress tied the knot with Christopher French. Back in September 2020, she revealed her pregnancy with her first child. Jupiter Iris French was born to them in March 2021, and they announced their second child on the way in March 2024. Emerson, their second daughter, arrived in September of that year.

After completing his High School education (HSM), Lucas Grabeel took on the role of Toby Kennish in ABC Family’s series Switched at Birth, which later became Freeform’s show. Additionally, he has lent his voice to characters in animated programs like Family Guy, Elena of Avalor, Sheriff Callie’s Wild West, Spirit Riding Free, and Pinky Malinky. In 2019, he made an appearance as himself in the meta-series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series on Disney+.

In his personal life, the actor had been in a long-term relationship with actress Emily Morris. Currently, he is involved with writer and producer Rahim El-Ounsi.

Career Highlights: Corbin Bleu made his mark by appearing in Ashton Kutcher’s brief TV drama, The Beautiful Life: TBL, and portraying Jeffrey King on One Life to Live. He also graced shows like The Good Wife, Blue Bloods, Castle, Drop Dead Diva, The Fosters, The Middle, Chicago Med and Supergirl. In 2013, he danced his way to the second place on Dancing With the Stars, partnering with Karina Smirnoff.

2010 marked my first grand entrance on Broadway with the captivating show “In the Heights.” The year after that, I graced the stage once more in a revival of the timeless production, “Godspell.” Fast forward to 2016, and I was back in the spotlight, this time as a lead in the original musical masterpiece, “Holiday Inn.” And just when you thought you’d seen it all from me, I made a comeback in 2019 with yet another revival, this time of the iconic show, “Kiss Me, Kate.

In December 2021, he teamed up with Monique Coleman, a fellow HSM alum, for the Lifetime movie “A Christmas Dance Reunion”. Two years after that, he made an appearance on the streaming series “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”.

Personal Matters: In the year 2016, he tied the knot with Sasha Clements, who was famously known for her role in the Disney Channel film titled “How to Build a Better Boy”.

Monique Coleman continued her acting career, featuring in the sitcom “Here We Go Again” and the comedy film “We Are Family”. In 2018, her talk show “Gimme Mo” moved from online to TV on Discovery Life for a short while. In late 2021, she teamed up with fellow HSM alum Corbin Bleu in the Lifetime movie “A Christmas Dance Reunion”. The actress also made an appearance during the final season of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”.

Personal Life: Though she married Walter Jordan in 2012, they ultimately divorced in 2022.

In terms of his professional career, Bart Johnson has graced various television shows including The Client List, NCIS: Los Angeles, and the Amazon series Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street. He also starred in a 2018 film version of Little Women. Since then, he has been seen in shows like On Call, Yellowstone, Landman and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

For a while, Johnson operated the Johnson Mill Bed & Breakfast near Park City, Utah.  

In his personal life, he’s been wedded to Robyn Lively, the sibling of Blake Lively, since 1999. Together, they have raised three kids.

Career Highlights: Chris Warren Jr. has acted in popular TV shows like “Good Luck Charlie”, “The Hard Times of RJ Berger”, and “The Fosters”. In 2019, he made an appearance on ABC’s short-lived drama “Grand Hotel”. Since 2020, the actor is a regular cast member in the series “Sistas”.

Personal Life: In 2019, Warren married British TV host and actress Layla Kayleigh.

Career: Alyson Reed was a well-known actress when she first appeared in HSM. Later, she acted on popular shows such as Desperate Housewives, Bones, Modern Family, Silicon Valley, and the Hulu series Chance.

Personal Life: In 2019, the distinguished stage actress made a stop at the set of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. She expressed her admiration for the show, stating that it was fantastic, intelligent, inventive, and full of emotion, calling it simply remarkable.

In her career, Olesya Rulin appeared on television series including Greek, Powers (on the PlayStation Network), NCIS: Los Angeles, SEAL Team, and several other shows.

In the personal realm, Rulin tied the knot with businessman Joseph Noel Pauline in the year 2021. The subsequent year saw them share the joyous news of the arrival of their daughter, Ondine Michelle Pauline.

After completing high school (HSM), KayCee Stroh went on to act in shows like “The League”, “Shapetown, USA”, and “Andi Mack”. She also appeared in an episode of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” in 2019 and participated in “The Disney Family Singalong” in 2020.

In the Year 2009: She tied the knot with Ben Higginson. Since then, they’ve been blessed with two beautiful daughters named Zetta Lee and Lettie Louise.

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2025-08-04 21:49