Summary
TheHigh School Musicaltrilogy was initially many of the actors' big breaks, so naturally, theoriginalHigh School Musicalcasthas pursued various careers. Disney’sHigh School Musicaltrilogy began in 2006,as a Disney Channel Original Movieand ended in 2008 in international theaters. The franchisebrought the Disney Channel network into a completely new era. The film saga is still one of the most popular and beloved franchises from the Disney Channel -High School Musical 2still holds the record for the highest viewed Disney Channel Original Movie premiere with 17.2 million viewers.
The films even garnered a television spinoff;High School Musical: The Musicalendedafter four seasons on Disney+.High School Musicalhas undoubtedly left its mark on the world, especially the lives of its own cast. Since the trilogy ended,the cast members have pursued various endeavors- some have remained in Hollywood, while others have left the industry altogether. The three most successful actors are Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ashley Tisdale, who also played the main characters. However, other cast members have had their own successes.
Troy & Gabriella In Couples Therapy? 7 Shocking High School Musical 4 Story Reveals In Disney’s TV Show
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series season 4 featured High School Musical 4 – what happened to the original characters in the fictional film?
Zac Efron As Troy Bolton
Zac Pursued A Successful Acting Career Away From Musicals
Zac Efron portrayed Troy Bolton, the lead role in theHigh School Musicaltrilogy. Since the last film premiered, heestablished a career as a successful actor, starring primarily in comedies. Some of his most successful films include17 Again,Neighbors, andBaywatch. Zac also tried to avoid musicals. In fact, it was almost 10 years sinceHigh School Musical 3: Senior Yearbefore Zac Efron decided to add another musical to his resumé—The Greatest Showman. He also portrayed the serial killer Ted Bundy inExtremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
A Family Affair
June 17, 2025
In addition to film,Efron created a YouTube series with his brother, Dylan, calledOff The Grid. Zac moved to Australia in 2021 and began his own show calledDown To Earth With Zac Efron—a documentary series that follows the actor on his travels around the world. Most recently,Zac Efron starred in the wrestling biopicThe Iron Claw, which drew critical acclaim from critics, including an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. He also starred in the Netflix romantic comedyA Family Affair.
Vanessa Hudgens As Gabriella Montez
Vanessa Expanded Her Acting Career And Became An Influencer
Vanessa Hudgens played Gabriella Montez, the new girl who changed everyone’s lives at East High. Since the trilogy ended, Vanessa Hudgens has starred in several movies, includingJourney 2: The Mysterious Island,Spring Breakers,The Princess Switch, and the two most recentBad Boysfilms. Vanessa has not only been an actress; she has alsoexpanded her social platform and has become an influencer. She is notorious for attending Coachella and her Instagram Halloween series every year. She has also appeared on several reality shows, includingSo You Think You Can Dance,RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, andThe Masked Singer.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
July 02, 2025
Hudgens hashosted several events, such as the2017 Billboard Music Awards, the2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards, and the red carpet event for the last few Academy Awards. She has also appeared in two live televised musicals:Grease Live!as Rizzo andRent: Liveas Maureen Johnson. Her most recent film is the fourth installment of theBad Boysfranchise,Bad Boys: Ride Or Die. Vanessa Hudgens also married baseball player Cole Tucker and recently gave birth to their first child.
Ashley Tisdale As Sharpay Evans
Ashley Created Her Own Brand While Continuing To Act And Sing
Ashley Tisdale portrayed the iconic Sharpay Evans, the antagonist in theHigh School Musicaltrilogy.High School Musical 3: Senior Yearwas not the last time Tisdale portrayed Sharpay Evans. In 2011,she reprised her role inSharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, a sequel to the trilogy. Otherwise, Ashley Tisdale has continued her acting career, similarly to Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. She briefly starred in the CW’sHellcatsand continued voicing Candace Flynn onPhineas And Ferb. Ashley will reprise her role as Candace inthePhineas And Ferbrevival. She has also appeared on various television shows.
Phineas And Ferb
Frenshe(Blog and Brand)
2020
Phineas And Ferb(Reboot)
2024 (TBA)
Tisdale dipped her toes in Hollywood’s executive world when she became an executive producer for Young & Hungry. In 2009, Ashley Tisdale released her second studio album,Guilty Pleasure, followed by her third studio album 10 years later,Symptoms. In 2020,Tisdale created a brand calledFrenshe, a blog and company dedicated to wellness. Ashley has released various skincare collections through her brand in partnership with Target. She also usesFrensheto debut her interior designs.
Lucas Grabeel As Ryan Evans
Lucas Became A Voice Actor
Lucas Grabeel played Ryan Evans, Sharpay’s eccentric twin brother. AfterHigh School Musicalended, he starred inSwitched At Birthas Toby Kennish for six years. BesidesSwitched At Birthand a brief cameo inSharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, Grabeel hasprimarily focused on voice acting. He voiced various roles inFamily Guysince 2010 but acquired a recurring role as Chadley in 2016. Lucas voiced minor characters in several shows, includingRobot Chicken,Phineas And Ferb, andDreamWorks Dragons. He even appeared inHigh School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Most recently, Lucas Grabeel voices Kyle inMy Adventures With Superman.
June 21, 2025
Corbin Pursued A Career In Acting And Theater
Corbin Bleu portrayed Troy’s best friend, basketball-obsessed Chad Danforth. SinceHigh School Musical 3: Senior Year, Corbin Bleu has had many guest roles on television. He has appeared inThe Good Wife,Blue Bloods,Castle,The Fosters,Chicago Med,Supergirl, and more. He even reunited with co-star Monique Coleman for the television filmA Christmas Dance Reunion. Of course, Corbin appeared as himself inHigh School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Corbin has also starred in a number of movies, most recently in Hulu’s biopicRemember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story. However,the heart of Corbin Bleu’s career is theater.
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Gutenberg! The Musical!
2024
He established himself as a tremendous theater actor in various plays and musicals. Most notably, Corbin appeared on Broadway in the musicalsIn The Heights,Godspell,Holiday Inn, The New Irving Berlin Musical,Kiss Me, Kate, andGutenberg! The Musical!Corbin Bleu has also performed in Off-Broadway segments and other venues for different plays. He has beennominated for several theater awards, including theChita Rivera Awards for Dance and Choreography, theHelen Hayes Awards, and theDrama Desk Awards. He has been to actress Sasha Clements since 2016.
Monique Coleman As Taylor McKessie
Monique Is An Actress And An Influencer
Monique Coleman portrayed Taylor McKessie, East High’s smartest student and Gabriella’s best friend. Monique has acquired several acting credits since the end of the high school musical trilogy, including shows such asBones,Stitchers, andFamily Reunion,and she has maintained a permanent presence in Hollywood through her various endeavors. Most notably,she created a TV show calledGimme Mo, where she discusses and investigates everyday issues among today’s youth. This project even garnered a nomination for a Daytime Emmy Award. Outside of Hollywood, Monique Coleman has pursued boxing and, most recently, adult figure skating.
Olesya Rulin As Kelsi Nielsen
Olesya Is An Actress, Influencer, And Philanthropist
Olesya Rulin portrayed Kelsi Nielsen, the school’s shy musician. Similarly to Monique Coleman and Corbin Bleu, sinceHigh School Musicalended, Olesya has guest starred in several TV shows, includingCSI: Miami,The Mentalist,NCIS,NCIS: Los Angeles, andThe Rookie. However, she has primarily beenan environmental activist and philanthropist, promoting a sustainable lifestyle through social media. Most recently, Olesya partnered with the sustainable clothing brand Silk Laundry. She is married to Joseph Noel Pauline, and they have a daughter together.
Chris Warren Jr. As Zeke Baylor
Chris Warren Jr. Remained An Actor
Chris Warner Jr. played Zeke Baylor, another basketball player on Troy’s team, who is also a talented chef with dreams of becoming a professional cook. SinceHigh School Musical, Chris has maintained his acting career. Hisbiggest role since the trilogy is in BET’s comedySistas. He also had a recurring role inThe Fostersand starred in his own show,Grand Hotel. He also recently guest starred inGrey’s Anatomyseason 19, episode 12, “Pick Yourself Up.” He is married to Layla Kayleigh, and they have two children together.
Ryne Sanborn As Jason Cross
Ryne Retired From Hollywood
Ryne Sanborn portrayed Jason Cross, another basketball player on Troy’s team, who was also the foolish comedic relief. Unlike his co-stars, Ryne Sanbornretired from acting right afterHigh School Musical 3: Senior Yearpremiered. He attended the University of Utah and studied architecture. Ryne Sanborn also played hockey for the Salt Like Outliers, an ice hockey team in the United States Premier Hockey League. It is unknown where he is currently.
KayCee Stroh As Martha Cox
KayCee Channeled Her Inner Martha
KayCee Stroh played Martha Cox, a brainiac with a secret passion for dancing, eventually becoming one of East High’s cheerleaders. Ironically, since theHigh School Musicaltrilogy, KayCee became a dancer and choreographer, dedicating her career to various dance forms and becoming a dance teacher. It is something that Martha Cox would certainly approve of. KayCee also appeared in a few other Disney projects, buther career is primarily in dancing. She also has her own furniture company. KayCee Stroh married Ben Higginson, and they have two children together.
Alyson Reed As Ms. Darbus
Alyson Has Continued Acting
Alyson Reed played Ms. Darbus, the drama and homeroom teacher. Alyson already hadtremendous career achievements in various Broadway productionsbefore she appeared in theHigh School Musicaltrilogy. However, since the films have ended, Alyson had guest roles on several shows, includingBones,Mad Men, andGrey’s Anatomy. Most recently, Alyson Reed had a recurring role as herself and Ms. Darbus in season 4 ofHigh School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
Bart Johnson As Jack Bolton
Bart Is An Actor Who Loves To Talk About High School Musical
Bart Johnson played Jack Bolton, Troy’s basketball-obsessed father who believes he knows what is best for Troy. SinceHigh School Musicalended, he appeared in a few shows, includingNCISand9-1-1: Lone Star. Bart also acquired a recurring role as himself in season 4 ofHigh School Musical: The Musical: The Seriesand starred in the 2024 filmSomeone Like You. However, Bart Johnson iswell-known for his passion forHigh School Musical.He dedicates his social media to the trilogy, always staying in touch with fans, promotingHigh School Musicalcast reunionsand attending fan conventions.
High School Musical 2
Cast
High School Musical 2 is the sequel to Disney’s highly successful High School Musical. Released in 2007, it follows Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) and Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens) as they navigate summer jobs at a country club. Conflicts arise when their peers Ryan (Lucas Grabeel) and Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale) attempt to exploit Troy’s ambitions, leading to personal and professional challenges for the group.
