Most of us know Zac Efron from his role as Troy Bolton in the High School Musical franchise. It has been over ten years since the last time Efron appeared as the singing basketball star, but his time in the series is still talked about today. While Troy Bolton is arguably one of Efron’s most famous roles — and interestingly one he has said he regrets playing — the actor has starred in a number of hits since his time in the High School Musical franchise.

Since High School Musical, Efron has gone one to star in a variety of films from raunchy films like Dirty Grandpa, to critically acclaimed musical movies, to a portrayal of Ted Bundy. In Efron’s newest film Gold, which hits theaters in March 2022, the actor plays a disheveled man, and his search for riches furthering added yet a new genre to his filmography. It seems his days as the teenage basketball player have diverged into more grownup roles with a serious background as the years progressed. Let’s take a look back on some of Zac Efron’s best movies since High School Musical ended.

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9 Dirty Grandpa

     Lionsgate

Dirty Grandpa is the perfect amount of raunchy and funny through its pairing of Robert De Niro with Zac Efron. Efron’s Jason is uptight where his grandfather, played by De Niro, is ready to relive his youth after the passing of his late wife. The two set off on a spring break trip that hopefully leads Jason back to his fiancée in time for the wedding. With plenty of swearing and some great one-liners, this film is a great film to watch for a few laughs.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

8 Neighbors

     Universal Pictures

2014’s Neighbors introduced us to frat-boy Zac Efron when he played Teddy Sanders, the President of a rowdy fraternity. Kelly and Mac, played by Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen respectively, and their newborn daughter unknowingly moves into the house next door to Efron’s fraternity. The couple tries to reason with the fraternity, but ends up starting pranks that quickly get out of hand. This humorous film brought together the comedic duo of Efron and Dave Franco — a duo we would love to see more of.

7 The Paperboy

In one of Efron’s darker films The Paperboy, he plays Jack Jansen, the brother of Ward Jansen, a reporter who is covering the events around the exoneration of a man on death row. Efron’s role features the actor in his underwear for many scenes, something Troy Bolton (or Disney Channel) would never do. He stars alongside Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman, and John Cusack in this crime thriller. As a slightly steamy film noir, what the film lacks in storyline, it makes up for with its actors.

6 The Lucky One

     Warner Bros.

The Lucky One, which is one of the many Nicholas Sparks adaptations, features Efron as a Marine who finds himself in a small town in Louisiana looking for the woman he believed was his good luck charm during his latest tour in Iraq. The film shows a very physically fit Efron that is certainly easy on the eyes. His character is quiet and reserved as opposed to the many comedies we usually see him in.

5 Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

     20th Century Studios

In Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Efron plays Dave Stangle who, with his brother Mike, played by Adam DeVine, posts a Craigslist ad to get dates for their sister’s wedding. Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza, Tatiana and Alice in the film, answer the ad as a way to get a free vacation. The film is based on true events and is full of comedic turns, bizarre accidents, and plenty of silly moments.

4 Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

     Netflix

In 2019, Netflix released a fictitious version of the serial killer Ted Bundy called Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. Efron stars as Bundy and takes us through his crimes from the perspective of Liz, played by Lily Collins, his longtime girlfriend. The film, which was criticized for glamorizing Bundy, covers the meeting of Liz and Bundy, his crimes, and the trial and execution. Efron expertly plays the charming Bundy in a creepy, but great way. In interviews, Efron has stated that the role was not easy for him, but that he is thankful for the experience.

3 Charlie St. Cloud

Based on the novel written by Ben Sherwood, Efron starred as the main character in the 2010 supernatural romance Charlie St. Cloud. The eponymous Charlie St. Cloud is a sailor who is bound for college when a car accident takes the life of his younger brother. Instead of going to college, Charlie stays home and becomes a groundskeeper at a cemetery where, every night, he gets to play catch with his younger brother. When Charlie meets a girl, he has to choose between saving her or seeing his brother.

2 17 Again

17 Again is a light-hearted film that features a younger Efron. In fact, the film is one of the first he starred in after the High School Musical series. Staring alongside Matthew Perry and Leslie Mann, Efron plays a young Mike O’Donnell. Perry, who plays the older Mike O’Donnell, is given a second chance when he is turned back into his 17-year-old self.

1 The Greatest Showman

The Greatest Showman brings Efron back to his singing roots. In the film, which follows P.T. Barnum’s journey to starting the real-life Barnum & Bailey Circus, Efron plays Phillip Carlyle, a playwright from a wealthy family. He is brought into Barnum’s (Hugh Jackman) circus to try and provide a more sophisticated story and appeal to a wealthier subject. Efron plays the love interest of Zendaya and, together, the two give us a beautiful love song with aerial choreography. While fans are eager for a sequel after the original ended with Barnum passing the baton to Carlyle, there is no official news on a second film, despite Jackman’s hope for one.