The Cast of 'High School Musical': Where Are They Now?

High School Musical took over 7.7 million TV screens in the United States when it premiered in 2006, making it the highest-rated Disney Channel Original Movie at the time. The film followed basketball star Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) and an intelligent transfer student, Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens), as they break the status quo of East High School by auditioning for the spring musical, much to drama duo Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) and Ryan Evans’ (Lucas Grabeel) displeasure. The wildly popular film, which also starred Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman and more, spawned two sequels, 2007’s High School Musical 2 and 2008’s High School Musical 3: Senior Year. In April 2019, Monique Coleman, who portrayed Gabriella's friend Taylor McKessie, exclusively told Us Weekly what it was like filming with a young cast. “We just actually are really close friends and I cared. You know what I mean?” Coleman said. “I feel like so many people get into a position and then tear each other down. And it was really important for us to, like, stay very, like, tight-knit and to protect each other. Because, at the end of the day, these were adolescents.” Scroll down to see what the cast of High School Musical is up to now:

After High School Musical skyrocketed Efron to stardom, he grew to become one of the biggest hunks in Hollywood. He starred in big-budget films such as Hairspray (2007), 17 Again (2009) and the Oscar-nominated movie The Greatest Showman (2017).

The California native portrayed infamous serial killer Ted Bundy in the Netflix film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile in 2019, and explored the globe in the streaming service’s 2020 docuseries Down to Earth.

Efron famously dated Hudgens from 2006 to 2010 and had a series of flings before before Us confirmed that he was "smitten" with Australia native Vanessa Valladares in September 2020. The couple split in April 2021.

Like her character, Gabriella, Hudgens continued her passion for musical theater with a starring role in Gigi on Broadway. She went on to land starring roles in two live TV musical adaptations: Rizzo in Grease: Live and Maureen in Rent: Live.

Hudgens became the queen of Christmas with roles in Netflix's holiday films The Princess Switch (2018), The Knight Before Christmas (2019), The Princess Switch: Switched Again (2020) and The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star (2021). 

After splitting from Efron in 2010, she moved on with actor Austin Butler. Us confirmed that the two parted ways in January 2020 after nearly nine years together. Hudgens later sparked romance rumors with MLB player Cole Tucker and the duo went Instagram official in February 2021.

Tucker popped the question in February 2023 and the two tied the knot that December. Hudgens revealed that she and the athlete were expecting their first child by debuting her baby bump on the March 2024 Oscars red carpet. Hudgens gave birth in July 2024. She revealed the next July that she is pregnant again.

Following her breakout roles in Disney Channel’s Suite Life of Zack & Cody and High School Musical, Tisdale continued her pop music career with songs such as "He Said She Said" and "Not Like That" in 2007. She took a hiatus from music for nearly a decade before releasing her third studio album, Symptoms, in 2019. 

She had a starring role on the 2010 teen cheerleader series Hellcats and small roles on Sons of Anarchy and Scary Movie 5. From 2007 to 2015, she served as the voice of Candance Flynn on Disney Channel's animated series Phineas and Ferb. In 2019, she starred in the Netflix holiday series Merry Happy Whatever and CBS' Carol's Second Act.

Tisdale married musician Christopher French in 2014 and released her first album in nearly a decade, Symptoms, five years later. In September 2020, Tisdale revealed that she was expecting her first child with French. The actress gave birth to their daughter, Jupiter, in March 2021. She announced in March 2024 that she’s pregnant with baby No. 2.

Before he donned Ryan’s signature colorful outfits, the Missouri native appeared in the third installment of the Halloweentown franchise, Halloweentown High, in 2004.

Seven years later, he scored the starring role of Toby Kennish on the Freeform drama Switched at Birth, which ended in 2017. Gabreel has shifted his career toward voice acting with a recurring role on Family Guy and voicing the title character on Pinky Malinky.

In 2019, Grabeel became one of the only East High alum to appear in the new Disney+ show, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, playing a fictional version of himself on the teen musical comedy. “It was an immediate 'yes'!” he told Entertainment Tonight of the cameo in December 2019.

After starring as Troy Bolton’s right-hand man, Bleu went on to take the lead role in 2007’s Jump In. Three years later, he lit up the Broadway stage in Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical In the Heights.

Bleu competed on the 17th season of Dancing with the Stars with his dance partner, Karina Smirnoff, in 2013. The pair placed second in the competition and Bleu later returned to the ballroom to dance a salsa with Jordan Fisher and his partner Lindsay Arnold in season 25.

In December 2021, Bleu reunited with HSM costar Monique Coleman for a Lifetime Christmas movie, A Christmas Dance Reunion. 

Us reported that Bleu got engaged to longtime girlfriend Sasha Clements in front of Cinderella’s Castle at Walt Disney World in October 2014. The Disney alum proposed to his longtime girlfriend with a stunning engagement ring that was placed inside of a glass slipper. The couple got married in July 2016.

Since her role as East High’s resident brainiac in the High School Musical trilogy, Coleman has taken a step back from the spotlight. She competed on the third season of Dancing With the Stars in 2006 and finished in fourth place behind Joey Lawrence, Mario Lopez and winner Emmitt Smith.

In December 2021, Coleman reunited with HSM costar Corbin Bleu for a Lifetime Christmas movie, A Christmas Dance Reunion. 

Colman launched her online talk show, Gimme Mo', in 2010 and married sweetheart Walter Jordan in Thailand two years later.

Rulin played Kelsie, the school musical's composer and pianist, in all three High School Musical films after making appearances in other Disney Channel Original Movies like The Proof Point (2001) and Halloweentown High (2004).

The Russian-American actress landed roles in NCIS, Family Guy, Greek and the PlayStation Network series Powers, but hasn’t scored another big part since the Disney musical franchise.

The Utah native’s High School Musical character was known for loving to “pop and lock and jam and break” — and for her refusal to “Stick to the Status Quo.”

Three years after making it big in the Disney Channel musical, Stroh tied the knot with Ben Higginson in her hometown, with a handful of her costars in attendance. The couple welcomed two daughters, Zetta in May 2013 and Lettie in October 2015.

Though she’s taken time away from the spotlight, Stroh competed on season 7 of VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club, which aired in 2010.