Here's the real reason Zac Efron didn't sing in High School Musical
Jennifer Maldonado
Zac Efron, who played Troy Bolton in the High School Musical franchise, didn't actually sing in the first movie! But Why? Did he sing in any of the films?
/tesla/static/favicons/rayo/favicon.svg
Hits Radio
We have answers!

Zac Efron is forever beloved for portraying Troy Bolton in the High School Musical movies - you can't even imagine anyone else playing that role. If you fancy a trip down memory lane you can always revisit all the High School Musical films which are now on Disney+.

While you've most likely memorised all the words and choreography to the songs from the three movies in the series, you might've noticed that Zac's voice sounds a bit different in the first film...

Well, that's because it wasn't really him singing in the movie! (YES, WE CAN'T BELIEVE IT EITHER!) The hunky actor, who went on to star in The Greatest Showman and 17 Again, truly gave it his all and we believed it was Zac singing those magical lyrics to us, but alas, it wasn't.

It wasn't until High School Musical 2 that we got to hear what the actor's singing voice is really like and again in HSM 3: Senior Year. Plus, he sang in another musical movie he filmed, Hairspray, where he played the role of Link. And he sounds great in all of these songs so that leads us to wonder...

Who sang Troy Bolton's parts in High School Musical?

Although Zac played the role in the film, the vocals were actually provided by actor Drew Seeley.

Did Zac Efron sing in High School Musical?

We dug all the way back to 2007 to uncover the truth and Zac actually gave an interview to the Orlando Sentinel where he spoke about why it was important for him to fully sing all of the songs in HSM 2.

"That was a very huge point for me. I had to put my foot down and fight to get my voice on these tracks," Zac said. "In the first movie, after everything was recorded, my voice was not on them. I was not really given an explanation. It just kind of happened that way.

"Unfortunately, it put me in an awkward position. It's not something I expected to be addressed. Then High School Musical blew up. I'm very fortunate that Drew has gotten proper credit and also that I've gotten the opportunity to come back and try it again with my own voice. He's very talented. I consider myself a regular kid that can carry a tune."

Why didn't he sing in High School Musical?

OK, so let's back it up a bit. There have been plenty of rumours over the years as to why it wasn't Zac singing on the songs. There was a theory that the songs were already recorded before Zac got signed on to the movie and there wasn't enough time for him to record them and Drew actually co-wrote 'Get'cha Head In the Game', so he had been involved with the project early on.

But this doesn't seem likely, since Zac said he met Vanessa Hudgens, the Gabriella to his Troy, while in the auditions and they were paired together to read a scene, which led to the duo being cast. And Vanessa did sing the songs, so that doesn't work timeline wise.

There's another theory that Zac's voice just wasn't strong enough at the time and wasn't the right fit, so his vocals were blended with Drew's who had already recorded the songs. Well, Zac seemed pretty blind-sided as to why his vocals weren't used. A mystery indeed.

Why didn't Zac go on the High School Musical tour?

High School Musical: The Concert was an unforgettable experience for sure, and the OG cast all hit the road together out on tour performing all the songs from the movie. But Zac wasn't there.

He was working on Hairspray at the time, so that is why he couldn't head out on the tour. And who took his spot? You probably guessed by now but yes, Drew took his place. Here he is singing 'Breaking Free' with Vanessa.

While we all know that Zac is Troy, we can't ignore all Drew contributed, which he pointed out on Twitter when he was commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the first film.

Both Zac AND Drew helped to create the Troy Bolton we all know and love, so something to keep in mind. Zac got the solos he deserved in the other movies anyway. 'Bet On It' and 'Scream' are iconic. #NeverForget

Can Zac Efron sing?

He sure can! Although he didn't provide the vocals for the first High School Musical film, he did sing in the second and third films, and he also sang in his role as Link Larkin in Hairspray.

Here he is covering Foster the People song 'Pumped Up Kicks' with Taylor Swift in 2012.

The Greatest Showman

Let's not forget, Zac played Phillip Carlyle in 2017's The Greatest Showman, and provided vocals for 'The Greatest Show', 'The Other Side' and 'Rewrite the Stars'.

Hairspray

Zac appeared in the 2007 movie version of hit musical Hairspray! He played Link Larkin and starred alongside Hollywood royalty including: John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer and Queen Latifah.

Will Zac Efron return to High School Musical?

Ever since the third High School Musical film came out, fans have been keen to see the cast reunite on screen, and in May 2022 Zac Efron teased that he would reprise his role as Troy if the opportunity presented itself.

Speaking to E! News, he said: "Having the opportunity in any form to go back and work with that team would be so amazing. My heart is still there. That would be incredible. I hope it happens."

Zac later delighted fans in July 2022 when he revisited the iconic East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. Standing proud outside the famous front doors, with his fist in the air, Zac quoted the iconic Breakfast Club as he captioned the image: 'Don’t you… Forget about me ✊🏼'.

Of course, fans flooded the comments with love as the actor had us all reminiscing. One fan wrote: ' ONCE A WILDCAT, ALWAYS A WILDCAT!!!' (sic), while another said: ' What team?????!! Wildcats!!!!! ❤️❤️' (sic).

Bart Johnson, who played the role of Troy Bolton's dad - Coach Bolton - had us all tearing up a little as he commented: 'Warms coaches ole heart to see this. Welcome home, son. WHAT TEAM!? 🏀🐾'.

Many also paid homage to some of the iconic songs featured in High School Musical, with one commenting: 'WHAT ABOUT US' and another writing: 'Oh you can bet on it'.

But Zac Efron isn't the only one who has been taking a trip down memory lane in 2022! His former co-star Vanessa Hudgens, who played the lead role of Troy's girlfriend Gabriella, visited the iconic school just one month earlier, taking to Instagram to share a sweet clip of herself in the exact same spot.

The actress captioned her post with a famous quote from the film, writing: 'Do you remember in kindergarten how you'd meet a kid and know nothing about them, then 10 seconds later you're playing like you're best friends because you didn't have to be anything but yourself?'

The franchise has continued with new characters in the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, staring none other than Olivia Rodrigo. The first two seasons have already seen some of the film's cast appear in cameo roles, and Corbin Bleu who played Chad Danforth in the films is set to make an appearance in the third season. Although he is busy with other filming commitments, we'll keep our fingers crossed that Zac comes back to East High to make a cameo in the series.

We love you, Zac!

Scroll through to see Zac Efron's complete transformation through the years...

BRB whilst we go and watch all three movies! 🙈

Now read:

18 songs with superstars providing uncredited backing vocals

26 chart-topping songs written by women

How to listen to Hits Radio:

Turn it up with Hits Radio! Home of Fleur East, Sam Thompson and Gemma Atkinson playing the biggest hits and the biggest throwbacks, alongside the biggest laughs and life-changing competitions. Tune in on FM, DAB, online or ask your Smart Speaker to 'Play Hits Radio'.