Zac Efron Reflects on the Moment High School Musical Became a Hit
Professional Life: Following her role in all three High School Musical movies, Hudgens went on to star in a variety of films including Bandslam, Beastly, Sucker Punch, Spring Breakers, Machete Kills, Second Act, and Bad Boys for Life.
“High School Musical was an amazing experience, but it steered me away from my original career path,” Hudgens shared with The Guardian in an August 2018 interview. “I always aspired to be the indie girl; I wanted roles where I could portray a drug addict, stripper, or prostitute. That was my ambition since I was 11.”
In 2015, Hudgens made her Broadway debut in the musical Gigi. The next year, she returned to her musical roots by playing Rizzo in Fox’s Grease Live!. In 2019, she joined Fox’s live production of Rent and starred in Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s film adaptation of tick, tick…BOOM!, an autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson, creator of Rent.
Personal Life: In 2011, a year after splitting from Zac Efron, Hudgens began a relationship with actor Austin Butler. They parted ways in early 2020. In December 2023, she tied the knot with MLB star Cole Tucker after three years of dating. The couple is currently expecting their first child.