If you are one of the millions who are able to watch the highest rating movie made for tv "High School Musical", then you probably know the lead actor is Zac Efron.

Efron was born in San Luis Obispo, California to David Efron and Starla Baskett, of Jewish descent. He has a brother, Dylan, and owns two Australian Shepherds named Dreamer and Puppy, as well as a Siamese cat named Simon. At age eleven, his singing talent was discovered and encouraged, and he was cast in the musical Gypsy for 90 runs. He went on to have roles in stage productions of Peter Pan, Little Shop of Horrors, The Music Man, and Mame.

In 2002, Efron began to have guest roles on television series, including Firefly, ER, and The Guardian.

Efron is best known for portraying Cameron Bale on the now-cancelled WB series Summerland. Originally introduced as a guest star, Efron became a regular cast member on the show in the second season in 2004. Since appearing in Summerland, he has also had guest roles on the shows CSI: Miami, NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

In 2004, Zac starred in the Lifetime original TV movie Miracle Run. He played Steven Morgan, one of two autistic twins. Overcoming incredible odds, with his mother’s support, he achieved the unimaginable, winning a cross country competition and seeking the heart of the girl of his dreams, Jennifer. For his performance, he was nominated for a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special – Supporting Young Actor.

In 2006, Efron starred in the Disney Channel original movie High School Musical as Troy Bolton alongside actresses Vanessa Anne Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale and actor Lucas Grabeel. This role helped Efron gain recognition among teenage audiences as both an actor and a successful singer. Combined with his simultaneous appearances on The Suite Life and NCIS, Efron placed as high as #4 on the IMDBPro’s STARMeter for the week of January 29, 2006.

Efron became the first artist to debut with two charted songs in the same week on the February 4, 2006 Billboard Hot 100, with the songs, Get’cha Head In the Game (a solo) and Breaking Free, a duet with Vanessa Anne Hudgens, from High School Musical. On the following week, Efron had five simultaneous song credits, all from High School Musical, including, once more, Get’cha Head in the Game, and three duets with Hudgens, Breaking Free (which made the fastest climb in the history of the Billboard charts, from #86 to #4 between the two weeks), Start of Something New and What I’ve Been Looking For, as well as We’re all in this Together, which was credited to the High School Musical cast.

Efron’s singing talents were disputed when it was revealed that Andrew Seeley’s voice was blended with Efron’s voice on the soundtrack. Efron has also commented on the irony of his playing a top basketball player in “High School Musical”, as he himself had been bad at the sport throughout his life.