Does Zac Efron regret doing High School Musical?

Hollywood hunk Zac Efron seems to have it all. His big break came in 2006 with his starring role in Disney's "High School Musical." The film was a hit, and there's been no looking back for this talented and chiseled star. While Efron's role as Troy Bolton in the romantic comedy-drama won hearts of numerous young fans worldwide, his diversified roles in films later in life appeased viewers of all ages. With movies such as "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile" and "The Greatest Showman" under his belt, Efron had truly transitioned into a remarkable star. 

Achievements aside, Efron does have some regrets. Take his "Baywatch" body, for example. Efron played Olympian Matt Brody in the 2017 movie and got into top-notch shape. But it did take a toll on him. "I realized, when I was done with that movie, that I don't ever want to be in that good of shape again," he revealed on an episode of YouTube series "Hot Ones." He added, "It was so hard. You're working with almost no wiggle room. You've got things like water under your skin that you're worrying about, making your six-pack into a four-pack, sh*t like that. It's just stupid. It's just not real."

Turns out, Efron's "Baywatch" body isn't his only regret. There are some other decisions in his life that he looks back on with much judgement. Read on to learn about the biggest regret in Efron's life.

Zac Efron's biggest life regret is skipping one thing

Young Zac Efron in LAYoung Hollywood/Getty Images

From Mark Zuckerberg to Bill Gates, there have been several influential people who decided to skip college. If you didn't know, Zac Efron is also on that list. However, unlike many others who perhaps do not regret missing out on college, Efron thinks attending college might have been a good idea.

Efron participated in a rapid-fire question round with Women's Health, and when the interviewer asked about his biggest regret in life, Efron said it was not attending college. Per Express, the University of Southern California had accepted Efron's application. He had to choose between college and a blooming career, and the 20-year-old Efron chose the latter. While he looks back at that decision with regret, his fans are probably thankful that he decided to pursue his acting career at the right time.

According to a source close to Efron in 2008, earning a college degree was a big deal to him. "Zac wants to earn a college degree. Despite his success as an actor, it's one of his goals," the source told Star (via Express). The fact that Efron really wanted a college degree doesn't come as a surprise for the self-proclaimed nerd. Per Express, the actor once said he performed well in school and even said he wouldn't mind being called a "nerd." Maybe, Efron will find himself enrolling in school in the future.

Zac Efron has some other regrets in life as well

High School Musical castAntony Jones/Getty Images

Even though Zac Efron's college dreams remain unfulfilled, his decision to skip college came at the right time. The actor grabbed some notable roles that would change the course of his career and add much versatility to it. Efron was no longer a teen idol, as he was transitioning into more adult roles. Yet, despite all his success, when he looks back at his career, there'd be one role that he'd regret.

So what's this other thing that Efron regrets? Turns out, the actor isn't too fond of his teen idol image. In an interview with Men's Journal, the star spoke about his cringe-worthy Disney days. "I step back and look at myself and I still want to kick that guy's a** sometimes. Like, f*ck that guy. He's done some kind of cool things with some cool people — he did that one thing that was funny — but I mean he's still just that f*cking kid from ['High School Musical']." He's got some strong feelings about that one.

Stars do outgrow their past roles, and Efron isn't the only one. Despite his regrets, Efron has so much to cherish: a global fan base and a portfolio with some notable roles. At this point, there's no turning back for Efron, and what lies ahead in his prolific career is a subject of much anticipation among his fans.

Since High School Musical first hit Disney Channel in 2006, one thing has been true — Zac Efron is and always will be Troy Bolton. That’s why when the news first broke back in the day that Drew Seeley was actually the one singing all of Troy’s vocals in the movie, fans were shook to their core.

Now, years later, one question is still on all HSM fans’ minds — Why didn’t Zac sing? It’s been years since the first movie premiered, but everyone’s still wondering why he waited until High School Musical 2 to share his true singing voice with the world. The truth, just might surprise you! As fans know, Drew Seeley‘s voice was actually used during the first movie.

“It put me in an awkward position,” Zac admitted to theOrlando Sentinel in 2017. “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.”

Drew, for his part, talked about the entire situation during a 2008 interview. “I feel like Zac was cast right for that. I think he was really good in the film and obviously his career is blowing up and I wish him the best,” he said at the time, nothing that he had to “win over the crowd” during the High School Musical tour. “Most people were like, ‘Where’s Zac? Here’s everybody else.’ But I was the first one to get on stage every night and I think by the end of the first song I won over the crowd.”

Years later, in August 2021, Drew also told fans in a now-viral TikTok video that he has no regrets about singing for HSM.

“I did audition for it. Any actor would have loved that role, but Zac did a great job. He was the right man for the job,” the actor explained. “I did get to do the tours, so everybody wins, much love. There’s no drama. People trying to say there’s drama? There really isn’t.”

Of course, now fans know both guys have amazing singing voices, but what’s been said over the years about this Disney Channel mystery? Scroll through our gallery to find out the real reason why Zac Efron didn’t sing in High School Musical.

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Does Zac Efron regret playing in High School Musical?

Did Zac Efron Regret Starring In 'High School Musical' In a confession that will break millennial hearts all over the world, Zac Efron reportedly told Men's Fitness that he does regret starring in the franchise. According to Nova F.M., he “wishes he could go back in time and tell his teenage-self not to do it.”

Did Zac Efron not like High School Musical?

And while Efron did once imply that he resents his involvement in the now iconic, millenial-beloved films — once telling Men's Journal that they weren't “at all what I want to do” and that he still wishes he could go back in time to his HSM days to “kick his ass” — it seems as though he's officially changed his mind.

Why didn't they let Zac Efron sing in High School Musical?

The reason for this is because Efron's natural voice was too low for that of a tenor and the producers wanted a tenor to match the role. Efron did, however, do all of his own singing in the sequels, as all the music in those films had been tailored specifically for his voice.

Did Zac Efron actually sing in High School Musical?

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