High School Musicalstar Ashley Tisdale reveals that her daughter watched one of the movies in the franchise and thought that Zac Efron was her dad. Released in 2006, the firstHigh School Musicalmovie introduces Efron as Troy Bolton and Vanessa Hudgens as Gabriella Montez, two very different high school students who form a connection after getting cast in an upcoming musical.Tisdale plays Sharpay Evansin the movie, and she returned alongside Efron and Hudgens, among others, for a sequel in 2007 andHigh School Musical 3: Senior Yearin 2008.
During a recent episode of theBreaking Beautypodcast (viaEW), Tisdale shares that her daughter recently watchedHigh School Musicalfor the first time. The actor explains, however, that her daughter ended up thinking that Efron was actually her dad, and Tisdale, who seemingly has naturally brown hair, guesses that it’s due to his hair color. Check out Tisdale’s story below:
“About a year ago maybe, my husband showed her, and I was like, ‘What are you doing?’ And she thought Zac Efron was her dad. I was like, ‘No! That’s not daddy.’ She was like, ‘Daddy!’ I was like, ‘No, no, no! Just cause they have dark hair … not Daddy.'”
Efron most recently appeared inA Family Affair(2024) on Netflix, while Tisdale voiced Stariana inBaby Shark’s Big Movie!(2023)
What Tisdale’s Story Means For High School Musical
The Movies Represent A Different Era For Disney Channel
Tisdale and Efron have both gone on to star in a number of different projects after bidding farewell toHigh School Musical, but both actors are still widely associated with their roles in this family-friendly franchise. Tisdale ended up staying in the franchise afterSenior Year, as well. Though Troy and Gabriella didn’t return,Sharpey returned in 2011’sSharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, with Ryan actor Lucas Grabeel also making a cameo appearance toward the end.
10 Disney Channel Stars Who Went On To Have Great Careers
Disney Channel movies and shows have been known to produce some big stars, with actors like Zendaya and Ryan Gosling proving to be quite successful.
Even though it’s been 17 years since Efron and Tisdale starred in aHigh School Musicalmovie together, the franchise remains an important cultural touchstone and is emblematic of a previous era ofDisney Channel programming. It was Tisdale’s husband who showed their daughter the franchise, but Tisdale’s story still suggests that she doesn’t look back on her time as Sharpey with any animosity or regret.
The world ofHigh School Musicalreturned inHigh School Musical: The Musical: The Seriesin 2019.
Our Take On Tisdale’s High School Musical Story
TheHigh School Musicalmoviesare far from flawless, but for audiences of a certain age, they are certainly nostalgic. It’s not clear if Tisdale shares this sense of nostalgia regarding the franchise, butwatching the movies with her daughter sounds like it could be an interesting bonding experience for them both, and not an experience most parents get to have with their children.
Tisdale doesn’t mention whether they ended up watching all theHigh School Musicalmovies, but there’s evidently many hours of entertainment to be had for the whole family. Though, if Tisdale’s daughter is confusing Efron with her real father, it might be best to wait a few more years before sitting down for aHigh School Musicalmarathon.
