Zac Efron is a performer.
Zachary David Alexander Efron ( born October 18 , 1987 ) is an American actor and singer . He began acting professionally in the early 2000s , and rose to prominence in the late 2000s for his leading role in the High School Musical franchise ( 2006 -- 08 ) . During this time , he also starred in the musical film Hairspray ( 2007 ) and the comedy film 17 Again ( 2009 ) . He has since appeared in films like New Year 's Eve ( 2011 ) , The Lucky One ( 2012 ) , Neighbors ( 2014 ) , Dirty Grandpa ( 2016 ) , and Neighbors 2 : Sorority Rising ( 2016 ) .