Zac Efron's Real Name: Zachary David Alexander Efron

Quick answer: Zac Efron was born Zachary David Alexander Efron on October 18, 1987, in San Luis Obispo, California. Zac is short for Zachary, and David and Alexander are his middle names. He became famous as Troy Bolton in Disney Channel's High School Musical (2006). He later starred in Neighbors, The Greatest Showman, and The Iron Claw (Library of Congress; Britannica).

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress name authority files him as "Efron, Zac," with the variants "Efron, Zachary" and "Efron, Zachary David Alexander." Its citation reads "b. 18 Oct. 1987 in San Luis Obispo, California, USA; birth name, Zachary David Alexander Efron; sometimes credited as, Zachary Efron." Britannica gives the same date and birthplace.

According to Britannica, Efron grew up with his younger brother, Dylan, in Arroyo Grande, California. His parents met at the nuclear power plant where they both worked. His father, David Efron, was an electrical engineer, and his mother, Starla (née Baskett), was an administrative assistant. His parents noticed his musical ability early, and he took acting classes through nearby Allan Hancock College, appearing in productions such as Gypsy, Peter Pan, and The Music Man.

Career highlights

Efron had TV roles on Firefly (2002), ER (2003), and CSI: Miami (2005) before starring as basketball player Troy Bolton in High School Musical (2006). Britannica says the movie drew 7.7 million viewers on its first airing, a Disney Channel record. High School Musical 2 (2007) drew some 18.6 million, and High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008) set an opening-weekend record for a musical. Efron admitted his singing in the first film had been partly dubbed, and Britannica says he fought to use his own voice in the sequel.

He also appeared in Hairspray (2007), Me and Orson Welles (2008), 17 Again (2009), and The Lucky One (2012). In 2014 he starred in Neighbors with Seth Rogen and produced That Awkward Moment. In The Greatest Showman (2017) he sang "Rewrite the Stars" with Zendaya, and he bulked up for Baywatch the same year.

He played Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019) and hosted the Netflix travel series Down to Earth (2020–22). He then starred in The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022). In The Iron Claw (2023) he played wrestler Kevin Von Erich, the only surviving brother of the Von Erich family.

Name notes for searchers

Zachary is his legal first name, and Zac is the short form he uses professionally. His middle names are David, also his father's first name, and Alexander. Efron is his family surname. Some early credits use "Zachary Efron."