High School Musical star 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 first High School Musical movie 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 Evans in the movie, and she returned alongside Efron and Hudgens, among others, for a sequel in 2007 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year in 2008.
During a recent episode of the Breaking Beauty podcast (via EW), Tisdale shares that her daughter recently watched High School Musical for 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 in A Family Affair (2024) on Netflix, while Tisdale voiced Stariana in Baby 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 to High School Musical, but both actors are still widely ᴀssociated with their roles in this family-friendly franchise. Tisdale ended up staying in the franchise after Senior Year, as well. Though Troy and Gabriella didn’t return, Sharpey returned in 2011’s Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, with Ryan actor Lucas Grabeel also making a cameo appearance toward the end.
Even though it’s been 17 years since Efron and Tisdale starred in a High School Musical movie together, the franchise remains an important cultural touchstone and is emblematic of a previous era of Disney 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 of High School Musical returned in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series in 2019.
Our Take On Tisdale’s High School Musical Story
The High School Musical movies are 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, but watching 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 the High School Musical movies, 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 a High School Musical marathon.
Source: Breaking Beauty (via EW)
