Summary

  • Zac Efron's proposed cameo as himself in HSMTMTS would have been a disastrous plot device, blurring the lines between reality and fiction.
  • Bringing back Zac Efron as Troy Bolton would have overshadowed the characters built in HSMTMTS and risked overshadowing the spin-off series.
  • Even if the cameo had been approved, it likely wouldn't have happened as Efron's return would diminish his work on the High School Musical franchise.

The mockumentary style of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series was a unique and successful choice for the High School Musical spin-off series, however this one pitch for a Zac Efron mockumentary cameo would have been a pretty disastrous misstep for the show. High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, otherwise known as HSMTMTS, is a musical drama series following the drama department at East High, the famous setting of the Disney Channel hit High School Musical. The series ran for four seasons and starred Joshua Bassett, Olivia Rodrigo, and Andrew Barth Feldman.

Although HSMTMTS was never able to get Zac Efron to reprise his role as Troy Bolton due to scheduling conflicts, the series creator, Tim Federle, did reveal one particularly strange pitch for an Efron cameo. In an interview with The New York Times, Federle revealed that a Disney executive once suggested that during High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, one of the mockumentary cameras turns around to reveal Zac Efron, as himself, behind the camera. This unique idea was certainly a stand-out, but ultimately was too weird for Federle to include.

Zac Efron Filming High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Is A Terrible Twist

Vanessa Hudgens as Gabriella and Zac Efron as Troy in High School Musical

Federle's choice to ignore this Zac Efron cameo pitch was definitely the right decision. Although it reads a fairly funny plot twist, in the grand scheme of things, making Zac Efron the documentary filmmaker would be a terrible plot device. First and foremost, if Zac Efron were to return in HSMTMTS, it should only be as High School Musical's Troy Bolton. This role is not only iconic for Efron, but would've been an incredible moment for the spin-off series. If this exec's idea had gone through, Efron would have appeared as himself, which is not only confusing, but blurs reality and fiction entirely too much.

Furthermore, it's probably for the best that there was HSMTMTS in the first place. Although the musical series is a spin-off of the original movie, it worked hard to be its own piece of media. To bring back the star of High School Musical would have risked overshadowing the characters that HSMTMTS spent time building. Additionally, Zac Efron's time with the High School Musical franchise is decidedly over. Not only has he grown his career far past Disney Channel, but he's also a grown man. Not even Troy Bolton should return to high school.

Why Disney's Zac Efron HSM Return Idea Wouldn't Have Happened

Zac Efron as Troy Bolton in High School Muscial

Luckily, even if Tim Federle had approved of this Zac Efron cameo, it likely wouldn't have happened anyway. HSMTMTS couldn't get Efron back for a full-on Troy Bolton cameo, so it wouldn't make sense for him to the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series cast for one silly gag as a mockumentary filmmaker. At its worst, the idea ultimately would have diminished Efron's work on the High School Musical franchise.

Although High School Musical: The Musical: The Series never got Zac Efron to return, the series wasn't lacking in High School Musical actor cameos. High School Musical's Corbin Bleu, Lucas Gabreel, and Kaycee Stohl all made cameos throughout the show's run, and in turn, brought some of the original magic to the spin-off. So, although many may be missing Zac Efron's Troy Bolton, it's probably for the best that this particular idea never came to fruition.