From Wildcats to Walk of Fame: High School Musical Cast Today
Time to cut through the chatter: here’s the score on your favorite Wildcats. Nearly two decades have passed since Disney Channel’s High School Musical debut on January 20, 2006, yet Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale and the rest of the East High crew continue to headline headlines with major life and career milestones. This award-winning journalist dug into public records, Vogue interviews and E! Online archives to bring you an exclusive, real-time reunion update.
Since trading basketballs and duet rehearsals, Vanessa Hudgens has entered a whole new act. Vogue confirmed that Hudgens married Major League Baseball player Cole Tucker in a sun-soaked December 2023 ceremony in Mexico. Monique Coleman and Lucas Grabeel were spotted cheering from the front row as Hudgens raved to Vogue, “I couldn’t have dreamt it to be any better.” Three months later, she announced on Instagram that she and Tucker were expecting their first child, and by summer 2024 their son arrived, name still under wraps. Hudgens’s seamless pivot from East High sweetheart to next-level supermom has fans cheering louder than “We’re All in This Together.”
Meanwhile, Ashley Tisdale is proving she’s just as sharp offstage. After welcoming daughter Jupiter in 2021, Tisdale and husband Christopher French announced their second pregnancy at Spring Breakers’ throwback party in March 2024, then introduced baby Emerson to the world this fall. During a playful TikTok in May, Tisdale laughed as her eldest screamed, “I’m Sharpay’s baby!” in public—proof that mother-daughter duets may become the new Anaheim tradition.
Zac Efron, the franchise’s breakout star, finally added a star of his own—literally. In December 2023, a Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony honored Efron’s two-decade pursuit of acting, singing and dancing. Speaking to a crowd of fans and paparazzi, Efron quipped, “Never in my wildest dreams would I stand here today,” attributing his rise to director Kenny Ortega’s vision and legendary HSM soundtrack. Since then, he’s tackled everything from the dark Netflix biopic Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile to the high-octane adventure series Killing Zac Efron, plus 2023’s The Iron Claw and 2024’s A Family Affair.
As for Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman and Lucas Grabeel, they keep the spirit of East High alive through live performances, hosting gigs and philanthropic work. Bleu has made waves on reality television and culinary stages, while Coleman champions youth arts programs and Grabeel continues to star in Broadway-style productions. Their attendance at Hudgens’s wedding underscores a bond that runs deeper than any on-screen rivalry.
East High’s alumni may have swapped Wildcats gear for wedding tuxes, Broadway spotlights and strollers, but their shared history still hits the high notes. And there you have it—do with this what you will, but trust that these Wildcats know how to keep the encore going.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! Online, Vogue, People Magazine
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
