Twenty years have passed since the first High School Musical film premiered on the Disney Channel in January 2006, drawing 7.7 million viewers and launching a franchise that included sequels, a spin-off series, and a Disney+ reboot. The film catapulted its young stars to global fame, but for some, the spotlight brought intense scrutiny and personal struggles.
Zac Efron, who played basketball captain Troy Bolton, became a teenage heartthrob and went on to star in films such as Hairspray, The Greatest Showman, and Baywatch. However, he later admitted to battling alcoholism and drug addiction, entering rehab in 2013. He described it as a 'never-ending struggle', and in 2022 revealed he suffered from depression, insomnia, and agoraphobia. In 2024, he was found unconscious in his Ibiza villa's swimming pool and was hospitalised.
Vanessa Hudgens, who portrayed Gabriela Montez, faced her own ordeal when nude photographs were hacked and leaked when she was 18, leaving her 'traumatised'. She later sparked controversy in 2020 with an Instagram video about COVID-19, for which she apologised. After her five-year relationship with Efron ended, she continued acting and singing, starring in Spring Breakers and on Broadway.
