Skip to content
MovieCove
Zac Efron

Zac Efron

Actor and producer · Born October 18, 1987 (39) · San Luis Obispo, California, USA

Screen Actors Guild Award nominee · 1 other major award body

Zachary David Alexander Efron (born October 18, 1987) is an American actor. Efron began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence as a teen idol for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the High School Musical trilogy (2006–2008). During this time, he also starred in the musical film Hairspray (2007) and the comedy film 17 Again (2009), the former of which earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. Efron had starring roles in the films New Year's Eve (2011), The Lucky One (2012), The Paperboy (2012), Neighbors (2014), Dirty Grandpa (2016), Baywatch (2017), and The Greatest Showman (2017). He played Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019) and Kevin Von Erich in The Iron Claw (2023). In 2021, he won a Daytime Emmy Award for hosting the Netflix travel show Down to Earth with Zac Efron (2020–2022).

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 18, 1987 (39)
From
San Luis Obispo, California, USA
Works as
Actor and producer
Titles
50 on MovieCove · 63 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 19% in 30 days

What are Zac Efron's films like?

Across their 43 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy16 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Biography5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 90th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Animation4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Animation movies
Documentary4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 24th percentile
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
34%
Self
24%
Society
11%
Survival
11%
Morality
10%
Ideas
6%
Power
5%
Family bonds15 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship8 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition9 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love6 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth6 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 41 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 29 · Serious 4 · Dark 8

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 24 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 9

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 18 · Charged 13 · Intense 10

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 26 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 5

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 13 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 16

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 16 · Even-paced 22 · Relentless 3

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 32 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 38 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

31 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 17 of 31 analyzed roles.

Hero
17 of 31
Shadow
4 of 31
Ally
3 of 31
Herald
2 of 31
Shapeshifter
2 of 31
Trickster
2 of 31
Mentor
1 of 31
Show the 31 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
19
Hopeful
19
Melancholic
15
Absurd
12
Tense
9
Other
49

How their films linger

Feel-good27 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful21 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy23
  • Bittersweet17
  • Tragic2
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Zac Efron's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 38 of their 50 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Zac Efron's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

63 credits, 50 with a MovieCove page; 35 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Boundless: The Man Who Became Human(2026)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Studio(2025)

    Show 1 episode · as Zac Efron

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • A Family Affair(2024)

    as Chris Cole

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Ricky Stanicky(2024)

    as Dean

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Iron Claw(2023)

    as Kevin Von Erich

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Greatest Beer Run Ever(2022)

    as John 'Chickie' Donohue

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Firestarter(2022)

    as Andy McGee

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Gold(2022)

    as Virgil

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Down to Earth with Zac Efron(2020)

    Show 16 episodes · Executive Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Scoob!(2020)

    as Fred Jones (voice)

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • The Great Global Cleanup(2020)

    Executive Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Human Discoveries (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 10 episodes · Executive Producer · as Gary (voice)

  • Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile(2019)

    Executive Producer · as Ted Bundy

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Beach Bum(2019)

    as Flicker

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • The Greatest Showman(2017)

    as Phillip Carlyle

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Baywatch(2017)

    as Matt Brody

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The Disaster Artist(2017)

    as Dan / 'Chris-R'

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates(2016)

    as Dave Stangle

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising(2016)

    as Teddy Sanders

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Dirty Grandpa(2016)

    as Jason Kelly

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • High School Musical: 10th Anniversary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as (uncredited)

  • We Are Your Friends(2015)

    as Cole

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Neighbors(2014)

    as Teddy Sanders

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Robot Chicken DC Comics Special II: Villains in Paradise(2014)

    as Superboy / Brainiac (voice)

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • That Awkward Moment(2014)

    Executive Producer · as Jason

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • HitRECord on TV(2014)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Parkland(2013)

    as Jim Carrico

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Liberal Arts(2012)

    as Nat

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Paperboy(2012)

    as Jack Jansen

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • At Any Price(2012)

    as Dean Whipple

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Lucky One(2012)

    as Logan Thibault

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Lorax(2012)

    as Ted Wiggins (voice)

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • New Year's Eve(2011)

    as Paul

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Robot Chicken: Star Wars III(2010)

    as Anakin Skywalker (voice)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Charlie St. Cloud(2010)

    as Charlie St. Cloud

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • 17 Again(2009)

    as Mike O'Donnell

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • High School Musical 3: Senior Year(2008)

    as Troy Bolton

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Me and Orson Welles(2008)

    as Richard Samuels

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • High School Musical 2(2007)

    as Troy Bolton

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Hairspray(2007)

    as Link Larkin

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • High School Musical: Remix (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Troy Bolton

  • The Replacements(2006)

    Show 1 episode · as Davey Hunkerhoff

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all shows

  • If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home Now (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Cody

  • Heist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 1 episode · as Pizza Delivery Guy

  • High School Musical(2006)

    as Troy Bolton

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Derby Stallion(2005)

    as Patrick McCardle

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • The Suite Life of Zack & Cody(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Trevor

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • Robot Chicken(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Anakin Skywalker, Red Power Ranger, God (voice) · as Billy Joel, Mechanic (voice) · as Harry Potter, Horrg, Bowling Pin (voice)

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • Miracle Run(2004)

    as Steven Morgan

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Entourage(2004)

    Show 1 episode · as Zac Efron

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Summerland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 16 episodes · as Cameron Bale

  • NCIS(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Daniel Austin

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • The Big Wide World of Carl Laemke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Pete Laemke

  • Melinda's World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Stuart Wasser

  • CSI: Miami(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Seth Dawson

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows

  • Firefly(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Young Simon

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The Guardian(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Luke Tomello

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

  • ER(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Bobby Neville

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Famous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Lance Dunkquist / James Jansen

  • Judgment Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Killing Zac Efron (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Executive Producer · Actor

  • Night Business (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Johnny Timothy

  • Three Men and a Baby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 63 titles, 58 of them dated from 1994 to 2026; peak year 2013.

Biggest box office

The Greatest Showman (2017)

$472M worldwide

Highest rated

The Iron Claw (2023)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

The Greatest Showman (2017)

Film career

MilestoneNomination
19942026

Peak 2013 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 31 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting60 of 63: 56 only acting, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score54thProducing7 of 63: 3 only producing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score80th

63 titles, 4 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1990s1 · acting2000s22 · acting2010s24 · 24 acting · 3 crew2020s11 · 8 acting · 3 crew

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 50% of 36 roles
04091419

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

1 major award from 3 major nominations, 2008.

WinNomination
  1. 2008
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
    • +1 other major body · 1 win and 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, won · Best Acting Ensemble
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Song

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Zac Efron's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 53rd percentile, the median of all 38; across their 41 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 51st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Approval · how many liked their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Reach · how many have seen their films

96thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Midcredits score across 50 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up18
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th16
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

21 of their 50 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic4
  • Crowd Pleaser21
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed13

Most divisive · actor, producer

The Great Global Cleanup (2020)

90th percentile spread · 22% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Iron Claw (2023)

Midcredits 97th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 67/100 in their films, across 35 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 42. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Zac Efron's work okay for kids?

Across up to 31 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run heavier than most films and violence & gore and frightening / intense lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore28 titles14–68 · median 31 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity31 titles13–68 · median 42 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity29 titles24–91 · median 53 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs27 titles21–86 · median 43 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense28 titles10–57 · median 23 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Zac Efron work with?

People who share at least 2 of Zac Efron's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Dave Franco shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles