'HSM' Graduates Plot Their Project-Filled Futures

Nov. 5, 2008 — -- Hit movie "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" bids farewell to Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Ryan, Chad and Taylor, but the actors are hoping to graduate to other exciting projects. Here's who's doing what:

Zac Efron (Troy)

Film

•"Footloose:" Efron just landed the role that made Kevin Bacon famous: Ren McCormack in the Footloose remake. "It's great," Efron told MTV News after getting Bacon's blessing. "I couldn't be more excited. He's the man."

•"17 Again:" Efron plays a younger version of Matthew Perry, whose character magically becomes young again. "Matthew gave me a lot of different advice," Efron tells USA TODAY. "When I heard I had the privilege of playing the younger version of him, I was flattered." (Opens April 17.)

•"Me and Orson Welles:" Efron plays a teen directed by Welles. "My character is just wandering down the street one day in New York in the '30s, and he happens upon a theater where Orson Welles picks him out of a crowd to be directed in a production of Julius Caesar." (No date set.)

Music

No current plans. "I always wonder what I could contribute to music other than just more pop," he says. "If there comes a day when I could write 15 good songs on my own, I would perhaps put out an album. But I'm not skilled at any instruments, so I doubt that day's ever going to come."

Vanessa Hudgens (Gabriella)

Film

She sings a song in "Bandslam," a battle-of-the-bands family movie co-starring Lisa Kudrow, due July 31. "It's a different kind of movie for me," says Hudgens. "It's about music as well, but it's edgier. My character is very dry, dark and doesn't really have any friends."

Music

Second album "Identify" came out July 1. "You hear me sing in ways you've never heard -- more soulful and funky." Her favorite single: "Identified." Hudgens performed selectionsfrom her album on her August summer tour of state fair shows across America, including a few dates with "HSM" co-star Corbin Bleu.

Ashley Tisdale (Sharpay)

Film

In the comedic fantasy "They Came From Upstairs," out July 31, Tisdale says, "My character's whole family and her boyfriend go to their vacation house, where the aliens come out to take over the world. It's a little bit like 'The Goonies' or 'Gremlins.'"

TV

She is producing a Disney Channel series based on her experiences working in shopping mall clothing stores, and a reality series for Fremantle. "But we don't have a concept yet."

Music

She's working on her second album. "The single should be coming out soon, but I feel it's pretty much 80% done. I'm excited about it. It's a lot more rock and edgier," she told MTV News.

Corbin Bleu (Chad)

Film

Bleu and his father, David Reivers, produced and co-star in Free Style, taking place in the world of motocross. (No date set.)

Music

He has been working on his second album, and it will feature some songs (Moments That Matter, Champion) previewed on his summer tour.

Monique Coleman (Taylor)

Film and music

No current projects, but she's reading lots of scripts. Says Coleman: "I don't know what I'm going to do next, but I hope I can maintain integrity in my work and play different characters."

Lucas Grabeel (Ryan)

Film

In "Milk," due Nov. 26, Grabeel co-stars with Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and James Franco in the role of Danny Nicoletta, photographer of the politician Harvey Milk. "Milk' was an amazing experience," Grabeel says. "It pretty much changed everything I preconceived about filmmaking and acting."

Other movie projects

He stars in "The Adventures of Food Boy," just out on DVD, and has a role in the low-budget comedy "Lock and Roll Forever" (no date set).

TV

He recently produced and directed a pilot, "Regarding Beauregard," through his production company, 14341 Productions.