Zac Efron‘s early career trajectory was not without its awkward moments. When asked about his most mortifying professional experience, the High School Musical luminary promptly recounted an incident from his inaugural on-screen kiss.
“I was real young,” Zac told Elle in a July 3 TikTok. “It was my first kissing scene. It was on a show called Summerland and I didn’t realize that eating fish right before that was probably not a good idea. And I kissed my costar and she went, ‘Did you eat fish for lunch?’ and everybody laughed. I’m scarred for life.”
The recipient of Efron’s piscine-tinged embrace was none other than fellow Disney Channel alum Kay Panabaker, who portrayed Nikki, the romantic interest of his character Cameron.
Despite Summerland‘s brief two-season run, the WB drama boasted an impressive ensemble.
Centered around Lori Laughlin‘s Ava Gregory, a designer thrust into guardianship of her niece and nephews following their parents’ demise, the cast featured luminaries such as Jesse McCartney, Ryan Kwanten, Sara Paxton, and Carmen Electra.
Efron’s recent reminiscences extend beyond Summerland. He also reflected on the moment he recognized High School Musical, which he starred in two years later, as potentially groundbreaking. This epiphany occurred during the filming of “Get’cha Head in the Game.”
“This whole sequence with the basketballs and the dribbling in that movie, we started practicing with basketballs,” he explained. “I think we might’ve practiced it for two days prior to doing that all in sync. We maybe had two three-hour rehearsals with basketballs. After five takes, we nailed it.”
“They didn’t cut from start to finish and all of us were blown away,” he continued. “I think that was the first time all of us went, ‘Is this gonna be cool?'”
While Efron continues to navigate his career trajectory post-HSM, the enduring impact of the franchise on its stars’ lives remains a subject of cultural fascination. For a comprehensive update on the current endeavors of the High School Musical ensemble, further exploration is warranted.
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