Best known as %Troy Bolton, the captain of the basketball team who discovers a passion for singing in the Disney Channel movie #High School Musical, Zac Efron has been an actor and singer since childhood. Born October 18, 1987, in San Luis Obispo, CA, Efron was raised in the neighboring city Arroyo Grande and was encouraged to become a performer by his parents. He began taking singing lessons at age 11 and appeared in high school productions of +Little Shop of Horrors, +Mame, and +The Music Man. Efron was referred to an agent in Los Angeles by one of his drama coaches, and scored his first television appearance in 2002 with an appearance on Joss Whedon's sci-fi series #Firefly. The following year he had a role on #ER and won a Young Artist Award for his portrayal of an autistic twin in the Lifetime TV movie #Miracle Run.