A wave of nostalgia hit Us after Vanessa Hudgens made a rare public acknowledgment of ex-boyfriend Zac Efron.
“Remember when Zac Efron made history by becoming the FIRST ever vlogger as he created ‘Zac Cam’ to record behind the scenes of High School Musical,” read a message shared alongside a clip of Efron, now 38, via Hudgens’ Instagram Story on Wednesday, January 21.
In the video, a young Efron took viewers around the Disney film’s set on July 26, 2005, showing some of the less glamorous set pieces like battery packs and giant air conditioning tubes. At one point, the camera panned to a smiling Hudgens, now 37, as Efron explained she was on “Zac Cam.”
Fans also got a BTS glimpse of the “Stick to the Status Quo” musical number where Ashley Tisdale’s Sharpay Evans bumps into Hudgens’ Gabriella Montez, accidentally getting chili cheese fries dumped on her blouse. “My fingers smell like chili,” Hudgens said while filming the now-iconic scene.
“Loool ‘my fingers smell like chili’ classic,” Hudgens wrote alongside the clip, reflecting back on the memory.
Efron and Hudgens began dating while filming High School Musical in 2005. The film was released the following year, with 7.7 million viewers tuning in to see Efron and Hudgens portray jock Troy Bolton and mathlete Gabriella, respectively, as they fall in love and discover a shared passion for music.
In honor of High School Musical’s 20th anniversary this week, Hudgens also shared some throwback photos on her main Instagram feed featuring costars Efron, Tisdale, 40, and Corbin Bleu.
“I cannot believe HSM turns 20 today. Thank you to everyone who’s been there since day 1. We’ll always be in this together ❤️❤️❤️,” Hudgens captioned her Tuesday, January 20, post.
Efron, for his part, looked back on his time working on the hit musical with nothing but gratitude.
“I was so young when we made High School Musical, and it was just a really great experience,” the Iron Claw actor told People on Tuesday, adding, “We were having fun, learning as we went, and honestly just enjoying every moment together. I never could’ve imagined it would still mean so much to people 20 years later, or that a whole new generation would connect with it, and I’m grateful for that.”
Following the first film’s success, two more installments, High School Musical 2 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year, followed in 2007 and 2008, respectively. In the aftermath of their breakout roles in the Disney trilogy, Efron and Hudgens’ relationship continued to blossom, with PDA-filled red carpet appearances and comments about each other in the media. Hudgens shot down engagement rumors in July 2009.
“I think [marriage and starting a family] is great, but I’m so focused on my career right now that it doesn’t really cross my mind,” she told People at the time.
Efron and Hudgens attended their final event together as a couple in August 2010 before splitting that same year.
Hudgens went on to marry former professional baseball player Cole Tucker in 2023. They share two children. Efron, for his part, most recently dated Vanessa Valladares from 2020 to 2021.
