Get’cha… voice in the game?
Almost 20 years after Zac Efron played Troy Bolton in High School Musical, longtime fans are in shock over what his actual singing voice sounded like – and they don’t love what they are hearing.
While Efron, now 38, played the basketball-player-turned-singer in the Disney franchise, Canadian actor and singer Drew Seeley provided the character’s vocals for the first film.
Efron, who gained international recognition for the leading role, did not sing in the first film but his real voice was used in the second and third movies.
In a clip which has been shared on social media, Efron is seen in a basketball scene singing Get’cha Head in the Game.
The video claims to be a leaked tape from the first film, with the 17 Again actor hitting a particularly pitchy part during the crescendo of the song.
While most fans commented it wasn’t a ‘terrible’ performance overall, they agreed Seeley’s voice was better suited to the songs.
‘While it is just a demo, he’s very vocally weak. I think what they did for the movie was the best choice,’ one shared.
Zac Efron shot to fame in High School Musical, which premiered on the Disney Channel in 2006
Efron, pictured in 2024, has sung in several movies since including The Greatest Showman and Hairspray
‘Thank God they didn’t choose these vocals, but he got a lot better tho eventually,’ one penned.
‘Disney Channel said, “at the end of the day, this is a BUSINESS.” And they did the absolute right thing with having Drew sing!’ one person commented. ‘The movie would have been dragged if they kept Zac’s original vocals (which aren’t terrible, but can not lead off a franchise musical film).’
‘Do not come for my man Zac. The people need to know why. Kenny Ortega himself saying Zac had a lovely voice but the songs were written before he was initially cast,’ defended another.
‘Zac is genuinely so lucky he could act well enough that they waited for him to step his vocal cookies up for the second movie… because this was simply not gonna work,’ a third said.
Efron’s real vocals have been used in several other films, including Hairspray and The Greatest Showman.
In 2024, during an interview with Entertainment Tonight, director Kenny Ortega explained they used a blend of Efron and Seeley’s voices in the first film.
‘The songs were written before Zac got the role,’ he shared. ‘So although he could sing, and he had a lovely voice, it wasn’t the voice that the songs were written for.’
Seeley, now 43, has since spoken out about the performance. Seeley, who also auditioned for the role, said Zac was the right man to play Troy – especially due to his chemistry with his on-screen love interest, Vanessa Hudgens.
Fans were shocked to hear Efron’s real singing voice in the first film of the franchise, many admitting the decision to use a different singer’s vocals was the right one
Drew Seeley provided the vocals for Efron’s characters in the first High School Musical film
‘I was a good five, six years older than Vanessa,’ he told E! News in 2024. ‘So in my mind, that had something to do with it. I probably didn’t look right with the lineup of everybody else.
He co-wrote Get’cha Head in the Game with composers Ray Cham and Greg Cham before also playing Troy Bolton in the High School Musical stage tour.
‘Also, Zac is a very talented actor and was great in the role. So, I think they did it right,’ he added.
Seeley said he has met Efron ‘a few times’ since providing vocals for him almost 20 years ago.
‘But I spent, by far, the least amount of time with Zac compared to any other cast member in High School Musical because I was really only brought in when he was unavailable or not around,’ he explained.
Seeley admitted that they made the right decision to cast Efron, saying he was more age-appropriate to play Vanessa Hudgens’ love interest (Pictured: Efron and Hudgens)
High School Musical was released on the Disney channel in 2006 when Efron was 19 years old.
The film also starred Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Lucas Grabeel and Monique Coleman.
The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives of Zac Efron for comment.
Last year, Efron re-watched the famous dance in a Scene Selection segment for Vanity Fair.
As his character moved around the basketball court singing and dancing, Efron held up the remote to his face and was unable to stop grinning.
He began to rhythmically move to the tune and began laughing when the scene was put on pause amidst the interview.
‘First thing that comes to mind is that I really drilled all those shots,’ he recalled.
‘There’s no CGI in there. I don’t think we had the budget for that,’ he explained. ‘So, that makes me feel good.’
‘That just takes me back to where all of us were at. All the young men on that team, we were so young and so incredibly motivated.’
