TV'S RISING STARS
Zac Efron's 'Summerland' Transformation
By Stacy Jenel SmithWhat's it like to be transformed from a typical laid-back California high schooler into a television star? Zac Efron is finding out. The 16-year-old has been getting his own fan following as a result of playing Cameron, boyfriend of Nikki (Kay Panabaker) on the hit WB series, "Summerland" -- and his part is being expanded.Related Links
Now the personable Zac is anticipating a move -- at least part-time -- to the Los Angeles area from his home in San Luis Obispo, some 200 miles north of Hollywood. His life is changing fast. By next month, he may be forsaking his current high school, where he has a steady girlfriend. It may well make more sense for him to stay in L.A. and have a tutor set-side.
"I've been trying to stay in school, and I'm going to enroll in public school once again," says Zac, who currently has a 4.3 grade point average and has obviously been cutting it in advanced placement classes. "But it's difficult trying to go back and forth between work and school. If I go down to L.A to work, I miss a whole day of school. Then you're mailing all your school work back and forth to your teachers, and it gets complicated."
Zac's father, David, is an electrical engineer who met Zac's mom, Starla, at the power plant where both were employed. His sole sibling, 12-year-old brother Dylan, is heavy into sports, a natural athlete especially in baseball, brags Zac.
In short, Zac is not from a show business family. Nevertheless, he seems to have been born a performer.
"I used to sing the Tin Man song from the 'Wizard of Oz' at, like, three," he relates. "As I got older, I sang my favorite songs from the radio. My parents thought I had a good voice and they encouraged me. They both love music."
At age 11, he auditioned for a local production of "Gypsy" as a singing newsboy. "My parents thought I should go in and try it. I had a horrid time. I was not excited about auditioning for it." Much to his surprise, he landed the part. After that, "I started acting in a lot of community theater. I did 40 or 50 shows, 'Peter Pan,' stuff like that."
It was Zac's eighth grade drama teacher who offered him the chance to go down to L.A. and talk to her agent. Before long, he landed his first professional part, on the series "Firefly." Then came guest roles on "The Guardian" and "ER."
In-between, back in San Luis Obispo -- the scenic college town half-way between San Francisco and L.A., and just a quick ride away from the sea -- Zac lived the sun-drenched California beach kid life, "pretty much the same" as that of his character on "Summerland."
How are his friends responding to Zac's newfound fame?
"Most of them are pretty darn good about it," he says. "They're cool. They're pretty supportive -- the ones who don't become jealous and blinded by what it is. The real friends -- even though I see them less often, it's better than ever."
From CompuServe TV