High School Musical 3: Senior Year

Zac Efron and Corbin Bleu talk about this new film and more

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment have just provided us with two interview segments from High School Musical 3: Senior Year's male stars Zac Efron and Corbin Bleu, to promote the film's release on DVD and Blu-ray on February 17. Take a look at what the two had to say about this latest film below.

Zac Efron

You've got the world at your feet, Zac! Have you got any advice for people who want to follow in your footsteps?

Zac Efron: The one thing I would say to anyone who is considering acting is do it because you love doing it. Don't do anything just to be famous. It would really suck if you had the fame without the love for what you do.

Do you still enjoy acting?

Zac Efron: Are you kidding me? Of course I do! I wouldn't change anything for the world, although the fame part of this industry is tough to handle at times. I can tell you that fame is probably the most unadorable thing about acting. High School Musical is what got me here today and I'm very grateful - but the fame part isn't so fun.

Is it difficult to relax when you're photographed wherever you go?

Zac Efron: To be honest, I can't handle the paparazzi. They're everywhere. One of them was in a dumpster trying to take my photo the other day. It was crazy! Another time, one was hanging off the back of a pick-up truck driving down a road. They think they're being clever, but they're not.

Would you like to get away from all the paparazzi then?

Zac Efron: Sure, I'd love to take a year off and travel the world under the radar. I would love to do it really low key. I wouldn't need to stay in fancy hotels or anything; I just want to explore - but I don't know how I'd do it. Would I shave my head to try and go incognito? Ha ha! I'm not telling.

Is college in your plans for the future?

Zac Efron: I was accepted into film school at USC, which is something I would love to do, although I believe it's something that will always be there for me. Right now, I'm part of something that could be gone tomorrow, so I'm going to see what happens with this career for now. I'm enjoying where I'm at in my life and I feel like I'm learning a lot on a daily basis. I'm learning without having to be behind a desk, so it's a pretty cool place to be.

Do you learn a lot on film sets?

Zac Efron: Sure. I recently filmed an independent movie with the director, Richard Linklater, where I learned loads. It was very exciting and a great change of pace to High School Musical. I had a lot of scenes, but I never had to break into a song and dance, which was very different! It was a very educational experience because I've always admired Richard Linklater's movies. He was very inspirational.

What did you learn on the set of High School Musical 3: Senior Year?

Zac Efron: I learned loads! I couldn't believe how much they stepped up the choreography and the music and everything. It's been an amazing experience.

Do you ever see the choreography and think, 'There's no way I can do that!'?

Zac Efron: Sure, but you just have to get on with it. You have to meet everyone's expectations because you don't want to be the one to crack. You just have to put your heart into it and go for it.

What was the atmosphere like on set for the third movie?

Zac Efron:I think we found the delicate balance between work and play on the set of High School Musical 3. We kept it interesting and had fun, but we also worked very hard and that's something that's very difficult to achieve. Usually, you either work too hard or have too much fun on a movie set - but we did both. I think we perfected that.

Are you going to miss the East High basketball court?

Zac Efron: Ha ha! I'll never forget filming Now Or Never for the third movie. It was completely surreal because we were playing against a real team. Every time you missed a shot, people would boo. It was crazy!

How does it feel to know that you've finished all three films?

Zac Efron: It's very strange. You know when the kids leave the wardrobe in Narnia and they're the only ones who really know what happened inside? Finishing High School Musical is kinda like that. It's very much like a fairytale because we've been in this crazy, crazy world together.

Does this mean you have a special bond with your cast mates?

Zac Efron: Sure. It's really cool that we've got each other to relate to. I go home and it's fun to laugh about my adventures with my high school friends, but none of them can really understand all of the exciting and amazing stuff that's happened to me. But they also don't understand some of the things that aren't so great, too, like the fame.

Spill the beans, Zac... Do you sing or lip synch in front of the cameras when you're shooting the musical scenes?

Zac Efron: We do actually sing when you see us singing in the movie because it makes the performance much more real. If you lip synch, it doesn't feel right and it doesn't look genuine, so it's much better to sing along to the music. We'll all sing along with the playback wherever we are shooting.

Are there any scenes that didn't make it into the big-screen version of the movie?

Zac Efron: There are - and they were recorded especially for the DVD. There's a reprise of the song Right Here, Right Now, which is a really cool scene you'll see for the first time on the DVD.

Amazing! What happens in it?

Zac Efron: Well, Troy and Gabriella are really feeling the tension of the situation and the uncertainty of their future - and they're singing about it in two very different locations. They don't realise it, but they're actually singing together and almost to each other. It's very, very sweet.

Why do you think HSM is so popular around the world?

Zac Efron: You know what? I think high school is just a backdrop for a lot more important things that's going on in High School Musical. All over the world, kids are kids and growing up can be tough. That's really what we're singing about and that's what the kids are connecting to. I mean, I didn't necessarily like high school, so this is the fairytale within high school that we show.

With HSM behind you, are you scared or excited about the future?

Zac Efron: I'm all of the above! It's scary and exciting, but that's exactly how you feel when you finish high school. You feel ready and you feel prepared, but you don't necessarily know what's going to happen. You're eager to find out!

So what is next for you?

Zac Efron: I've signed up for a movie called Footloose with [HSM director] Kenny Ortega. We're just trying to figure out how to do it at the moment - but it will be great to work on a musical movie again.

Will there ever be another High School Musical?

Zac Efron: Everyone always asks this question! I will always support these movies. We've found something that kids are relating to around the world and that's very special. We didn't have anything like this before - and I think it would be great to continue the tradition for as long as kids continue to respond to it. We'll just have to wait and see what the future holds.

Corbin Bleu

Did you have fun filming High School Musical 3?

Corbin Bleu: Shooting High School Musical 3 was a blast! It was amazing to get the gang back together for another movie. It was just like old times filming in Utah again. It feels like it was yesterday.

What makes this third film stand out?

Corbin Bleu: For me, it was really cool to be able to explore the relationship between Chad and Troy. Chad is really happy to see his friend move on and do what he wants to do - but at the same time he's really sad to lose his pal. It was great to explore that in detail.

The dance scene between Chad and Troy looked a lot of fun to film...

Corbin Bleu: We had an amazing time shooting that sequence in the junkyard. A guy called Chucky Klapow choreographed the dance and I think he did a great job because it really stands out in the movie. It was High School Musical like you've never seen before!

Why do the mini Troy and Chad pop up in that scene?

Corbin Bleu: When Troy and Chad were young boys, they used to hang out in the junkyard and pretend that they were superheroes, ninjas and spies. School is very stressful for them in their senior year, so they relive some of their childhood moments again, which is where the mini Chad and Troy come in. They were very cool!

How would you describe Chad?

Corbin Bleu: Chad is a typical jock. He lives, eats and breathes basketball. He is outgoing and loves hanging out with his friends, but basketball is his life.

Are you similar to him?

Corbin Bleu: Well, I'm very driven and dedicated - just like Chad. He's a little bit better than me at basketball, though. If I'm being honest, I'm kind of sports challenged. I'm very athletic, but when it comes to basketball skills, I had to learn a lot!

Does the number eight on the back of Chad's basketball shirt mean anything to you?

Corbin Bleu: It does actually. The number eight has always been my favorite number, although I never quite understood why. Before the first High School Musical, I was asked what number I wanted, so I went with my favorite. After I chose it, I went off and looked up other basketball players with the number eight. It turns out [NBA star] Kobe Bryant was one of them!

Are you close to the rest of the cast?

Corbin Bleu: Sure. We're closer now than ever before. It's weird to think that we didn't know each other a few years ago. We met during the first film, where we all clicked straight away. We've experienced so much together all over the world that we couldn't do anything but bond closer and closer over the years.

Are you going to miss them now that the third movie is finished?

Corbin Bleu: Definitely. We've shared so many once-in-a-lifetime experiences together that nobody else will understand, so it's a unique relationship. You know how you relate to somebody if you go through something special together? It's exactly like that. You just connect. We've got chemistry both on screen and off screen - and I'm definitely going to stay in touch with them.

What was the atmosphere like on set for the third movie?

Corbin Bleu: To a certain extent it felt like high school because you're surrounded by your friends - but it's also a lot of hard work, too. We worked 12, 13 or 14 hour days, which can be very strenuous. You're dancing all day long, so you get really worn out, but it was all worth it. The end product is awesome!

Why do you think High School Musical is so popular around the world?

Corbin Bleu: It's strange because there are a lot of American traditions in this movie. There's a prom and the whole graduation ceremony with a cap and gown, which aren't practiced everywhere around the world - but the movie continues to be popular everywhere. I think it's down to these characters being so relatable and the spirit and energy of the movie that connects with everyone.

What is your biggest dream?

Corbin Bleu: My biggest dream? Anything with Godzilla in it! No, in all honesty, I just hope to be able to accomplish a lot in my life - in all different forms. This project has been incredible and it's a massive entity, but there's still so much more to achieve.

Like what? What's next for you?

Corbin Bleu: I'm not sure at the moment, but I'm going to continue acting. I would love to go to college at some point, too. I was already accepted into college to study Psychology, so at some point I will go - but at the moment I'm enjoying the work I'm doing. I'm learning so much that it wouldn't feel right to go back to school.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

Corbin Bleu: That's a long time away! I have no idea where I will be then. Maybe I'll be a director? Maybe I'll be on Broadway? For now, I'm going to chill out for a while and see what happens.

Do you get much time to date?

Corbin Bleu: Ha ha! Are you trying to find out if I have a girlfriend or something? The answer is no. I'm very single.

What kind of girls do you go for?

Corbin Bleu: I'm not too fussy. I like girls with a good sense of humour. Girls who are a lot of fun to be around.

Come on... tell us more!

Corbin Bleu: Well, I'm a very outgoing person so I like girls who are not afraid to be themselves. I'm not a shy person and when I hang out with a girl, I want to be able to talk to her. At the same time I like a girl I can have a conversation with - as opposed to me sitting there talking away because she won't open her mouth. I like conversations and I'm a really big sucker for personality. That's all!

High School Musical 3: Senior Year will be available on DVD and Blu-ray on February 17.