Dominating the childhoods of many adults in the late 90s and early 2000s, Disney produced some of the most popular teen drama TV shows and movies. One of them was musical high school in 2006 with Zac Efron in the role Troy Bolton and Vanessa Hudgens as Gabrielle Montez.
Related: 3 Similarities Between Pitch Perfect and High School Musical (& 3 Differences)
Around the same year, Disney Channel also produced other highly rated shows, including The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, and much more. Most of the actors have become big stars, Dylan Sprouse and Miley Cyrus being good examples.
What was High School Musical about?
Leading up to multiple installments and spinoffs, Disney squeezed every ounce of the original film’s popularity. The film followed a fairly simple story of a group of high school students coming together to participate in the musical school and develop friendships.
At the premiere, the TV movie attracted 7.7 million viewers. Despite reviews from critics which have been mostly negative, fans still fondly remember the film. Considering the film was shot in 24 days, it’s no wonder that many critics dislike the film because it gives the film a rushed vibe.
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The film was so popular among teenagers that when it was released as High School Musical: Encore Editionit was able to sell 1.2 million copies in its first six days, making it the best-selling TV movie at the time.
High school musical in real life
The film introduced Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens to the audience and to each other, which led to their natural on-screen and off-screen chemistry, as they were confirmed to be dating in 2006. The co-stars noted how connected they felt to each other. the other instantly, like the Baywatch the actor noted:
Stay strong through the aftermath of musical high school, the couple brushed off breakup rumors, which led to engagement rumors gaining traction. But ultimately, the couple broke up in 2010.
Was their relationship really toxic?
As is common for a high profile celebrity couple, once they go their separate ways, all the dirty laundry is open to all and the musical high school torque was no different. Commenting on the toxicity of their relationship in an interview with The New York Times, Vanessa Hudgens noted:
“I went through a phase where I was really mean because I was so sick of it. Girls were running after him, and I was giving them death stares. Then I realized that wasn’t what it was, “Spread the love, be a good person, they support you, be kind.”
