Zac Efron Says High School Musical Got Him Recognized Somewhere Totally Unexpected

Zac Efron has been stealing scenes (and hearts) since his acting career began 2006. He showed off his insanely ripped physique in the 2017 remake of the cult classic "Baywatch," and even portrayed the charismatic serial killer Ted Bundy in Netflix's "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile." But of all of Efron's leading roles, few seem to have had the global impact felt by his character on Disney Channel's "High School Musical." 

The film, which saw Efron take on the leading role as Troy Bolton, was an instant success for the network. It spawned two successful sequels and its soundtrack sold 3.7 million copies, according to Fortune. Efron's character, a determined basketball player who also wanted to be in the school play, led the cast of eccentric characters in the phenomenon that spawned a film franchise and a streaming series spin-off, "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series." The movie undoubtedly helped kick-start Efron's career and is apparently still getting the actor recognized in the most unexpected places.

Zac Efron is now fully aware of the impact "High School Musical" had on fans everywhere, and it's quite hilarious. The actor appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on May 11 and revealed that during a recent crocodile excursion in Papua New Guinea, he spent some time with local tribesmen. The "Firestarter" actor explained that the tribesmen, who were with his group for the entirety of the trip, revealed at the end of the excursion that they identified him as Troy Bolton early on.

"A couple of the guys came up to me ... and we FaceTimed their cousins and their wives and people that were living in other places all over the world," Efron said. "They knew who I was the whole time and didn't say anything about it. It was pretty wild."

As for whether the former Disney Channel star would want to reprising the role that made him globally recognizable, Efron is hopeful about a "High School Musical" reboot. "I mean to have an opportunity in any form to go back and work with that team would be so amazing," Efron recently explained to E! News. With Efron's "HSM" co-star Lucas Grabeel also having said his "door is always open" to a reunion (per J-14), there may be some hope a revival becomes reality. However, both Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale have been vocal in the past about not wanting to return to East High, so we won't bet on it yet.