ZAC EFRON SAYS SEVERAL OF HIS “HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL ”COSTARS WERE 'HIT IN THE FACE' BY BASKETBALLS WHILE FILMING: 'HILARIOUS'

Efron recalled how he 'really drilled all those shots' while filming the iconic 'Get'cha Head in the Game' basketball sequence in 'High School Musical'

Workplace hazards didn't keep Zac Efron and his High School Musical costars from giving their all while filming the beloved 2006 Disney Channel movie.

In a new interview with Vanity Fair released on July 2, Efron recalled the cast being “incredibly motivated” while shooting the first movie — but also that “a lot of people got hit in the face” while filming the "Get'cha Head in the Game" basketball sequence.

For the Vanity Fair video, Efron, 36, rewatched some clips of his movies from years past, including the dribbling musical number.

“You can’t predict where a basketball is going,” Efron said of the "hilarious" incidents. “[But] I'm still proud of all those guys for doing that cause it was hard.” 

High School Musical takes place at East High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and focuses on the blossoming relationship between star basketball player Troy Bolton (Efron) and new student Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) after they first meet and sing together at a New Year's Eve party. 

In the "Get'cha Head in the Game" scene, Troy and the rest of the basketball team sing about staying focused on their game. But Troy grapples with his dedication to his basketball team and his newfound love for singing and potential role in the school musical.

Related: Meet the Real-Life Loves (and Cute Kids!) of the High School Musical Cast

“High School Musical was just a made-for-TV movie. And we had a very condensed shooting schedule,” Efron explained. “[Director] Kenny Ortega had pretty big ambitions for this movie but I think he was pleasantly surprised when all the boys were excited to not only fulfill what he wanted, but to take it one step further.” 

In the segment, The Iron Claw actor remembered that he and the other actors in the scene “practiced with basketballs” together and said that he “really drilled all those shots” during filming. 

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“I think we might’ve practiced for two days prior to doing all that in sync,” he said. “We probably only had two to three hour rehearsals with basketballs. After five takes, we nailed it; we got it all in one [take].”

After filming the scene, Efron said “that was the first time all of us went ‘is this gonna be cool,' " and called it a “really special moment.”    

Related: Look Back at All the 'High School Musical' Cast Reunions Over the Years

During a different interview last month with Still Watching Netflix with his A Family Affair costar Joey King, Efron revealed that the “Bet on It” sequence from High School Musical 2 was actually improvised and was shot “in three hours.”

“We just had no ideas for what to do on the day," Efron said "The director [Ortega], he was like, 'Dude, we have no concept for this song. What do you want to do?' I was like, 'I don't know, we're on a golf course.' "

The High School Musical films are available to stream on Disney+.

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2024-07-03T18:10:54Z dg43tfdfdgfd