Posted on 8 May 2012 by Maddie under News Updates

Zac Efron feels very lucky to have been given the chance to slowly work on his career after he shot to fame on the back of the “High School Musical” franchise. The 24-year-old actor first became a household name when he belted out the lyrics to “We’re All In This Together” alongside co-stars Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens. But, unlike his co-stars, Efron has slowly transformed his image from that squeaky-clean Disney poster boy to a well-rounded Hollywood actor.

The star of Nicholas Sparks film “The Lucky One” revealed to ContactMusic.com that he turned down several roles after “High School Musical” because he wanted to have a long and respectable Hollywood career.

“There were several avenues I could’ve gone down after ‘High School Musical,’ but I looked at the long term… I want to be doing this for a long time, so I wanted to make this transition slowly.”

And, rather than cash in on his popularity and keep his teenage fanbase, Efron wanted to take a step back and make a graceful transition from teen heartthrob to Hollywood name.

“It wasn’t so much about keeping the fans but about making sure I was able to focus on my craft and really take a step back, work hard, work with great directors and have a graceful transition.”

Zac Efron is under no impression that he could have made it thus far alone and looks back respectfully on every director he has worked with in the past.

“It was slow, but I look back at every director I worked with on these films and they are guys I’ve learnt so much from… I didn’t cash in or take the easier route but really focused on learning as I grow. I’m still learning. I’m just very lucky.”

Zac can be seen in “The Lucky One” at the moment, but fans will be happy to know that he will also be starring in “The Paperboy” and “At Any Price” when they hit cinemas later this year. [Source]