Feel old yet, Wildcats?
Jan. 20, 2020 was an historic day indeed. Politically, as it was the day of the inauguration of President Joe Biden, Wednesday, and culturally, as it marked the 15th anniversary of the release of High School Musical, a fan-favorite film and franchise that has inspired an entire generation.
The Disney Channel movie spawned two sequels and launched cast members Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens to international fame. In an exclusive interview with E! News, director and choreography Kenny Ortega said he recently rewatched the film for the first time in 15 years and recalled the inspiring words the 33-year-old actor, who played high school hottie Troy Bolton, said to him in the early stages of production.
“I think what moved me the most was just watching these kids and the effort that they put into this, how they just really rallied behind it,” Ortega said. “Zac Efron, on day one of rehearsals, he said, ‘We made the choice to make a musical. Don’t apologize for working us. Let’s make this—let’s turn this into something great. Let’s make it worth our while being here.’ And he gave me permission. He gave me permission to be ambitious, he asked for it and to push our limits.”