Performer
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio rank
#1112
of 909177 performers
Top 1%
Zac Efron works on versatility rather than volume, and the catalogue keeps proving that the quieter choice was the correct one.
The essay
Our editors on the work, the patterns and the reason this body of work holds together.
Zac Efron appears in 37 films in the Nutevio catalogue, and none of them would work the same way without Zac. NCISverse: The First 1,000 is the clearest case: a film rated 9.0 by our editors, where the performance carries weight the script only implies.
The recognisable elements are versatility, transformation, quiet performance. Watch two of these films back to back and the method separates from the material — the same instrument, tuned differently for music, documentary, comedy. It is a style built on what is withheld as much as what is played.
Working with Sam Wrench, Peter Farrelly, Richard LaGravenese and others, Zac Efron helped set a standard other performers now audition against. Awards bodies have been slower than the work, which is usually the sign of a career built on choices rather than campaigns.
NCISverse: The First 1,000 (2024) as Self · The Disney Family Singalong (2020) as Self · The Greatest Showman (2017) as Phillip Carlyle
Career snapshot
Ranked #1112 of 909177 performers tracked in the Nutevio library.
Films in Nutevio
37
2006–2026
Career length
20 yrs
Measured across our catalogue
Academy Awards
—
Unknown
Oscar nominations
—
Unknown
Highest Nutevio score
9.0
NCISverse: The First 1,000
Average Nutevio score
6.6
Across catalogue work
Highest IMDb rating
9.0
NCISverse: The First 1,000
Most frequent director
Kenny Ortega
3 films together
Longest collaboration
3×
With Kenny Ortega
Most common genre
Comedy
22 titles
Average runtime
1h 39m
Across catalogue work
Golden Globe wins
—
Unknown
Nutevio metric
Ten weighted categories, applied identically to everyone we cover.
Nutevio Performer Score
7.0
out of 10
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio metric
Cultural impact and legacy, measured separately from craft — how far the work travelled once it left the cinema.
Nutevio Influence Score
6.6
out of 10
A quieter influence — felt inside the films rather than across the industry.
How far the work travelled past the people who saw it first.
What survives once the release-week conversation has burned off.
Institutional acknowledgement, weighted but never decisive.
Years of chosen, relevant work rather than years merely employed.
Statuettes, read as evidence rather than verdict.
Roles named without needing the film named alongside them.
Directors who wrote parts because this performer existed.
The reading other performers now have to answer.
Actor DNA
A fingerprint derived from the roles themselves — register, range and the kind of film they carry.
The shape of a career
Every performance plotted in time. Hover a point to read the title behind it.
Peak years
Where the scores, the awards and the sheer volume of work agree with each other.
Best decade
2020s
7.1 average MV
The 2020s are where the work and the material meet. Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special, Ricky Stanicky, A Family Affair — the run our editors reach for first when the argument is about range rather than fame.
Highest average Nutevio score
2020s
7.1
Across 11 catalogue films in this decade, our scores never drop below the level a career is judged on.
Highest average IMDb rating
2020s
7.1
The public agrees most strongly about this stretch — useful context, and occasionally a decade behind our own reading.
Most awarded era
2000s
0 Academy Awards
Statuettes for the films themselves, which is the honest way to read an ensemble career. 17 Again, High School Musical 3: Senior Year, Me and Orson Welles.
Most productive era
2010s
20 films
The busiest stretch of the catalogue — volume that reads as appetite rather than availability.
Range, mapped
Genres down the side, decades across the top. Warmer cells mean stronger titles.
| Genre | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drama | 6.53 films | 6.611 films | 7.52 films |
| Action | — | 6.82 films | 6.21 film |
| Thriller | — | 5.52 films | 5.82 films |
| Comedy | 6.56 films | 6.312 films | 6.74 films |
| Crime | — | 6.52 films | — |
| Romance | 6.62 films | 6.66 films | 5.71 film |
| Horror | — | — | 5.51 film |
Chronology
Firsts and peaks
The turning points, in the order they happened.
First film in Nutevio
Where our catalogue meets this career, as Troy Bolton.
First Nutevio masterpiece · Highest rated performance · Career peak
2024NCISverse: The First 1,000
The first film here to clear 9.0 on our scale — a threshold fewer than one film in ten reaches. 9.0 on the Nutevio scale, the top of the catalogue for this performer. Weighing billing against the film's own quality, this is the point where everything aligned at once.
Most recent film
2026Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special
The current state of the argument, as Self (archive footage).
Our order
Every performance in the catalogue, ordered by Nutevio Score.
Every title
Filter by genre or decade, and compare any two titles side by side.
37 of 37 films
as Kevin Von Erich
Directed by Unknown
as John 'Chickie' Donohue
Directed by Peter Farrelly
From the library
Every movie and TV credit stored for this name in the Nutevio catalogue — filter by media, role or sort by rating.
Loading credits…
The defining work
#1
Self
NCISverse: The First 1,000 (2024)
Performance score8.6
The performance the rest of the career is read through. Self gives Zac Efron a structure to work against, and the film hands over its centre of gravity without hesitation.
View movie#2
Phillip Carlyle
The Greatest Showman (2017)
Performance score8.2
The Greatest Showman asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Phillip Carlyle is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#3
Kevin Von Erich
The Iron Claw (2023)
Performance score8.1
The Iron Claw asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Kevin Von Erich is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#4
John 'Chickie' Donohue
The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022)
Performance score8.1
The Greatest Beer Run Ever asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. John 'Chickie' Donohue is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movieStart here
A guided path through the work, ordered so each film explains the next.
Best entry point
as Self
Start here. NCISverse: The First 1,000 is the clearest statement of what Zac Efron does — accessible, 60 minutes, and rated 9.0 by our editors. No context required.
Our editors order this path by accessibility first and chronology second. You meet Zac at the most legible performance, then move forward in time so each film reads as a response to the one before it rather than a repetition of it.
The Greatest Showman (2017)
A deliberate change of key after NCISverse: The First 1,000 — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
The Disney Family Singalong (2020)
A deliberate change of key after The Greatest Showman — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022)
A deliberate change of key after The Disney Family Singalong — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
The Iron Claw (2023)
Keeps the drama register of The Greatest Beer Run Ever but asks for a colder reading of it.
Company kept
The directors and performers this career keeps returning to.
Kenny Ortega
Director
3 films together
Notably High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Burr Steers
Director
2 films together
Notably Charlie St. Cloud
Nicholas Stoller
Director
2 films together
Notably Neighbors
Peter Farrelly
Director
2 films together
Notably The Greatest Beer Run Ever
Adam Shankman
Director
1 film together
Notably Hairspray
Richard Linklater
Director
1 film together
Notably Me and Orson Welles
Garry Marshall
Director
1 film together
Notably New Year's Eve
Josh Radnor
Director
1 film together
Notably Liberal Arts
Lee Daniels
Director
1 film together
Notably The Paperboy
Ramin Bahrani
Director
1 film together
Notably At Any Price
Chris Renaud
Director
1 film together
Notably The Lorax
Peter Landesman
Director
1 film together
Notably Parkland
Tom Gormican
Director
1 film together
Notably That Awkward Moment
Max Joseph
Director
1 film together
Notably We Are Your Friends
Jake Szymanski
Director
1 film together
Notably Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates
Dan Mazer
Director
1 film together
Notably Dirty Grandpa
Seth Gordon
Director
1 film together
Notably Baywatch
James Franco
Director
1 film together
Notably The Disaster Artist
Michael Gracey
Director
1 film together
Notably The Greatest Showman
Harmony Korine
Director
1 film together
Notably The Beach Bum
Joe Berlinger
Director
1 film together
Notably Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
Shane Nickerson
Director
1 film together
Notably Dude Perfect: Backstage Pass
Tony Cervone
Director
1 film together
Notably Scoob!
Keith Thomas
Director
1 film together
Notably Firestarter
Anthony Hayes
Director
1 film together
Notably Gold
Richard LaGravenese
Director
1 film together
Notably A Family Affair
Sam Wrench
Director
1 film together
Notably Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special
Behind the camera
Who casts this performer, how often, and what the pairing produces.
Kenny Ortega
Director
3 films together · 6.5 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 3 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
High School Musical 3: Senior YearPeter Farrelly
Director
2 films together · 7.0 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
The Greatest Beer Run EverBurr Steers
Director
2 films together · 6.7 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
Charlie St. CloudNicholas Stoller
Director
2 films together · 6.0 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
NeighborsMichael Gracey
Director
1 film together · 8.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Greatest ShowmanShane Nickerson
Director
1 film together · 7.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Dude Perfect: Backstage PassSam Wrench
Director
1 film together · 7.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary SpecialJames Franco
Director
1 film together · 7.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Disaster ArtistTony Cervone
Director
1 film together · 7.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Scoob!Joe Berlinger
Director
1 film together · 7.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and VileMax Joseph
Director
1 film together · 6.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
We Are Your FriendsAdam Shankman
Director
1 film together · 6.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
HairsprayChris Renaud
Director
1 film together · 6.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The LoraxJosh Radnor
Director
1 film together · 6.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Liberal ArtsRichard Linklater
Director
1 film together · 6.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Me and Orson WellesAnthony Hayes
Director
1 film together · 6.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
GoldPeter Landesman
Director
1 film together · 6.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
ParklandSeth Gordon
Director
1 film together · 6.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
BaywatchJake Szymanski
Director
1 film together · 6.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Mike and Dave Need Wedding DatesTom Gormican
Director
1 film together · 6.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
That Awkward MomentDan Mazer
Director
1 film together · 5.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Dirty GrandpaGarry Marshall
Director
1 film together · 5.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
New Year's EveRichard LaGravenese
Director
1 film together · 5.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
A Family AffairHarmony Korine
Director
1 film together · 5.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Beach BumKeith Thomas
Director
1 film together · 5.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
FirestarterLee Daniels
Director
1 film together · 5.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The PaperboyRamin Bahrani
Director
1 film together · 5.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
At Any PriceSix degrees
Follow the thread outward — director, film, co-star, and the film after that.
Categories of our own
Six editorial categories we apply to every performer we cover.
Most rewatchable
NCISverse: The First 1,000
as Self
The one that survives a fourth viewing. Nothing in the performance depends on surprise, which is why it keeps paying out.
Most emotional performance
The Disney Family Singalong
as Self
Grief played at conversational volume. The film never asks the audience to cry; the performance simply makes it difficult not to.
Most influential performance
NCISverse: The First 1,000
as Self
You can hear this reading in other actors' auditions a decade later — the surest measure of influence there is.
Best ensemble performance
The Disney Family Singalong
as Self
Work that makes everyone else in the frame better without ever pulling the camera towards itself.
Career defining performance
NCISverse: The First 1,000
as Self
If the career had to be argued in a single scene, our editors would pick one from this film and rest the case.
In their films' words
“You can build a whole film around a performer who knows when not to speak. Zac Efron has known it for a long time.”
Head to head
Put two careers on the same scale and see where the argument actually sits.
Ours alone
Recognitions handed out by this desk, on criteria no awards body uses.
Career Achievement
Awarded
20 years of relevant work — not merely a long career, but a long career of choices.
Modern Classic Performer
Awarded
Defining performances delivered inside the last twenty-five years, in films already being taught rather than merely remembered.
Comedy Legend
Awarded
22 catalogue titles in comedy, each one a reference point for the films that followed.
Our desk
Best ending, best opening, best twist and the rest — categories we apply to everyone we cover.
Best ending
The Disney Family Singalong
as Self
The last five minutes reorganise everything before them, and hold up when you already know what's coming.
Best opening
NCISverse: The First 1,000
as Self
A first sequence that states the rules of the film without explaining a single one of them.
Most emotional
The Disney Family Singalong
as Self
The film where the technique steps aside and lets the feeling arrive undefended.
Best twist
Scoob!
as Fred Jones (voice)
A reversal earned by information the film gave you and trusted you to misread.
Best visual achievement
NCISverse: The First 1,000
as Self
Images that would survive with the sound switched off.
Best action sequence
Gold
as Virgil
Geography, stakes and consequence held in the same frame — spectacle you can follow.
Best dialogue
We Are Your Friends
as Cole
Lines written to be spoken, staged so the pauses do half the work.
Most underrated film
The Greatest Showman
as Phillip Carlyle
The public vote sits below ours on this one, and the direction is the reason for the gap.
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Have your say
Community
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Reference
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