Iron Claw Star Trolled Zac Efron with High School Musical Tribute While on Set

One of The Iron Claw‘s stars had some fun with Zac Efron and provided a High School Musical tribute on-set. Stanley Simons explained how he had the perfect moment to play “Breaking Free” while the cast appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show. The Mike Von Erich actor was worried about a party scene and channeled that anxiety into a perfect High School Musical surprise for Efron. Jeremy Allen White and Harris Dickinson also got a kick out of it. The guitar moment occurred so close to their scene that it threw the former Disney star off his game for a second. However, Efron enjoyed the small prank quite a bit. Check out the moment for yourself down below.

Simons began, “I think it would be a disservice to anyone from my generation if I didn’t do something…I was playing music, I was fretting about this scene. And the night before, I learned the chords to ‘Breaking Free’ and I gave a little rendition in front of Zac.”

Clarkson then asked Efron about his current feelings about the franchise. Just like her, he’s going to be associated with the first big thing he did forever. Despite that fact, the actor seems genuinely touched that so many people still love those movies. “Oh, definitely, I mean… It means the world. It’s so fun. The other day, in Hollywood, [when he got his star on the walk of fame] there were so many Wildcat jerseys out,” Efron recalled. “The fans are still out there in force. It’s fun though, because they used to be really young and now it’s like there are 40-year-old dudes out there. So, it’s awesome man. I love it.”

Would Efron Ever Return For High School Musical 4?

The topic of a High School Musical reboot has come up multiple times in the past few years. Yeah, Efron is busy with The Iron Claw‘s promotional tour. But, the murmurs are hard to escape at this point. Last year, E! News talked to the actor about going back to his Wildcat days and he seemed pretty open to the idea. Sometimes, former child actors can be a little ashamed of their early work. Efron seems to take all the High School Musical jokes and questions in stride. (It also helps when the project you helped kickstart is still beloved by viewers young and old…) Check out what else the former Disney Channel actor had to say.

“Of course, of course,” Efron told E! News when they asked about getting the band back together for 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. My heart is still there. That would be incredible. I hope it happens.”

Efron Branching Out To Dramatic Roles

The Iron Claw is the latest entry in the wide-ranging output from Zac Efron. The A24 movie has arrived to critical acclaim this holiday season. ComicBook.com‘s review follows along that trajectory. It praises this band of performers and argues that The Iron Claw could be the best A24 film period. 

“There is an argument to be made that The Iron Claw is A24’s best project. In a media age dominated by quick hits and short-term trending topics, The Iron Claw is one of those rare movies that has a tangible feeling of long-term legs that will stretch far beyond its theatrical run,” it reads. “That being said, The Iron Claw is priority theater viewing, as this is a film viewers will want to experience with a full audience. It’s impossible to tell which motion-pictures will stand the test of time, but The Iron Claw has all the makings of a movie that sits firmly on those “100 essential films” lists in the years to come.”

Did you love High School Musical when it released? Let us know down in the comments!