Zac Efron began acting at a young age, but it wasn’t until he starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical that audiences sat up and took notice. That movie set him on the path to becoming a household name. Over a decade later, he’s got dozens more roles under his belt and a large variety of fictional characters just begging to have a turn with the Hogwarts sorting hat.
In the Harry Potter franchise, the sorting hat gets placed on the head of first year Hogwarts students. It sets them up with their home away from home by assigning them a school house based on the personality it sees inside them. Those students who are brave and bold end up in Gryffindor. Students who seek out knowledge find their way to Ravenclaw. Those who prize loyalty and hard work end up in Hufflepuff. Finally, the most ambitious of students, and those with a knack for scheming, make Slytherin their home.
All of the Hogwarts houses are represented amongst these 10 Zac Efron characters, though some appear much more than others.
Troy Bolton (High School Musical): Hufflepuff
Starting off with the role that made Zac Efron famous, he launched a Disney Channel franchise when he played Troy Bolton. An athlete who developed an appreciation for the performing arts after a fateful evening of karaoke, Troy was definitely a Hufflepuff.
All three movies of the franchise placed Troy in a position to make a lot of hard choices. He spent much time debating whether to remain loyal to his basketball team or follow his newfound interest. Of course, hardworking guy that he was, Troy found a way to do both in each and every installment of the movie. He was all about compromise.
Dave Stangle (Mike And Dave Need Wedding Dates): Slytherin
Efron and Adam Devine starred as a pair of brothers who found themselves in trouble with their family. When they caused one too many disasters at family events, they faced an ultimatum: tone down the antics or don’t go to their sister’s wedding. The Slytherin Dave found a way.
He and his brother developed a plan to trick their family into thinking they’d put their partying ways behind them. They placed an ad for wedding dates, thinking that if they looked like respectable couples, they could get away with anything. Of course, by the movie’s end, Dave had found a way to combine his love of partying with giving his sister a really special day as well.
Ted Wiggans (The Lorax): Gryffindor
Dr. Seuss’s beloved story of environmentalism came to the big screen with voice work by Efron, Taylor Swift, and Danny Devito. Efron Played main character Ted, the boy who set out to find a real tree for his crush.
Ted initially set out on his journey for selfish reasons; he wanted to impress Audrey enough that she’d like him. Over the course of the story, however, he learned about the disappearing trees, and he decided to change things. Ted was someone who had a keen sense of right and wrong. Once he understood what’s going on, he very much wanted to make things right, no matter what anyone else thought. That makes him a Gryffindor.
Teddy Sanders (Neighbors): Hufflepuff
Teddy’s scheming and his prank war with his new neighbors might make some fans think he belonged in Slytherin. The fraternity brother showed a surprising amount of loyalty throughout the franchise, just like a true Hufflepuff.
Teddy’s war with the neighbors was built on his sense of brotherhood with his fraternity. Likewise, his return to help out his former neighbors in the sequel is a result of the bond he formed with them. It’s clear that loyalty and family bonds are what motivated Teddy’s questionable actions.
Link Larkin (Hairspray): Gryffindor
Link Larkin wasn’t the most well developed of characters in the Hairspray musical. He’s pretty, had killer dance moves, and made the girls swoon. That’s not enough to get him Gryffindor status. What does is his willingness to take a big adventure with Tracy Turnblad.
Over the course of the movie, Link went from a guy whose main goal was to be the star of a dance show to a guy who works for racial integration. Not only did he decide to date outside of his social circle, but he made sure to dance with a young woman of color on live TV after being told not to. Link made bold choices, even if it took him a while to get there.
Simon Tam (Firefly): Hufflepuff
Zac Efron’s first credited role was for a television series called Firefly. FOX canceled the Joss Whedon series before it finished airing, but Efron played the role of Simon Tam in flashbacks to his childhood.
With Simon growing up to become a doctor, you might think his head for science would sort him into Ravenclaw. That’s not the case. The biggest motivating factor in Simon’s life was his little sister River. Their academic competition got him to medical school. Her being in danger got him to become a criminal. It’s his desire to protect her, and the loyalty he felt to the found family of the spaceship Serenity, that keep Simon going, just like a Hufflepuff.
Matt Brody (Baywatch): Gryffindor
Like a lot of the comedic roles Efron took on over the last few years, Matt Brody was a bit of a troublemaker in Baywatch. He found himself landing in hot water repeatedly, and began to reform his image with a job as a lifeguard. That trouble-making nature came from a desire to be the center of attention, something any heroic Gryffindor knows well.
Matt repeatedly proved himself willing to do anything and everything to help people in trouble. No matter what the situation, he jumped in with both feet, proving himself brave and willing to do the right thing.
Ted Bundy (Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, And Vile): Slytherin
One of the few characters Efron played based on a real person, Ted Bundy isn’t strictly fiction. Much of what happened in the Netflix movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, And Vile, was rooted in stories told by other people, with blanks filled in by writers, so the sorting hat is still doing its best to place him.
Despite Ted always thinking he was the smartest person in the room, he wasn’t exactly someone who sought out new knowledge. Ravenclaw certainly doesn’t fit him. Loyalty and bravery weren’t big on his list of attributes either. He was a master manipulator and a cunning liar though, making him a good fit for Slytherin.
Phillip Carlyle (The Greatest Showman): Gryffindor
Phillip Carlyle is a man of many hats in The Greatest Showman. He’s a financial backer, a writer, and a performer. All that hard work to keep P. T. Barnum’s show running could make him a Hufflepuff, but at his core, he’s a Gryffindor, always taking brave leaps.
Phillip literally ran away from his life to join the circus. He left behind a life of financial security with his wealthy family to help a man put on an eccentric show. Phillip also fell in love with a woman of color during a time when it wasn’t just frowned upon, but illegal in many places, and still pursued the relationship. He worked to give everyone involved in Barnum’s show a home, giving up whatever he had to do to make it happen. If all that doesn’t convince the audience that he’s a pretty solid Gryffindor, he even ran back into a burning building to save the woman he loved.
Fred Jones (Scooby): Ravenclaw
Technically, audiences haven’t seen Zac Efron play this character just yet. He’s lined up to play Fred in the next animated version of the Scooby-Doo franchise. As the leader of the Scooby gang, Efron’s portrayal probably won’t stray too far from previous versions of the character. That makes Fred the only Ravenclaw amongst Efron’s characters.
Fred and Velma are the two members of the team who always come up with the plans and unravel the mystery. It’s not Fred’s fault that his plans never seem to turn outright. Instead, that fault lies with Shaggy and Scooby, who always seem to mess up the plan at the last minute.