OK! Old School: See a Baby Zac Efron on ER and Summerland

By:Kaitlin Menza

Oct. 18 2013, Published 3:17 p.m. ET

Happy birthday, Zac Efron! He turns 26 today, and sure, he's moved on to saucier movie roles now—have you seen the trailer for his new flick, in which he's semi-naked? Whew! But he'll always be Troy Bolton in High School Musical to us.

I very seriously believed that Zac Efron emerged fully formed in 2006, more than ready to be a teeny bopper heartthrob. But in poking around YouTube, it turns out Zac had a pretty successful career as a child actor, from tiny guest spots to recurring roles. Here are two favorites:

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Photos: See the different types of hot dudes that Zac has played in movies.

youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNfY_H6EBqA&w=420&h=315

Zac played the boyfriend of one of the kids on Summerland, the delightful WB drama that starred Lori Laughlin and Jesse McCartney and aired around 2004-05. His character's father was an alcoholic, and it led to some tears, like in the scene above. How happy does it make you just to see the WB logo in the corner of the screen?

Photos: See Zac's recent sexy selfie on Instagram!

youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voee4KC9dsM&w=420&h=315

Zac was also on ER, and it leads to more tears. Both Zac's tears, and your tears once you realize that (SPOILER ALERT 10 YEARS AFTER IT AIRED), Zac dies in this clip! I am sadder than Maura Tierney about it.

Do you remember Zac on either of these shows? Can you think of any other small roles he's had over the years? What's your favorite movie of his? Tell us in the comments below or tweet us @OKMagazine.