Lucas Grabeel Recalls 'Hard' Times Before High School Musical Role: 'I Had Just $3 in My Account'

Published: June 10, 2025

Lucas Grabeel, the actor who played Ryan Evans in the High School Musical trilogy, opened up about his life as a struggling artist before landing the iconic role.

Grabeel, 40, reflected on the audition for the film and the job he quit once he got cast during an episode of Ned's Declassified Podcast Survival Guide, hosted by Devon Werkheiser, Daniel Curtis Lee, and Lindsey Shaw. Lucas Grabeel in 'High School Musical'

Grabeel revealed that before High School Musical, he appeared in Halloweentown High, released in 2004. However, after the film, he had to go back to work at Blockbuster, which was a "real amazing dose of humility."

"I recognized and knew how lucky I was to have that string of very early successes," he said. "But after Halloweentown, I had to go back to work at Blockbuster."

Lucas Grabeel (left) and Ashley Tisdale as Ryan and Sharpay in 'High School Musical'

Grabeel booked a handful of guest spots, but otherwise, his acting career was "crickets." He felt at least a little prepared, though, because mentors had warned him when he went out to Los Angeles that the "real trick" to success was making it through the "valleys" of a career.

"And it was hard," he said. "I had $3 in my account. I got rear-ended, and my car was held together with bungee cords and duct tape."

It was in the middle of those money struggles that he tried out for the film. He was originally called in to read for Troy Bolton, the role Zac Efron ultimately landed. Director Kenny Ortega reportedly told him, "You're great, but you're Troy. You're a Ryan. Go outside and learn these new sides and come back in."

Grabeel remembered an eight-hour audition where the actors vying to play Ryan, Troy, Gabriella, and Sharpay were put through the paces as they danced, sang, and acted in different pairs.

"It was intense and crazy," he remembered. "And at the end of the day, it was like me and two other guys for Ryan."

It was "over a month" before Grabeel got the call to head out to Utah for filming. He was relieved to quit his job at Blockbuster, even though he was a "great employee" and his boss had been trying to promote him to manager.

Once High School Musical premiered, it became a massive success. The cast also included Vanessa Hudgens as Gabriella, Corbin Bleu as Chad, and Monique Coleman as Taylor. The sequel, 2007's High School Musical 2, premiered with 17.2 million viewers, making it, at the time, the most-watched cable broadcast ever.

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Grabeel also appeared in the meta Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, including in a scene that finally confirmed Ryan is gay.