Zac Efron: The Next Leonardo DiCaprio Or Corey Feldman?

In theory, being a teen heartthrob seems like a pretty sweet gig. They never have to wait for tables at restaurants, they have throngs of adoring fans, and they get to date gorgeous modelsand actresses. Basically, they are given a first class ticket for life, which means more leg room, no middle seats, and cashews instead of peanuts.

But as appetizing as all that sounds, teen heartthrobdom isn't all that it's cracked up to be. It can be a dicey business that often comes at a hefty price because it doesn't guarantee that the ensuing path will be paved quite as goldenly as the yellow brick teen heartthrob road. Instead of leading to the Emerald City with a stellar career as a respected adult actor (like Leonardo DiCaprio), teen heartthrobs run the risk of: a) throwing their careers away on excessive partying, booze, or drugs a la Corey Feldman, which will lead to their eventual fate as either an E! True Hollywood Story or a cast member of "The Surreal Life," or b) fading into oblivion like Freddie Prinze Jr., whose well of charm and good looks quickly ran dry leaving him with only the memories of his former glory days when he reigned supreme as king of second-rate chick flicks to comfort him at night.

Zac Efron currently wears the crown as America's leading teen heartthrob with his shaggy mop hairdo and a prowess for selling posters to teenage girls, the likes of which has not been seen since the Jonathan Taylor Thomas epoch circa 1996. Zac's acting career started out with various guest appearances on television shows, such as "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody," "CSI: Miami," and on the now-canceled WB series, "Summerland." In 2006, Zac landed his most famous role to date, that of Troy Bolton, in the Disney Channel original movie, "High School Musical." Since then, Zac has gone onto star in two "HSM" sequels as well as in the film version of "Hairspray" along with Christopher Walken and John Travolta.