As if taking his cues from Cruise and Will Smith, known for their nonstop efforts to promote their movies by meeting with fans and media around the world, Efron didn't stop working when principal photography wrapped; he took an active role in the movie's promotion.

He worked the talk show circuit, made a detour through London and hosted "Saturday Night Live." He maintained his composure on "The Today Show," when Kathy Lee Gifford made a surprise appearance to pretend to berate him for impersonating her son Cody on "SNL."

Efron was just as active behind the scenes, showing up for marketing meetings on the Warners lot, much to the surprise of those in attendance.

"One day he was just ... there," remarked one executive who attended those meetings. "What actor does that?"

An actor who has a lot to lose and much to gain, that's who. With "17," Efron's goal was to demonstrate he could graduate beyond "HSM," that he could remain within the comfort zone of a high school milieu while honing his craft.

"(Director) Burr Steers and Zac worked very hard to break that Disney style of acting," said Leslie Mann, who co-stars in the film. "Burr was trying to teach him about method acting and going a little deeper."

Efron's next moves could be tricky, though. If he jumps into something too risky, he could alienate the younger audience that he has cultivated. But if he opts for something too bland or repeats himself, he may fail to develop a larger following while losing the fickle tweens along the way.

Efron has one film awaiting release, the indie movie "Me and Orson Welles," in which he plays a teen who encounters the formidable Welles back in the '30s, but that movie isn't expected to have mainstream impact.

The actor recently backed out of "Footloose," a movie that would have seen him once again dancing his way through high school.

However, he has met with Warner Bros. president Alan Horn over dinner, and they discussed a film version of the animated TV series "Jonny Quest." He also has met with production company Mandalay about an adaptation of the Japanese manga "Full Metal Panic."

There also has been talk of a film version of Ben Sherwood's "The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud," the story of a cemetery caretaker who communes with his dead brother, which is set up at Universal and would reunite Efron with director Steers.

One key consideration as Efron moves forward: At the moment, he may have younger women in his hip pocket, but he also needs to prove that he can win over a male audience.

Still, Efron has some time to grow into the leading man that many in Hollywood are hoping he becomes.

Cruise, for example, had a breakthrough role in 1983's "Risky Business," which grabbed a solid female audience, but it wasn't until three years later, with "Top Gun," that he soared to blockbuster status.

To borrow a phrase from one of Cruise's transitional movies, Efron right now is looking to make all the right moves.

(China Daily/Agencies, April 21, 2009)