SHOWBIZ 7s: ‘High School Musical 3’ star Corbin Bleu’s favorite high school movies

By Denise Martin, Times Staff Writer

“High School Musical 3” star Corbin Bleu, who plays basketball hotshot Chad Danforth, is ready to graduate.

The 19-year-old is still in the middle of promoting the final installment of Disney’s mega-franchise -- “I’m en route to Rome, then Australia and Japan, but after that, I’m done,” he said -- but after that, he’s all about moving on. “Saying goodbye was absolutely bittersweet. Me and those guys, we grew up together,” he said. “But we’re also really excited to do new projects and get into new characters. I’d like, you know, meatier roles.”

Bleu’s not only acting, he’s also producing (the upcoming motocross film “Free Style”) and singing. “I’ve been writing a lot on my second album, which will be mostly R&B and pop with some rock influence. It’ll be a lot more personal than (my first album) ‘Another Time.’”

But before he leaves his Wildcat days behind, he tells us about his favorite high school movies, from “Grease” to “American Beauty.” Wait, “American Beauty”?  (Eamonn McCormack / Getty Images)