Zac Efron is casting aside the theater in a bid to concentrate on his film career.

The High School Musical star, who stars in Richard Linklater’s new period-drama Me And Orson Welles as a young man who manages to get a small part in a play and finds himself acting opposite Welles, insists he wants to be known for making movies as opposed to appearing on the stage.

Speaking to Daily Mail columnist Baz Bamigboye after a screening of Me And Orson Welles, Efron said, “It wasn’t Shakespeare, but my background is theater. I did several plays and musicals before my High School TV days.

“I would love to return to the theater, but for now I want to concentrate on films.”

Zac, 20, can be seen in the third HSM film — High School Musical 3: Senior Year — in October. [ShowBiz Spy]