Starla Baskett Is Zac Efron's Mom & Raised Him in a Middle-Class Family

Starla Baskett raised her son, Hollywood star Zac Efron, to always be courteous toward women. She has been his biggest supporter in his career, even when the actor felt embarrassed that she witnessed one of his more adult roles several years back.

Zac Efron had an ordinary childhood. The actor is one of two sons born to a loving mother, Starla Baskett, and father, David Efron. The actor's family is said to be of Jewish descent, though it's unclear if it's from both sides.

He doesn't practice religion, though he grasped valuable lessons from his mother's teachings. Starla Baskett has been an enduring support system at her son's side since he joined show business and remains one of his biggest cheerleaders.

Zac Efron's Mother, Starla Baskett, Worked as a Secretary

Starla was a secretary at a local powerplant in Arroyo Grande, California, where her former husband served as an engineer. She and David raised Zac and their other son, Dylan, to be good students and to value family time.

"Over dinner, we wouldn't watch TV. We didn't have 'Extra' playing or anything like that," Zac shared. Theirs was an ordinary middle-class life, as he explained, "I lived a normal childhood in a middle-class family. When I was younger, I didn't even know this business existed."

Sadly, his parents divorced in 2016. His dad moved on with a new partner and welcomed a daughter, Olivia Efron, and a son, Henry Efron. Zac dotes on his little sister. The "Dirty Grandpa" star doesn't have kids but once shared his thoughts on fatherhood.

Starla Baskett Rarely Appears in Public with Her Son

On January 14, 2017, Zac Efron shared a sweet tribute on Facebook in honor of his mother's birthday. He posted a photo of Starla standing between him and "The Wolverine" star Hugh Jackman, with her arms wrapped around their waists.

"Happy Birthday to my mom, my best girl. I love you more than the sun, the moon, and all the stars in the galaxy. Love, your chocolate bear," Zac captioned the photo. Apart from these occasional appreciation posts, the actor rarely publicly appears with his mom.

She accompanied him to the screening of his film, "The Lucky One," in 2012, which included sex scenes with his co-star Taylor Schilling. The actor said he would squirm whenever those scenes began onscreen.

"Even though she was a couple of seats down from me, I tried to duck out during those scenes because it was too embarrassing," he recalled, adding that despite knowing he was acting, he still felt "kind of awkward." But Starla was supportive and proud, as Zac explained, "She was just laughing about it in a good way. She said, 'That's my boy!'"

Starla Baskett Called Her Son about the Plastic Surgery Rumors

Zac was rumored to have undergone plastic surgery on his face in 2021. The speculation took social media by storm, and the actor didn't know about it until it reached his mother, who called him to confirm.

Although he is present on social media, the actor consciously avoids entertaining online discussions about himself, especially if they're negative. It's how he was raised, he said. But outside of entertaining public opinions, his mother taught him how to treat women.

"My mom is the number one person who has taught me to be courteous towards women, to always be respectful and polite to them, and to always lead with your heart," Zac once shared. He also extends this compassion to the LGBTQ community as an ally.