different styles of hats. In the first film, Ryan is depicted as being dim-witted and completely submissive to Sharpay, though this could be because he likes Troy and Gabriella. When Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez threaten Ryan and Sharpay's chances of being cast as the leads at East High's winter musical, Ryan assists Sharpay in making sure Troy and Gabriella's schedules conflict with the callback dates. The plan falls through and Troy is cast in the lead role. In High School Musical 2, Ryan plans on enjoying the summer at his family's country club, Lava Springs, and entering the Midsummer Night Talent Show with Sharpay. However, he begins to step out of his sister's shadow when she decides to enter the talent show with Troy instead. Ryan decides to help Gabriella and her friends, who have felt abandoned by Troy, stage an act for the talent show. This causes a rift in his relationship with Sharpay, who still expects him to be at her side. In the end, Ryan is awarded the Star Dazzle Award at the talent show for his directorial work. In the third film of the franchise, acting more independently of his sister, Ryan is a candidate for a single scholarship to the Juilliard School in competition with three fellow classmates: Sharpay, Troy, and shy composer Kelsi Nielsen. The school's scouts will attend opening night of the East High spring musical to determine who will be the recipient. Ryan is the choreographer of the show while Kelsi is the composer, and the two of them attend prom together. Ultimately, two Juilliard scholarships are awarded, to both Ryan and Kelsi. At the end of Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure, Ryan is on a break from his musical tour around the country and pays a visit to his sister Sharpay after she became a star on Broadway to congratulate her. While Sharpay goes to chase Boi, Ryan enjoys her bed until it folds back into the closet, taking Ryan with it. Ryan is played by Lucas Grabeel in the first three installments of the franchise. Corbin Bleu, who was later cast as Chad Danforth, auditioned for the role of Ryan. Grabeel had previously appeared in Disney Channel's Halloweentown High. Only after the end of the franchise, David Simpatico, one of the writers, revealed Ryan's homosexuality, describing him as a "coded gay" – characters without revealed sexuality by the rules of the