is he really only 5'8"?

Most actors, I find, are like theatrical horse jockeys. I mean so many of them are small in stature.

Yeah, I had no idea he was that short until I saw him next to Nicole Kidman in an older movie called The Paperboy. I think Kidman about 5’11” and she was wearing very high heels in one scene, but I was still shocked that she appeared to tower over Efron. Singer/actress Macy Gray, who appeared next to him in the same movie, also seemed considerably taller than him.