NEED TO KNOW
Dylan Efron is fulfilling a family dream!
The social media star, 33, is marking his latest stint on reality TV following his victory on The Traitors, as he was just announced as part of the Dancing with the Stars season 34 cast alongside pro Daniella Karagach.
And as it turns out, his mother was hoping for some Efron inclusion on the series, too — long before the news even dropped.
Speaking with PEOPLE on Wednesday, Sept. 3, Dylan revealed that his mother, Starla Baskett, was pulling for his older brother Zac Efron to be on the ABC show two decades prior.
“My mom, her dream was Zac doing the show 20 years ago,” Dylan says of the series, which debuted on ABC in 2005, a year before Zac broke through on High School Musical. “So I’m really excited for my mom to be there.”
“But also, my dad and my little brother and little sister,” he adds of the family excitement surrounding his latest television stint. “It’s gonna make me tear up to see them in the stands.”
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Zac, 37, might have a tough time picking sides this season, however, as his brother isn’t the only competitor with a tie to High School Musical.
Pro Britt Stewart — who this season is teaming with NBA All-Star Baron Davis — was a principal dancer in all three Disney films.
As for Efron’s in-the-making creative connection with partner Karagach, 32, he tells PEOPLE that they’re already feeling like “the same person” before the competition kicks off later this month.
“It’s nice though. I think we understand how each other’s brains work when we’re training. We know when we’re tired, we get very distracted, a bit of ADD. It’s been fun,” Dylan says.
He adds, “It’s a fun mix of, we get hyper-focused and are trying our hardest. And then we’re twerking for 45 minutes.”
The pair are set to face off against some fierce competition on their quest for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
The cast includes gold medalist Jordan Chiles with partner Ezra Sosa, Hilaria Baldwin with Gleb Savchenko, Boy Meets World alum Danielle Fishel with Pasha Pashkov and Pentatonix singer Scott Hoying with Rylee Arnold.
Other season 34 duos include Davis and Stewart, The Parent Trap actress Elaine Hendrix with Alan Bersten, Fifth Harmony singer Lauren Jauregui with partner Brandon Armstrong, actor and musician Corey Feldman with pro Jenna Johnson, and comedian Andy Richter with pro Emma Slater.
As for the stars who were previously announced for the series, Robert Irwin will be paired with pro Witney Carson, Alix Earle is joined by Val Chmerkovskiy, and Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt will be dancing alongside Jan Ravnik and Mark Ballas, respectively.
Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro are returning as co-hosts, while Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli take on the judges table.
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Dancing with the Stars season 34 premieres Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and simulcast on Disney+. The show streams the next day on Hulu.
