Efron: 'Hudgens romance has helped me'

Zac Efron has reportedly said that his romance with Vanessa Hudgens has "helped" him over the past few years.

The 22-year-old has been dating Hudgens since they met on the set of Disney's High School Musical five years ago.

"It has helped me through quite a bit. There are myriad distractions to fall into in this business. To have someone to share with and to relate to is a very valuable gift," Just Jared quotes him as telling In Style.

He also revealed that he is "appreciative" of his High School Musical fanbase, and recounted a "funny" incident that happened when he was promoting the movie with Hudgens and co-star Ashley Tisdale in France.

"People rocked the car so hard that it went over onto two wheels," he explained. "I was inside with Vanessa and Ashley, sliding back and forth like we were Jell-O, and we were dying laughing. It was like a scene in Jurassic Park where T-Rexs flip over cars."

The actor - who stars in the upcoming Charlie St. Cloud - recently dismissed reports that he was planning to propose to Hudgens or that the couple were preparing to move in together.