Zac Efron is to Troy Bolton as Robert Pattinson is to Edward Cullen – a breakout role, that came with legions of adoring fans and one that neither actor will be able to shake off. However, much like how Robert Pattinson has expanded his repertoire to include impressive titles like ‘Tenet’ and the brooding character of the Dark Knight himself, Zachary David Alexander Efron has done a lot in his career. The 33-year-old has been acting since 2006 and even though he’s been the lead in some really iconic movies (’17 Again’, ‘Charlie St. Cloud’, ‘Neighbors’), he’s not been able to shake off the label of being “that High School Musical guy”.
And what better way to reprogramme your view of him than to see for yourself just how diverse his acting range is? Let’s start with something that takes away his ‘image’ completely…
‘The Lorax’ (2012)
In his first voice acting gig, Efron voiced ‘Ted Wiggins’ from the famous Dr Seuss book. ‘The Lorax’ revolves around 12-year-old Ted, who lives in Thneedville – a place virtually devoid of nature. In an attempt to win over a girl named Audrey (voiced by Taylor Swift), Ted had to set out to search for her dream: a Truffula tree. When asked how he felt about relying only on his voice, Efron said:
“I was nervous the first time I went into the recording booth. I was a bit self-conscious because there’s a camera on me and the microphone was so close. As with anything, you just have to let go, and don’t be afraid to be crazy.”
As for how much of himself he managed to interject into the animated character…
“He’s sort of a hopeless romantic. He’s adventurous. He’s persistent. He’s stubborn, kind of annoying (and) pretty funny. He’s got a big imagination. I like to think I’m all those things. He learned that all from me. I taught him everything he knows.”
Or, maybe instead of ‘Troy’, he can be the Zack of ‘Teds’? After all, years later, Efron takes up the mantle of another famous (or infamous, really) Ted.
‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile’ (2019)
A far cry from his Disney days, Efron’s depiction of real-life serial killer Ted Bundy was exactly as described in the title: ‘extremely wicked’, ‘shockingly evil’ and ‘vile’. Making a point to ensure that the crime drama does not, in any way, ‘glorify’ or celebrate the violent serial killer. Rather, the film explores Bundy and the beginnings of his crimes through the eyes of his girlfriend at the time, Elizabeth Kendall. Efron, who also produced the film, couldn’t help but find mirroring traits that he shared with the sociopath.
“It was that Ted and I had quite a bit in common in the way we carried ourselves. There are a few mannerisms. You can tell he’s a bit bashful. He’s kind of shy. He’s a well-spoken guy, but he hides his anxiety with a bit of a smile. I didn’t want to do too much of an impersonation.”
And if you can’t let go of the fact that Zachary David Alexander Efron got his start singing and traversing stages…
The Greatest Showman (2017)
Not only does he sing, dance and trapeze in ‘The Greatest Showman’, Efron manages to warm his way into our hearts as ‘Phillip Carlyle’. The award-winning musical drama sees Efron tap into his roots but where Troy Bolton was caught up in trying to manage his popularity, girlfriend and choice of university, Philip Carlyle is a deeper, more mature look at a character who is on an emotional journey of finding meaning in work and life. However, having been in HSM didn’t really help as much as one would think, acting-wise.
“It’s not like riding a bike, you can’t just remember instantly and pick up where you left off. These dances were leveled up for sure. The one with Hugh ‘The Other Side,’ I think we got it on take 56 or something like that.”
*Cover image credits: @zacefron