Zac Efron: The Movieline Interview
You're generating material now under your own production banner, Ninjas Runnin' Wild. Please tell me about coming up with that title.
Well, I'm not going to tell you the exact story of how it came up...
Oh, it's a mystery.
Perhaps it is a mystery, and I think it should stay that way. [Laughs] Having watched movies all my life, I know you sit in a theater and those [production logos] pop up all the time before a movie, like the one Spyglass has with the man looking through [a telescope], that kind of stuff...
So will there be actual ninjas runnin' wild for yours?
I mean, hopefully! Hopefully. Just something that goes, "BLAAH!" that's a little crazy and different, and when you see it, you're like, "OK, here we go again." [Laughs] Something memorable that has some punch to it.
You're attached to a workplace comedy that was just announced in the trades. What can you tell me about it? Is it in the vein of The Office?
No, it's not like The Office. It's...how would I describe it? We're literally still looking at treatments for it, so it's really early on. Right now, it's about a young man working his way to the top, and the lengths he has to go to succeed. Is that good?
Is it a dark comedy?
No, not really. Well, wait. Is it dark? I don't know yet. [Laughs] It's not written. I sure hope there's some dark moments in it, because I love that stuff.
You went to the Maui Film Festival recently, and shirtless paparazzi photos of you there ended up on the cover of People in just a few days. Are you conscious of that when it happens? Does being objectified like that frustrate you at all?
It was like, what am I going to do: go to Hawaii and not go to the beach and say for the rest of my life that I didn't do it because [the paparazzi] were there, or am I just going to brave it, go out, and let all that happen?
Is that just something you've had to fold into your daily life: If you choose to do something outside, there will be someone who will take pictures of you doing it?
Sort of, more or less. I mean, I'll say that it goes through my mind a lot. You just have to know that if you're in a place that isn't private property -- if you're in anywhere public -- more often than not, there's going to be someone there. If you're even anywhere where there's people nowadays...people are so integrated with their [mobile phone] cameras. It's like The Matrix.
So you could be eating at a restaurant, and you know that girl at the corner table is taking a picture of you on her camera phone that she's going to post to Twitter or Perez Hilton?
It goes through my mind sometimes, you know? I try not to dwell on it, and I try not to put myself in those scenarios. It gets frustrating. I'm definitely aware of it most of the time when it's happening -- I feel like I kind of know what's really going on.
At least you got the cover of People for "Best Beach Bodies" instead of for doing something bad.
It's not the worst thing in the world. And you know, aside from that, I had this amazing trip with my brother. He's just graduated from school, and I haven't been able to connect with him as much as I've wanted to since I've been away filming and going on trips. I really got to take him away from the family for the first time to go on a brothers trip, and we had the time of our lives. We just tore it up! Every single day, by the time 8:30 rolled around [at night], one of us would conk out and then we'd wake up at 7 and have a full day of hiking through the jungles of Maui or surfing. We lived it up, and it was really fun.
[Lead Photo Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images]
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Comments
have to admit that this interview wasn't nearly as annoying I thought it would be...he seems honestly self-deprecating.
Zac seems like a perfectly nice guy, but I can't imagine the St. Cloud movie making any money. A Hallmark plot with a no-longer-teen teen idol? I just don't know who's supposed to go see this.
@Mike the Movie Tyke I'm thinking creepy old ladies who want to watch a chick flick while simultaneously ogling a hot young man with a killer body (i.e., me. I am gross.)
Wow, he sounds like kind of a smart, level-headed guy. Still don't have any plans for St Cloud further than its HBO premiere, though.
Man, he says "man" a lot, man. Ok enough snark. I had dismissed him as a teen idol and not much more until I saw 17 Again, which was a nice surprise. I think a lot of people want to dismiss him as a pretty boy, when in fact the kid actually has some real acting chops and a pleasant attitude.
TuRD- I hope your joking about his 'acting chops' and 17 again in the same sentence. That movie showed he can't carry a movie by himself, as he still act's like it's a high school musical. He clearly overracts throughout that movie, like a lil' child.
Congratulations!Can’t wait to examine more posts…Keep rockin’Have a fantastic day, Jamie
I'm disappointed that the movie opened at the no. 5 spot. Where was the support that he encountered during his promotions. I think it unfair to say that only oogling young girls scream for him...although, that has proven true, but c'mon, he is a great actor....and yes, I've seen many young gay males oogling at him too. I thought before the HSM series that Zac has made a great mark as an actor....that is having seen his television appearances and characters...he's done a great job. One thing for sure, it's tough to make it in Hollywood....they need to give him a break and stop calling him the tween teen star, and stop comparing him to Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattison....they're acting is much more different...Zac's very expressive and can do emotion well. I wish him the best for his career....and I really enjoyed Charlie St. Cloud...although I didn't care for the music, except for the end credits.