ZAC ATTACK

Zac Efron goes man-to-man with NYLON Guys.

Is Zac Efron the next king of the silver screen? It may be too soon to tell, but the actor—who turns 22 next Sunday—is certainly making good start. This month sees the release of the Richard Linklater-directed Me and Orson Welles, in which Efron plays an aspiring thespian who by a series of fortunate events is thrown into the iconic director’s infamous production of Julius Caesar, which was the first Shakespeare play ever staged on Broadway. NYLON Guys went sailing with Efron in Vancouver to talk about his transition from Disney pin-up to serious actor.
 
On Me and Orson Welles.  “It’s the first time I’ve ever watched a movie [that I’m in] and in the end I’m like, ‘OK! I didn’t check my watch once!’”

On growing up musically inclined. “I was constantly singing. I would hear things on the radio and just be able to spit them out instantly, with perfect memorization and tone. It wasn’t like I took pride in it; there was no effort. My parents were like ‘Shut up. Please stop singing. It’s annoying.’”

On whether celebrity albums are necessary.  “If anyone asked themselves that, then we wouldn’t have the crap we are listening to today.  If your heart’s not in it, don’t do it. And don’t do it for money. That’s my philosophy.”

On Disney fame. “I try not to look at all of it. You can’t enjoy or celebrate it; it’s not a real thing. The face on the lunchbox and shit—you can’t share that with your friends.”
--INTERVIEW BY LUKE CRISELL



This story was published on October 8, 2009.