Zac:
On His Own Track!
by Lynn Barker
 Hottie
supreme Zac Efron has plans for his career and they don't include continually
starring as a high schooler in musical films! Thus, his rejection of the
dance movie re-make Footloose. By his own admission, Zac wants
to be a "Renaissance man" in all ways; a guy who does it all
and well! His new film 17 Again is a crossover step in that direction.
Yes, Zac is again a high schooler and yes, he has a few serious dance
moves in the movie but he also gets to hone his acting chops by playing
a 30-something guy switched into his own 17-year-old body. Think about
it. Could you play the mind-set of your dad or mom gone magically retro
and stuck in his or her teenaged bod? Zac can, and quite well!
His 17
Again director was super impressed with Zac's work ethic as he hid
his pain on set, underwent an appendectomy then came back in less than
a week to shoot the most dramatic scene in the film while apologizing
for holding up production. What a trooper! We got the latest from this
blue-eyed, hard-working mega-hunk in Beverly Hills last week. Picture
the ever-buff Zac in casual jeans and a nice, bod-hugging black shirt.
He's got that perpetual California tan of course.
AGW: We've
got to ask the obvious question. You are only 21 but, considering all
the manic attention you are getting, would you ever like to just go back
to school and be 17 again?
Zac: The number
one question I get asked is 'if you could go back, would you change anything?
If you could be 17 all over again, what would you do different? Would
you go down this road? I’m like, 'absolutely'. This is like the
best job in the world. I’m having the time of my life. I wake up
every day with a new challenge whether it’s filming, learning a
new skill set, interviews, press, that kind of stuff. It’s always
fun. It’s always interesting. It’s always a challenge. I’m
very happy with that and I’m very happy with my life right now.
AGW: Is there
one piece of advice that you would go back and give yourself at age 17?
It's an age when you take everything sooo seriously.
Zac: Yeah,
because everything is heightened. You feel like you’re an adult
when you’re 17 and you have the social awareness of an adult but
that doesn’t really apply in high school because everyone’s
young and stupid. It’s hard if you take it too seriously so I’d
probably go back and tell myself to chill out. This is just the beginning
and get ready because stuff’s about to pop off.
AGW: This
film has a high school setting and you play basketball and do a little
dance but, it has a whole other element. Did you choose it to make a little
bit of a transition and still have some acting challenges?
Zac: It was
exactly what I was looking for. This is an opportunity to work with a
brilliant cast and an amazing director and yeah, it was that chance to
switch it up. It does take place in high school, in a high school setting,
but it’s not a very high school character and that’s what
I want to do more of.
 AGW:
You play the younger version of Matthew Perry in this movie. Did you kind
of study him in order to get down his mannerisms etc. or did you see some
footage of him in the movie?
Zac: Matthew
shot a couple days and I’d come in and shoot. I was able to see
a couple of scenes that Matt had done for sure, but I know that most of
the work we did on figuring out the character was just done in rehearsals.
We had a couple days where we were able to just hang out and talk and
figure out the key moments that really it was Matthew’s lines that
I was just kind of saying.
AGW: Your
character in the film has a nerdy best pal. What was your nerdy period
of life?
Zac: I was
pretty cool until about freshman year of high school and then it was downhill
until I was about 17 and then something happened and it all came back.
But that was pretty much the time that I was just average. I worked hard
in school, got good grades. I was not that cool, so to speak. I mean,
I thought I was cool.
AGW: Your
character's son in the film is taped to a toilet at school. Did anything
awful like that happen to you?
Zac: No, I
wasn’t bullied that bad or anything like that. I just wasn’t
the ‘it’ guy at school.
AGW: What
did you get in trouble for most in high school? Was there anything that
you should have gotten busted for but you got away with?
Zac: Yeah,
I looked at a couple papers taking tests and stuff like that. It was small
things. I got in trouble once. I actually got sent home from high school
because I went up to the front of my Spanish class, in Spanish 3, and
I was going to write a sentence on the board and my pants fell down in
front of the class. Everyone starting laughing. It wasn’t that big
of a deal but the teacher got really flustered and upset and sent me home.
And that was probably the most I got in trouble.
AGW: How did
that happen accidentally? [laughter] Was there a wardrobe malfunction?
Zac: I don’t
know. I guess you could call it that.
AGW: You and
movie pal Ned [played by funny Thomas Lennon] have a great Star Wars light
saber duel that looks pretty serious. Was that fun? Anyone injured?
Zac: Yes.
I hit Tom [in the head]. There were a couple injuries, but I hit Tom pretty
hard one day and I just thank God it was during rehearsals with the rehearsal
light sabers because if we had been filming a real take, we’d use
real light sabers. I’m pretty sure he would have had less face right
now.
AGW: What
experience did you draw upon to play a character who is a father since
you’re not a father? You give your character's teen kids some really
heartfelt talks.
 Zac:
I thought about the way that my dad tried to have those talks with me
and my little brother and he was always very passionate and energetic
and he delivered it like a champ. Really. He was just really excited,
I think. [laughs] So that’s what came out during that particular
scene in the movie.
AGW: You undergo
some serious slapping in the film. Did Tom and all those ladies actually
slap you? Michelle [Trachtenberg] says she did.
Zac: It was
amazing watching everybody have so much fun that night. No, it was funny,
it started slow and Tom was very nice about it. He was like, 'There’s
no way to fake a slap. We’re just going to have to go for it'. And
he did. He knew how to do it.
AGW: Michelle
says you were yelling that she wasn't hitting you hard enough... 'Hit
me! Hit me'!
Zac: Yeah,
we had a stunt coordinator that day who was instructing everyone how to
slap and he goes, 'You guys really got to sell it! You have to slap him!'
And I’m sitting there like 'they’re slapping me, bro!’.
AGW: In the
movie you help your son, Alex, get the girl. Do you play matchmaker in
real life or have you helped any of your friends get the girl or taken
anyone under your wing and kind of shown them the ropes?
Zac: I think
maybe with some best friends or close friends, but it’s not like
a top priority in life really. I think they’re doing pretty good
for themselves.
AGW: What
were your friends in high school like? And what are you pals like now?
Zac: I had
friends from all different cliques so to speak. I didn’t just stick
to one group of friends. I kind of had them in all different areas of
high school. Now, I’ve got 4 or 5 best friends. I don’t know.
I guess we are all about the same. We’re kind of geeky, fun loving
kind of guys.
AGW: Can you
talk about hosting "Saturday Night Live" on TV next week? [April
11th]
Zac: Yeah,
I’m so excited to host SNL. It’s been a dream of mine since
I was like 10 years old. I mean, improv is pretty much how I got started.
They do more sketch comedy but this is how I started. This is what I want
to get back to. I think it’s going to be a great week. I can’t
wait.
AGW: We do
understand why you didn't do the Footloose remake...
Zac: I was
just looking for a change.
AGW: Sure
but can you talk about what you did choose to do next?
Zac: I’m
putting something together with [17 Again director] Burr [Steers].
It’s early in development, but it’s called The Death and
Life of Charlie St. Cloud. [A film based upon a novel about a young
man who narrowly survives a terrible car wreck that kills his little brother.
While tending graves at the local cemetery, Zac's character can still
see and talk with the ghost of his little bro.]
Uncredited
Photos courtesy of and copyright New Line Cinema, 2009
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