ZAC EFRON BRINGS A HOT NEW LOOK TO R-RATED COMEDY
The Disney star turns a corner with a batch of bawdy new films
CITY, CALIF. Zac UNIVERSAL Efron recalls cruising his bike around sunny Venice, Calif., in May 2014, when he was hailed down by an admirer.
“It was this cool-looking dude who recognized me. And he said, ‘I saw you in Neigh
bors last night and that was amazing,’ ” Efron recalls, beaming.
“Man, it was the happiest moment of my life when he gave me a five-part handshake. It was like an initiation.”
The outrageous comedy was an initiation of sorts for Efron, now 28, showing that the Disney Channel High School
Musical star could bring the Rrated bawdiness onscreen. He succeeded: Neighbors 2: Sorority
Rising hits theaters Friday. Sitting outside a replica Delta Psi Neighbors fraternity house on the Universal Studios lot, Efron appreciates his new, naughty niche.
“Comedy is where I fit in right now. This has been a dream year,” Efron says. “For several years in my early 20s, I kept saying, ‘ No, no, no’ to projects. It was a lot of waiting for good material and kind of a depressing time. It wasn’t really working.”
Neighbors did work, however initially shocking for fans of his more wholesome image. Efron kept up with star and producer Seth Rogen and injected sincerity into his rowdy fraternity leader Teddy — now the emotional center of Neighbors 2 as he struggles to move beyond college life. Nicholas Stoller, who directed both Neighbors films, says Efron has comedy chops, and those chiseled looks don’t hurt. “There are very few people who look that way that are very funny. Zac brings both things,” Stoller says. “It’s scary for the normal-looking comedians trying to ply their trade.” Efron also is willing to revel in the raunch while bringing what Stoller calls “hyper-preparedness.” Two days before a comical male revue-style dance for Neighbors 2, Efron discovered there were no choreography plans in place. Stoller assumed Efron would improvise. “That was like ‘Oh boy,’ ” Efron says. “You cannot just dance. That’s not how you do it.” Faster than you can say hunko-mergency, Efron dialed a choreographer friend who jetted to the Atlanta set. The final routine to the song Booty Loose is a show-stopper. “I learned some simple Magic
Mike- esque moves,” Efron says. “And it all worked out.”
Now that he has proved he can own the movie comedies, Efron says he’s ready to show off more career moves. He’ll appear next with Adam DeVine in the R-rated Mike and Dave Need
Wedding Dates, out July 8, and he’s now filming the debauched movie version of Baywatch with Dwayne Johnson for release in May 2017.
“I’m excited for my next adventure,” Efron says. “Whether it’s drama, musical or who knows? Something different to shake it up.”