Zac Efron - Entertainment Weekley Photo Issue

[ALIASd]

Photo Showcase: Cover Story

Zac Efron's Day Off: EW Photo Showcase

Navigating the perilous journey from teen phenom to grown-up actor is a full-time job.
But when we caught up with the star of ''High School Musical 3,''
he just wanted to take a stroll, impress some girls, and rock out





ZAC EFRON If you're looking for the late-'90s model of
reluctant teen idol hiding behind a half-grown beard with
trucker cap pulled low, this is not your guy
PHOTOGRAPH BY BEN WATTS

By Christine Spines
EW

Most teenage heartthrobs insist that it's actually a drag to be craved, day in and day out, by millions of underage girls. If we were to listen in on a cross-generational pinup guy support group (think: Shaun Cassidy, James Van Der Beek, the brothers Jonas), the litany of grievances would likely include the obliteration of privacy, the lack of fellowship with other dudes, and, worst of all, the assumption that they're all a bunch of talentless knuckleheads. But Zac Efron, the current crown prince of the Tiger Beat set, takes a different approach to the experience. For him it's not just a job, it's an adventure. ''I'm always bobbing and weaving through alleyways trying to get to meetings, scouting out and looking outside doors and running around like Jason Bourne,'' says Efron, who has emerged as a prime target of both the paparazzi and love-struck tweens ever since High School Musical became an international obsession almost three years ago. ''I've always loved secret agent movies, whether it be James Bond or Bourne Identity. Now I'm kind of living it.''

He also seems to be kind of enjoying it. If you're looking for the late-'90s model of reluctant teen idol hiding behind a half-grown beard, trucker cap pulled low, and a dog-eared copy of Rimbaud's A Season in Hell tucked into his back pocket, Efron's not your guy. Instead, he kicks off an afternoon outing with a burst of goofball enthusiasm. He leaps at the opportunity to ditch the car and walk a few blocks to the local sushi joint to grab lunch, and does not seem the least bit daunted as he bounds up to a bus stop teeming with high school kids. With his shaggy surfer hair, peg-leg jeans, and skateboarder sneaks, Efron blends perfectly into the crowd. Then come the screams. ''Here we go,'' says Efron, still grinning as a girl in braces throws herself in his path. ''You're kidding me: You're not really him,'' she bellows, rhetorically. Efron laughs. ''I'm absolutely serious: It's absolutely me,'' he says, shaking her hand before ducking into the restaurant. ''It used to just be that I had to worry about elementary schools,'' says the actor, scratching his head. ''But now...who knows?''

NEXT PAGE: ''I would love to just sit down and talk with Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp and pick their brains about their early careers,'' Efron says. ''You have to have good foresight and be really careful. If you don't adapt and learn at a very young age, you can really mess up.''

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,2022...231660,00.html

[malice]

what a beautiful girl

[ALIASd]

thank you

[Olympicnut]

He's not shirtless. What the fruit?

[tinkermonkey]

One of my favorite lines in the article:

Just weeks shy of his 21st birthday, Efron is plotting his route from teen phenom to adult actor. It's a perilous path, littered with the failed careers of former pretty boys (anyone heard from C. Thomas Howell lately?), and Efron knows he's got a tough hike ahead of him.

C. Thomas Howell reference is funny because that is who played his dad (his DAD!) when he was on Summerland (also staring Jesse McCartney) - the episode where we met Dad started with Zac's character and his friend discussing the current novel they were reading in school. Yeah, no brainer here - "The Outsiders."

[sir clinksalot]

I think Zac has already taken a step in the right direction with Hairspray.

[ALIASd]

Clearly the studios agree with you. Watch his price quote soar after 'HSM3' hits big at the box office.

[stitchon]

Another reason to burn this week's magazine. Yay.

[Craigroy8287]

Originally Posted by stitchon

Another reason to burn this week's magazine. Yay.

LOL

[Disneyland Daddy]

Originally Posted by sir clinksalot

I think Zac has already taken a step in the right direction with Hairspray.

Gosh my wife and I loved that movie. Fun, indeed.
Zac Efron seems like a nice kid......

[Ginarella]

Originally Posted by stitchon

Another reason to burn this week's magazine. Yay.

GasP! you are brutal. I like him and he's definitely a pretty boy. I wish him the best success.

[Aladdin]

I don't know how "pretty" he is, but he tries to play the part.

[Squirt_101]

I hate Zac Efron. I mean, yeah he did a good job in the HSM series and in Hairspray, but he is too pretty. He is too feminine for me. I honestly don't respect him as an actor.

[PretzelSouls]

Eh, I dislike him...I don't understand why he is so popular?