Entertainment | Celebrity
Zac over teen past
Zac Efron is on a new path. With his latest film 'Charlie St. Cloud', the actor has effortlessly made the transition to a more mature role.
- By Krita Coelho; with input from Gulf Film
- Published: 00:02 September 9, 2010
When it comes to the popularity stakes as far as young actors are concerned, Zac Efron most certainly ranks the highest. Not that he's the undisputed king of the teen idol brigade (what with a certain Twilight hero like Robert Pattinson around), but Efron exudes a certain raw charm that makes him stand apart from his peers.
The young man has adroitly progressed to more mature roles, so much so that experts suggest that he's the next Leonardo DiCaprio. Following his work in the three High School Musical films, he has gone on to do both comedy and drama, with films like Hairspray, 17 Again and Me and Orson Welles. Now, he is playing his most emotional role in Charlie St. Cloud, a film adapted from the acclaimed novel of the same name.
The transition couldn't have been easy for the actor who shot to fame for his work as a precocious teen. It's indeed hard to know if audiences that related to him would still stay with him. Efron, however, is unperturbed. He doesn't have a choice either: he's growing up and so should his fans.
Charlie St. Cloud is a poignant tale of a small-town boy who survives a tragic accident, only to find out that his life has changed forever. Efron considers this his most challenging role. "The second I read it [the script], I immediately felt that the biggest challenge for me would be to get to the emotional place I had to go to and sustain it," he says.
Getting into the skin of the character didn't seem very difficult for Efron. He understood how Charlie St. Cloud managed to make a name for himself and look after his little brother despite growing up in a poor family without a father. "I felt I could relate to him especially in regards to his close relationship with his brother. And I actually looked at some pictures of my brother over the years to help me," he says.The film represents a bit of a departure from Efron's previous work - roles that made him a household name. Would his fans connect to this emotional side of him? The heart-throb says he consciously wanted to deviate from his comfort zone. "Scripts like these don't come all the time and this was an opportunity to do something new by giving life to a sort of withdrawn character," he says.
What really stands out in the film, reportedly, is the chemistry between Efron and newcomer Charlie Tahan, who plays his younger brother Sam. Both of them are said to have looked very comfortable together, which makes one wonder if they stuck to the script or improvised. "We did improvise a bit. And Charlie's great at that because he is very quick! He was always able to throw things at me and constantly surprise me," says the actor.
And that brings us to the subject his female fans would be curious about: what does he think about the Canadian actress Amanda Crew who plays his love interest Tess? "Amanda is a generous actress who is easy-going and relaxed, and she is also not afraid to experiment. So, we talked a lot and relied on each other," he says.
If sources are to be believed, they did share great vibes off the set too. Efron, however, shrugs off the observation by simply saying it's important to develop a comfortable bond to be able to portray a relationship convincingly. "When you have that kind of rapport you are more comfortable talking about anything and in the end everything is easier," he says.
Efron's excitement about the film also stems from getting to work with two of his favourite stars: Ray Liotta and Kim Basinger. "Ray is very funny, smart and charming; but he also has this sort of swagger that makes him so cool. And I can't imagine a more perfect woman than Kim; she is wonderful," he says.The actor confesses that the fact that this is his second movie in a row with Burr Steers helped him do justice to such a demanding role. "The good thing is that we skipped those first couple of weeks it normally takes for me and the director to get to know each other. So, I knew what I was in for with him. Burr is very generous and, in the end, just a really good person," he says.
Efron has a lot to say about Burr's film-making skills. "He is diligent and always focused on the acting, which is great for me as I have so much to learn. Burr is a perfectionist who never lets you quit, and that's very comforting because you know that if he says we are good, we really are. I feel very safe with him."
Efron's character is a consummate sailor in the movie, so the actor had to acquire the skill to look the part. It must have been pretty tough for a person who initially thought that the wind blew in your sail and you just went with it. "Well, it's very hard! And I'm usually pretty good at picking up a new set of skills, but sailing didn't come that easy to me as you are constantly making minute adjustments based on where the wind comes from and how it changes. You really have to multitask," he says.
Now that he's quite adept with the skill, Efron wants to continue pursuing it as a hobby. "I'd love to continue sailing; which is why I wanted to make sure I learned enough of it. It's a great way to see the world," he says.
As Efron takes on challenging roles in an attempt to diversify his acting career, we also hope he sails through all the storms. The young man knows what he wants and deserves to get it!
No dating for Efron
Zac Efron's fan base may be predominantly female, but the heart-throb doesn't seem to care about the attention.
"I think a lot of guys would enjoy that. But I'm not really like that," the actor, who is in a steady five-year relationship with girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens, told Details magazine.
"Believe me, I rack my brain thinking, ‘Why am I not out there playing the field?'... But it's not in my heart," the actor is reported to have said. Efron says his relationship with Hudgens is "exactly how it should be. It's real."
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