The TV show Zac Efron always wanted to be in: “Definitely”
Zac Efron has had an impressive career arc simply because he’s managed to avoid being typecast in the type of ‘teen idol’ roles that were floated his way in the aftermath of High School Musical.
It would have been easy for Efron to coast on his performance as Troy Bolton for years to come, but he impressively made a commitment to show his range by selecting more than a few unusual projects, and even if High School Musical and its sequels could be broadly described as comedies, the actor has proven to have a real knack for physical shenanigans, as evidenced by his hilariously ridiculous role in Neighbors and his scene-stealing cameo in The Disaster Artist.
While seeing someone like him, who has a reputation for being a heartthrob, taking on filthy R-rated material may have some inherent shock value, he’s also shown an interest in more serious work.
It seemed for years that Efron was doomed to give critically acclaimed performances in films that were otherwise unsuccessful. As great as he was in The Paperboy, the seedy Florida-set crime thriller ended up being the worst film in Lee Daniels’ career; similarly, he gave a captivating performance as Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, but the film was unfortunately swallowed up by the controversy about its depiction of a true crime story.
Efron finally got to be in a film worthy of his commitment when he signed on to play Kevin Von Erich in The Iron Claw, a heartbreaking biopic about the tragedies within a legendary wrestling family. Although he was unfortunately snubbed of the Oscar nomination that he so clearly deserved, he showed with The Iron Claw that he had long since graduated from being a ‘Disney kid’.
It’s a testament to the surprising length of his career that the market has changed so radically in its perception of the differences between television and film. While appearing in a television show would have once seemed like a downgrade for a potential movie stars like Efron, today’s streaming shows have become packed with A-listers, including Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey, Glen Powell, Mark Ruffalo, Cate Blanchett, and Billy Bob Thornton, just to name a few.
In terms of unprecedented moves, Stranger Things is among the most shocking hits of the streaming era because of the low expectations the first season carried. Although the Duffer brothers were not particularly well-known creators and the show was light on stars (outside of Winona Ryder), it became a word-of-mouth hit that turned into a phenomenon, and given how massive the fanbase is for Stranger Things, it’s not all that surprising that Efron told Vogue that he “definitely” wants to make a cameo on the show.
Although the Upside Down has added many famous cast members in subsequent seasons, Efron’s request may have come in a bit too late, as the series is currently wrapping up its fifth and final season.
The process to get there was notoriously laborious, as Covid-19, the Sag strikes, and scheduling issues delayed finishing production; however, it seems unlikely that Netflix wouldn’t soon greenlight some form of spinoff or prequel show, in which the actor could definitely make a bid to have an appearance.
