Zac Efron on ‘Baywatch,’ Pam Anderson and ‘High School Musical’s’ 10th anniversary

ZAC EFRON. Photo by Ruben V. Nepales

LOS ANGELES—What a difference a decade makes. When Zac Efron was idolized as Troy Bolton in “High School Musical,” he was a lean-built teenager.

These days, he is totally ripped, giving his “Baywatch” costar Dwayne Johnson a run for his biceps.

Wearing a tee in this interview at the commissary of NBC Universal in LA, Zac, upon being teased that he looks different from his shirtless self on the “Baywatch” beach set in Georgia, joked back with a laugh, “Really?  The spray tan is wearing off.”

We asked what remains one of his standout memories of his 2014 trip to the Philippines. “We ATV’ed down a volcano, and it was fun,” he gushed about driving an all-terrain vehicle on the slopes of Mayon Volcano. “It was great!” He also enjoyed a more “natural” ride—on a carabao sled, also in Legazpi, Albay.

The actor told me in previous interviews that his dad, David Efron, had been to the Philippines several times and loves the country. Zac said that on his first visit to Manila, he made sure to bring his dad. “He loved it again,” he shared.

Zac is enjoying a busy career after transitioning into adulthood, making both small indie films and studio movies.

He’s back as frat boy Teddy Sanders in director Nicholas Stoller’s “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising,” with Chloe Grace Moretz, Rose Byrne, Selena Gomez, Seth Rogen and Dave Franco.

In Seth Gordon’s movie adaptation of “Baywatch,” the beach never looked so attractive with these bathing-suit clad stars: Zac, Dwayne Johnson, Alexandra Daddario and Kelly Rohrbach. The original TV series’ stars, Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff, are also in the cast.

Excerpts from our chat:

Were you a fan of “Baywatch”? Did you have the hots for Pamela Anderson?

Everyone had the hots for Pamela Anderson (laughs). I was no different. I did not see that much of the original “Baywatch.” The only memories I had of it were blurs from seeing it on TV.

I’ve started downloading and watching online the most popular episodes based on fan votes (laughs). Our take on “Baywatch” is going to be very fun and different.

The characters are very different. But at its core, it’s still going to have that spirit, that sexy beach fun, tough attitude.  We are lifeguards.

It’s the 10th anniversary of “High School Musical.” In what ways have you changed over the years?

I am 10 years older. I got 10 years of hard work, fun and life under my belt. I am growing up, taking one day at a time.

What do you remember most about the show?

I like all of it. That was an enormously fun whirlwind. It set the stage for having an open mind and being free. Kenny Ortega was a brilliant mentor.

For me, at that age, “High School Musical” represented love and being free to express who you are, regardless of what people think, and whether in music, art or something people consider to be nerdy or not cool, who gives a f***?  And be you.

That was very exciting. We did it through song and dance, and I loved it. I look back on those days and cherish them.  It’s very cool.

ZAC Efron riding an ATV in Legazpi, Albay mayonatvtour.com

Would you like to do another musical?

I would love to do another musical. The key is finding another original musical. That was what was so special about “High School Musical.”

So, do you still sing?

In the shower.

What songs do you sing?

Everything. When I am working, I listen to music to get in the mood for stuff. I go by the week.

Now, I am listening to “Purple Rain” and Prince—it’s on repeat. And Drake’s album came out, so I am trying to memorize all those lyrics.

In “High School Musical,” your numbers are fully choreographed. How different was it when you had to dance in the tailgate party in “Neighbors …”?

That’s the funny thing about doing a dance movie. From that point forward, everybody thinks you can just dance on cue or that you are a great dancer. I don’t think I am a great dancer.

Two nights before that scene, I asked Nick (Nicholas Stoller), “What song am I dancing to?” He was like, “What song do you want to dance to?” I was like, “You mean you don’t have a plan for this?” He was like, “No, I am going to let you go.”

I was like, “Where, in front of the crowd? There was no plan?”  And there was no plan (laughs).

So, I called a buddy of mine whom I worked with on “Hairspray,” Jamal [Sims]. He was an [associate] choreographer on “Hairspray.”

He dropped everything he was doing and flew from LA to Georgia to spend an hour with me. We just spent some time in front of a mirror doing a dance—and that is what we ultimately did.

Have there been situations when you said that in this scene, it’s not necessary to take off your shirt?

Even over the course of making “Baywatch,” there are scenes where you go, “Is it really necessary for my character to be shirtless here?”

So yeah, you have to pick those moments for your shirtless scenes, and if you are smart and if it’s planned correctly, you can do what Sly Stallone used to do, which is knock out all the shirtless scenes in the first two weeks, then shoot the rest of the movie (laughs).

How often do you get scripts where obviously, they are dumb roles and will just exploit your good looks?

I run into that a lot. For years, I had a list in my manager’s office of roles that we famously said no to. To this day, that list is still up.

There are opportunities like this one in “Neighbors …” where you know that you are working with the right people and that you can find something deeper in a character that is written very simply. That is what Teddy turned into for me.

If I wanted to throw a party, would you be the guy to call to organize and make it a chilling success?

I would be terrible at it (laughs). Don’t call me to plan a party.

And if I were to give you a party, what elements should I make sure to be there to make the happening rock?

A great party would be low-key, have good food and music and awesome people to talk to.

Can you talk about the diet and workout that keeps you in great shape?

All of the food is cooked by a lovely lady who uses all-organic vegetables. She plans out very specific combinations of fat, carb and protein.

And the workout?

I train with a trainer usually before work, like four or five days a week. It varies. It depends on what my body feels like.

In working out, what’s your main goal?

Just to not get injured. I used to train by myself, on a lot of power movement and really heavy lifts and bodybuilding-type exercises. While I haven’t totally eliminated those movements, I know how to do them better now.

For form and technique, I spend as much time stretching and rolling out as I do training.  Recovery is everything. I have to make sure that I get the right amount of food and sleep.

What is your buildup phase? How many calories do you eat a day?

I don’t have a buildup phase. I know it seems like I am bigger right now for “Baywatch,” but actually, I lost six or seven pounds, maybe more since “Neighbors.” So actually it’s been a trim down, if anything.

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