Zac Efron is the new king of comedy, and he’s loving every minute
Bad Neighbours 2 star shed his wholesome Disney Channel image to embrace the bawdy humour of Seth Rogen franchise. Now he’s looking forward to his next cinematic adventure
Zac Efron recalls cruising his motorbike around sunny Venice, California, in May 2014, when he was hailed by an admirer.
“It was this cool-looking dude who recognised me. And he said, ‘I saw you in Neighbors 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 Neighbors (released as Bad Neighbours outside the US) was an initiation of sorts for Efron, now 28, showing that the star of Disney Channel’s High School Musical could bring the R-rated (not for viewing by under-17s unless accompanied by adult) bawdiness onscreen. He succeeded: Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (released overseas as Bad Neighbours 2) is in cinemas now.
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.”
