
High School Musical star Zac Efron just turned 21 over the weekend. He celebrated with friends at an Italian restaurant in LA on Saturday, including his girlfriend, Vanessa Hudgens, and some of his costars. Ashley Tisdale, KayCee Stroh, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Brittany Snow were among the guests. According to People Magazine everyone had a fun but relatively low-key time.
Efron has a new interview with Star Magazine this week. He talked briefly about his longterm girlfriend Hudgens, 19, and sais she’s “a great girl.” He also said that he has trouble leading a normal life. Efron loves to google himself and read the blogs and says he finds the comments about him “hilarious.”
Q: Off screen, you and Vanessa are an item. How are things with your two?
Efron: All I can say is that Vanessa is a great girl.
Q: What’s it like to work so closely with your partner?
Efron: Well, we’ve been working together since the beginning of the audition process. I guess somehow the casting directors knew. We just immediately started having fun.
Q: Ever had a crazy fan experience?
Efron: Every once in a while, I get a great big hug and a kiss from someone I don’t know. It’s hard to have a normal life, because I get recognized. It’s a daily occurrence. But I’m cool with it.
Q: Do you Google yourself?
Efron: Yeah, I do. I like to read the blogs. I love the discussions online. They’re hilarious. I try not to look that often, because it can either give you a big head or tear you down.
[From Star Magazine, print edition, October 27, 2008]
Efron sounds like he has a great attitude about it and I love that he admits that he reads the blogs. It’s something few celebrities will own up to, and a lot of them are likely to avoid for good reason.
Efron may be headed for even more stardom beyond the High School Musical series. The National Enquirer reports that now that when Johnny Depp initially ruled out starring in the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean sequel, Disney executives approached Zac Efron to take over the role. Efron was enthusiastic about it, and when Depp eventually agreed to come back for a $55 million salary they decided to make Efron his sidekick. There has been no mention of Orlando Bloom making another appearance, and he has said that he would rather move away from the series. That leaves a definite lack of younger hunks and Efron fits the bill nicely.
As part of his deal with Disney, Efron agreed to appear in High School Musical 4, something he was previously reluctant to do. Efron will command $10 million for the Pirates role and is being groomed as a replacement for Johnny Depp in future Pirates Movies.
Efron’s new film, High School Musical 3: Senior Year, premieres in the US on October 24. Here’s the trailer:
Zac Efron is shown with Vanessa Hudgens at the High School Musical 3 premiere on 10/16/08. Credit: Fame Pictures and WENN