Zac Efron has given his first interview to a gay publication, with The Advocate getting that scoop ahead of the release of the High School Musical’s dancing-in-his-underpants appearance in Lee Daniel’s The Paperboy.
The actor reveals himself to be a pretty laid back character, saying about his gay fans, “I’ve always felt embraced by the gay community, and I feel incredibly grateful and honored. This is actually a very special interview for me. I’m extremely aware of the support I’ve gotten from you guys over the years, and it’s amazing that it’s taken this long to sit down and actually discuss it, but please know that it hasn’t gone unappreciated. I’m so excited to be talking to you.”
Asked when he realised he had a lot of gays fans, he says, “I really felt that support after High School Musical. I think the gay audience related to my character Troy, because it really was a story of embracing who you are, no matter how different you might be, and not being afraid to show it. That’s a universal theme for everyone, but it specifically resonated with the gay community, and I felt very proud of that.”
As for whether he’d ever play gay, he adds, “I’d never take a role just for the sake of playing gay, but I’m always looking for a role that’s challenging, different, and entails some risk, so there’s no doubt in my mind that one of those characters will be gay at some point in the future. It’s always interesting to delve into unexplored territory, and that would be a new avenue for me. I definitely wouldn’t be afraid.”
He’s also all for marriage equality, saying, “It’s an issue that affects so many people in my life — a lot of my close friends and some of the most influential people around me. I just want them all to be happy. It would make me so happy to see them able to live their lives and do what they want to do.”
Zac was also happy to be ‘eroticised’ by director Lee Daniels, who’s spoken about how he brings his gay sensibility to his film. “I’ve always just embraced Lee as a brilliant artist,” Efron says, “So I followed him blindly, trustingly, and wholeheartedly. He’s searching for beauty and truth in every scene, so I believed in him and always felt safe.
As for the scene involving him dancing in his underwear which caused a lot of swooning in the trailer for The Paperboy, he teases, “Initially, I wondered if my character would even wear underwear at all. But that would’ve been a very different movie.”
No UK release date is currently set for The Paperboy but you can watch the trailer, including Efron’s undies dance by clicking here.
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