Zac Efron talks 'The Paperboy' to The Advocate

Here at PopWatch, we’re committed to keeping you informed about the things you may not need to know, but that you want to know. So, which former Disney star says he’d love to get back to musical theater?

The answer is Zac Efron, who talks with The Advocate about next month’s The Paperboy with Nicole Kidman – a movie that has already garnered its share of headlines. Other fun facts worth noting:

-Dancing in his underwear for The Paperboy wasn’t planned. “That dance in the rain wasn’t planned. Nicole’s fun to work with because she’s very improvisational. She just started dancing with me, and we went with the moment…. Initially, I wondered if my character would even wear underwear at all. But that would’ve been a very different movie.”

-Efron knows who is fanbase is. “It’s very flattering. After High School Musical and Hairspray, 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.”

-He appreciates High School Musical’s audience. “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.”

-Efron’s not done with musical theater (Thank God!) “Without a doubt, I’d love to do Broadway. I actually can’t wait to get back to musical theater. There’s a part of me that wishes I could go do it right now, but there’s also a part of me that knows I need to tackle other types of acting opportunities first. I want to be a well-rounded, versatile performer. Until I master other things, it would be hard for me to get back to musical theater. But that will always be my home base and where I feel the most free, and it’s something I will definitely do again, even it it’s just for pleasure and personal fulfillment.”

-He talks about gay rumors. “I don’t like to live in fear about things like rumors and backlash to begin with — that’s the way I was raised — but I just can’t see what’s so wrong about being gay.”

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