Posterized: Zac Efron
Friday, July 8, 2016 at 10:36AM 
Given that it's only July and this weekend brings us the third Zac Efron movie of the year (Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates), perhaps it's time for a Posterized for America's favorite twinkly-eyed twentysomething heartthrob?
Though people are touchy lately about acknowledgement of star beauty, some stars more than obviously lean into it. Efron clearly understands where his plentiful bread has been buttered, regularly getting his shirt off sometimes even as setpiece plot points (Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising). And he's increasingly becoming a living example of unrealistic body expectations. If women can feel bad about their bodies via supermodel objectification, so can men via superheroes...or actors with superhero bodies! Low self-esteem for everyone, hooray!
Happily though, Efron is also talented. He's proved to be a deft comic performer and there's still the possibility of more musicals in his future (he's been offered a role in Hugh Jackman's P.T. Barnum musical) so the immediate future looks bright.
How many of his 18 films have you seen? The posters after the jump...
The Star Launch (2005-2010)
High School Musical led to two feature musicals (High School Musical 3 and Hairspray) and quick above the title placement as well as his first attempts at carrying a feature alone (Charlie St Cloud)
Ensemble Work + A Bit of Range-Testing (2011-2015)
His star continues to rise (with wildly disparate box office results) and he finds his natural home: comedy
The Now (2016)
R-rated comedies only, please!
Anyone too old for the Disney channel which made Zac Efron a minor celebrity via High School Musical telefilms was probably slow to come around. But as Efron found his footing in comedy, the world came around. While evidence suggests that he's only dependably bankable when paired with other headliners, that's not nothing. The question now is what next? He's been savvy about his career thus far dropping into ensembles as breaks from film carrying duties, and capitalizing on his good sporstmanship in comedy.
Five of his past six movies have been broad comedies (two more coming with The Masterpiece with James Franco and Baywatch with The Rock up next) so if he plays it like most stars do, he'll try to branch out into additional genres, soon. When will he get the drama itch? He's perfect for a Tyrone Power biopic as previously noted but Hollywood probably doesn't have interest in making one of those.
I woke up like this @jimmykimmel #dirtygrandpa pic.twitter.com/VyZ412ELPO
— Zac Efron (@ZacEfron) January 22, 2016
🔴⚪️🔵 #teamnosleep pic.twitter.com/8wrkpV9Qsf
— Zac Efron (@ZacEfron) July 5, 2016
Do you think his star will continue to shine or quickly wane? Have your feelings about him changed these past few years?
Reader Comments (32)
I kinda like him but don't think he is great. He is kind of like Ryan Reynolds but not as bland. Similar to RR when he branched out from comedy he'll prob take a stab at thriller or horror (vs. straight up dramas ).
Meh.
Pretty but bland
His talent is of the broadcast multi-cam sitcom variety. Lee Daniels did right by him in The Paperboy. He'd play unpleasant and dubious characters in lurid situations. Put him in leather, animal print, or something sheer, I'll come watch it.
I thank him for not following the trend of thinking that chest shaving makes him look more masculine. He's very pretty to look at, and fun in the 4 movies I've seen. (Neighbors 1 & 2, Hairspray, and [sorry] New Year's Eve), but he's probably the Steve Guttenberg of our times.
But those abs. My God, those abs.
one movie [hairspray]. countless internet pix.
i kinda love how the most blatantly objectified movie star of late is male [#equality]
He has been opting for too many R rated comedies lately that turn out to be flops. He needs to diversify. Even "The Paperboy" focused more on his physical beauty than actual acting.
Oh, and I've seen four.
I've only seen three. It's my lowest ever.
Please do Stockard Channing and I'll beat you all ;)
Seen 3: The Paperboy, Neighbors, and that crummy Hairspray remake. I'd see the Neighbors sequel and that new one, Mike and Dave, sounds like it might be fun. He's got the body of death and I love ogling the half-nekkid online pics, but somehow he isn't really all that sexy onscreen. I dunno what it is. I predict he will have serious self-esteem issues when his beauty starts to fade, unless he can start, you know, finding the Beauty Within.
I've seen 7. He's very handsome, but the square muscle bro look he's rocking lately has put me off, as has the weird hair and the fact that he looks high as a kite most of the time lately. He's got terrific comedy chops (he's really good in 17 Again, and that movie is way better than it had any right to be), but I don't like most of the comedies he has chosen since Neighbors. Hairspray and The Paperboy are the best movies he's been involved in. I'm definitely intrigued to see where his career goes from here.
I've seen nine plus a TV movie he did with Mary Louise Parker and Aidan Quinn called Miracle Run when he was very young wherein he played one of a pair of autistic brothers rather well.
He almost too good looking for his own good and while he's smart to play it up now he'll need to start moving away from it soon or it won't be long before his moment's past and he's making the equivalent to whatever now passes for straight to video junk.
Of what I've seen the best were Hairspray where his contribution added a great deal to the film and Me and Orson Welles where he was okay but completely eclipsed by the brilliant turn from Christian McKay as Welles.
He is very good at comedy but it's time to try his hand at a more subtle brand of it than the idiot situational stuff he's been churning out.
I have seen two:
The Paperboy. Did not think much of the performance. Or the movie
Me and Orson Welles. Both he and movie were good.
For some reason, I've seen 11... I absolutely love Liberal Arts, though, and he's pretty funny in it. I love Hairspray too, but disliked all the rest in different levels.
HAIRSPRAY
ME AND ORSON WELLES
PARKLAND
Best,
Someone outside the demographic
He turns me into a giggling schoolgirl every time.
I saw CHARLIE ST CLOUD in the theater. lol
*hides*
meh (2)
Hairspray, 17 Again (thank you, United Airlines), The Paperboy, gifs.
I'm supposed to have seen both Neighbors by the end of the summer...as homework.
I've seen two: Hairspray and The Paperboy. He was fine in both.
He reminds me of Channing Tatum as far as hunky leading men who don't shy away from objectifying themselves and embracing comedy. But Tatum seems choosier with his projects and mixes up his genres more often rather than doing a bunch of comedies all in a row.
It's great that Efron is so cool about using his looks as so many Hollywood actors become snobs about that sort of thing, like Kit Harington complaining about being objectified or Chris Evans' manager rejecting any shirtless editorials of him. But as others here and elsewhere have pointed out, now that he's gotten so vascular, had those awful highlights for a while, usually looks high and often looks like he's wearing makeup when he doesn't need to be, he's starting to look like a creepy gay porn star.
Still, I think if he found the right musical that let him sing AND dance, his charisma and talent would really get a good workout.
Hairspray and The Paperboy.
Otherwise, just screen captures of Zac showin' off his bod.
Hairspray and Paperboy. Not because of him.
I'm sorry, I just cannot.
David - LOL. come out. it's safe here. we've all seen things that would make people raise their eyebrows.
i've only seen 8 of 18 with his best work being in Neighbors 2.. I think he's funny but the body is too much for me. vastly prefer a more natural fit look.
I have seen four (Hairspray, 17 Again, Paperboy, Neighbors). He's obviously attractive and has comic timing but I am never going to be in love, I think. Still a vast improvement on Ryan Reynolds though.
I like the guy. He actually got some chops. I think he's pretty funny in films like 17 Again and most of all, Neighbors but also has depth as films like Me and Orson Welles and The Paperboy shows he can act.
I've seen a surprising number of his films. He does nothing for me, sexually -- way too plastic-looking, and he has that weird jacked-on-top/chicken-legs dynamic -- but Neighbors *was* pretty funny.
3. At the rate of shirtlessness, he'll probably McConaughey to an Oscar in 15 years.
Liked him ever since Hairspray. Completely agree that comedy is his forte. I could see him being a solid supporting actor for most of his career. He should seek out work in strong ensemble pieces.
Only threet Zac is pretty but he needs to find a better scripts... a Tyrone Power bio would be nice - will the explore Power's bisexuality - a movie about around the world trip with good "friend' Cesar Romero would be interesting...
I've seen eight, although it may as well be seven since I honestly thought you were lying about him being in LIBERAL ARTS. Do not remember him at all. I'm sure I'll see MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES at some point. A few people I respect the opinions on pop cinema of really enjoyed it.
He's a very attractive man - and gosh, he certainly grew into himself out of that oh-so-tweeny look he had of the whispy hair and the like. But he's a bit too buff, really. Like, I enjoy looking at him from a purely sexual POV, but the unattainable nature of his body right now is a bit of a moviestar turn off.
His stabs at drama - PARKLAND was a miss, ME & ORSON WELLES an admirable decision, although I didn't too much care for the movie - show some interest. The musical with Hugh Jackman is a role he should definitely take if he ever wants to get out of his smartly curated, but it can't last forever niche of jocky comedies.
I think he was genius casting in The Paperboy and he looked really really good on Nicole. Earlier on I thought he might go the Leonardo DiCaprio route but he is not as self-important and also seemingly less talented. I'm hoping he'll surprise everyone with something really deep because he seems to be a very likable guy and a has reasonable comedic chops.