Zac Efron has carved out a nice little niche of a career for himself. Starting way back in his youth during his High School Musical series, Zac Efron took the tween world by storm. However, every child star has to grow up and transition into more adult fare. Efron is one of the few Disney stars to manage it. Here are Zac Efron’s 5 best performances so far in his career.
Link Larkin in Hairspray (2007)
Zac Efron’s role of Link Larkin was the most logical first step after his High School Musical role of Troy Bolton. Tracy Turnblad’s character needed the good-looking, boy-next-door type to crush on, and who better in 2007 than Efron? Hairspray is a clean-cut, bubbly musical that is a complete delight. The tone, the look, and the enthusiasm are all qualities that Efron perfected when he was singing and dancing with Disney.
Teddy Sanders in Neighbors (2014)
Neighbors had a brilliantly simple premise. Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne have just bought a new house and started a family. However, things do not go as planned when a rambunctious fraternity moves in next door. Efron plays Teddy Sanders, the head of Delta Psi Beta. It is a riotous good time to see Efron and his brothers torment the Radners. Teddy is all about college, his fraternity, and his brothers. However, when he realizes that is all he has and hasn’t plan for his future, his arc becomes pretty emotional. Uproarious comedies need a little heart now and then.
Mike O’Donnell in 17 Again (2009)
There are dozens and dozens of body-swap movies out there. Most of the most successful ones involve an adult actor acting like their child counterpart. Big, 13 Going on 30, Freaky Friday, and Like Father Like Son are examples where the adult playing young is outstanding. Rarely is the converse true. But in Zac Efron’s 2009 comedy 17 Again, he pulls off the kid version of Matthew Perry perfectly. His odd friendship with Tom Lennon, his inappropriate comments to his wife, and the inevitable attraction of his daughter for him is all hilarious and fun. It takes talent to pull off the young playing old premise, and Efron showed that he had the comic chops that would expand his career so well.
Matt Brody in Baywatch (2017)
Filmmakers of 2018’s Baywatch decided to partly spoof the original TV show’s weekly formula and partly transform it into a Bad Boys style action-comedy. For this, Zac Efron is perfectly cast in the role of Matt Brody. Efron is able to poke fun at his looks, his demeanor, and his presence in every second that he is on screen.
Phillip Carlyle in The Greatest Showman (2017)
The Greatest Showman is 100% the Hugh Jackman show. His portrayal of PT Barnum is tailor-made for him. However, it was very important to find the right actor to portray Phillip Carlyle because he is incredibly important to the story. Not only is he a partner and representative of the converted elite, but he becomes the love interest of Zendaya. That relationship is important because it shows acceptance of Barnum’s ragtag bunch of performers. There aren’t many actors out there that can match the charisma and go note for note with Hugh Jackman. Early on in The Greatest Showman, Efron’s Phillip isn’t quite convincing. But once Jackman and Efron begin to belt out The Other Side, you’ll be totally on board.
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