'It’s got to be weird': Zac Efron reflects on his journey from Troy Bolton of Disney's 'High School Musical' to 'The Iron Claw'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Zac Efron, the dancing, singing, and skilled basketball player from ‘High School Musical’ franchise said yes to Darren Aronofsky’s ‘The Wrestler.’

This marked a turning point for the young actor, leading him to roles in 'Hairspray' alongside John Travolta, '17 Again,' and a notable shirtless photoshoot for Rolling Stone magazine.

When Zac decided he would be an actor

Discussing Mickey Rourke's performance, Zac Efron expressed his career aspirations to his father after watching the film.

He revealed, “That film impacted me in a really specific way. I was watching it with my dad, and I remember looking at him at that moment, saying, ‘That’s what I want to do. That’s where my heart is.'"

The star acknowledged that it wasn't initially easy for his parents to understand his decision. He remarked, “It’s got to be weird. Watching your child go through the more challenging route. I know that at times they had to be thinking, ‘He shouldn’t even do this stuff.’"

He has always taken up challenging roles and played different characters, which has helped me survive in this ruthless industry for 15 years, as per Variety.

Jeremy Allen White on working with Zac in 'The Iron Claw' 

Regarding their latest project, 'The Iron Claw' by Sean Durkin, co-star Jeremy Allen White remarked, “Getting into this, I wondered if there would be this quiet competition between us men, mimicking the relationship between these brothers.”

“But Zac would push us to do better scene work and was a cheerleader in a way that I didn’t really expect. He was consistently patting us on the back and picking us up,” he added.

Since there is no guarantee that the movie will be a hit no matter how hard to put in the process, the 36-year-old has a way.

“I’ve always sought out opportunities where the potential failures might outweigh the benefits,” Efron feels. “I could very well fuck this up.”

Talking more on this movie, Zac added, “We’re supposed to be having fun. I have to remind myself that this should be fun above all else. If being a perfectionist is going to be the thorn in my side from this point on. It’s like, jeez — life is way too short.”