Zac Efron has become the latest teen idol to fire a shot across the I’m-a-grownup-star-now bough. In a new Interview magazine photo spread, the High School Musical star rolls around in the mud, looking — what’s the technical term? — disturbingly hot. And while he’s taken the somewhat novel step of adding a hot and naked (but tasteful, because it’s in black and white!) female model as a prop, he’s engaging in an age-old rite of passage for squeaky clean kid stars hoping to transition to more mainstream fame: There is no better way to announce your post-adolescence to the world than sexing up a photo shoot. (What would the alternative be? Shots of the now-of-age star…having a beer? voting? renting a car?)
Britney Spears hit Rolling Stone in her undies to go from Mouseketeer to Vessel of Our Infinite Attention; Jessica Biel famously broke ties with 7th Heaven courtesy of Gear magazine; Justin Timberlake announced the beginning of his world domination with a post-’N Sync RS cover still burned into our memory to this day. (Efron himself went semi-kinda risque for RS by lifting his shirt halfway for the cover last year.) And lest we forget, just last year, Miley Cyrus tested the public-outrage waters by flashing a swatch of bare back to Vanity Fair readers.
The difference: Efron’s sexy shoot here is perfectly timed — just as he’s about to hit multiplexes in his first true leading-man role, the age-reversal comedy 17 Again with Matthew Perry, and his first serious film, Richard Linklater’s Me and Orson Welles. He’s done with Disney — the next installment of the High School Musical franchise will feature a fresh cast. And, well, he’s 21 — so we don’t feel quite so dirty admitting he now has our attention.
What do you think? Is Efron’s photo shoot too steamy? Or just right?
He is so unbelievably hot. Unf!
It’s fine that he does this, and really a good idea because it keeps him in the papers and should help him transition. But it’s sad that Miley got such flack last year for something that was in and of itself tasteful (certainly more so than having a naked woman atop Zac, though it does’nt offend me!). Miley was underage, but so what? The photo was fine and really, I bet everyone would get their undies in a bunch even if Miley were of age. It’s sexism if you ask me!
Boring….Its time for vanessa to move on to a real man. He’s just trying too hard.
I think that he is so fake and poised. He never looks natural and relax. I think that he think that he will be the bigger moviestar in a year, and that is not so true. He should take lessons from Robert Pattinson.lol
He is way hot, but the photos are not that risky, none even shirtless.
that’s not the point the girl is COMPLETELY naked and he’s rolling around with her, i mean i’m not saying it wrong cuz he is old enough nut thats something you do behind closed doors like, i didn’t think he was that type of guy to take photos with a totally naked girl but it’s whatever
It’s “bow”, not “bough”
Disturbingly hot, indeed. I will never look at my daughter’s HSM stuff the same way again. Which is exactly the result he is striving for, methinks.
Just quickly making a comment before all the jealous Pattinson fangirls will invade this article too – just like every other mention of this photoshot in the last day. They have to be pretty insecure if they have to bash Zac without any reason.
No matter what others think, Zac has talent and charisma. He’ll make it – he’ll need a few years but he’ll get there.
And this photoshoot is hot, as is Zac. And there is nothing wrong with stepping it up a bit – as mentioned, he’s 21 and done with Disney.
I think he looks HOT and being 21 it is time to walk away from disney and start being your age.
He looks a little feminine. Maybe that’s his appeal. The metro-sexual type.
Don’t you have to be 25 to rent a car? I think we have to wait three more years for that photo.
Yikes. The completely nude model atop the completely clothed Zac Efron is a little bit, “huh?” for me and more than a little gratuitous. I kind of liked that he was squeaky clean. Oh well.
oh my god I’m sooo jealous of zack efron how come I can’t be stalked by crowds of ugly teenage girls? lets face it, he’s stuck with the disney brand and I don’t think they are going to do college musical anytime soon.
disney will not be happy, but the fan girls sure are
Who wouldn’t like to see a photo spread of post-Disney wunderkinds renting cars?
Seriously, though, he’s a talented young man. I hope he can put the tween mania behind him and continue on to a successful and varied career.