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Tag: Zac Efron

  • Dylan Efron Just Revealed How Close Zac Got to Getting Cast on DWTS Before Him…

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    Dylan Efron has the vote of the entire Efron family as he competes for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy on Dancing With the Stars Season 34, and that includes the support of his older brother, Zac.

    “My dad is super excited,” Dylan told Us Weekly in September 2025. “He has little kids, four and five. They’re all super excited. My mom was honestly just shocked. She’s just like, ‘Where’d this come from?’ My brother is supportive.”

    Related: See Zac Efron before and after his surgery

    As for whether Zac will be in the audience, Dylan revealed that his brother attended a Dancing With the Stars taping “a long time ago” and had a positive experience. “He’s like, ‘The best part is going to be those live shows.’ He was saying, like, it’s such a good feeling,” Dylan said before teasing whether viewers could see Zac in the crowd: “We’ll see.”

    As for whether any of his routines on Dancing With the Stars could nod to High School Musical, the Disney Channel original that made Zac a household name, Dylan shut down the idea. “No,” he said before his partner and professional dancer explained, “We’re standing our own. We’re going to do our own thing.”

    Related: See Zac Efron’s girlfriends and dating history

    In an interview with People at the time, Dylan also revealed that his mother, Starla Baskett, was originally rooting for Zac to compete on Dancing With the Stars two decades before Dylan’s own debut on the show. “My mom, her dream was Zac doing the show 20 years ago,” Dylan said. “So I’m really excited for my mom to be there.” (Dancing With the Stars premiered in 2005, a year before High School Musical‘s debut.)

    Dylan continued, “But also, my dad and my little brother and little sister. It’s gonna make me tear up to see them in the stands.”

    In an interview with People in February 2025, Dylan also explained how growing up with Zac positively affected him as an adult. “I was really shy as a kid,” he said. “I didn’t have social media until I was probably 25, 26. I was very private. And then every year, growing more and more confident, posting more on social and realizing that my life being posted on social media has led to reality [shows] being an option because I’m playing myself online.”

    Dylan also confirmed that Zac didn’t give him any advice for Season 3 of The Traitors, which Dylan won along with Gabby Windey, Dolores Catania, and Lord Ivar Mountbatten. “Zac’s an actor. If I was going into act for something, he would be the first one to give me some tips, but this is a different realm,” Dylan said. “This is more towards social media, which I do. So Zac showing his support was all I needed, but he’s not going to give me tips because he has no idea how these shows work.”

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    Jason Pham

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  • MOVIE LIST: Movie Anniversaries to Make You Feel Old

    MOVIE LIST: Movie Anniversaries to Make You Feel Old

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    In an era where everything old is new again, millennial nostalgia has reached fever pitch. Everything is a reboot or a remake or a rehash these days — from films like

    Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Mean Girls:The Musical to shows like High School Musical The Musical The Series (which catapulted Olivia Rodrigo to fame).

    Yes, IP is king, and Hollywood runs on sure bets. But also, we can’t overlook the power of a heartthrob to shape culture. And the particular brand of nostalgia I’m feeling is totally fueled by the unexpected comebacks of two early 2000s heartthrobs: Zac Efron and Chad Michael Murray.

    Efron had a surprising summer Netflix hit in his turn as a reformed celebrity playboy in
    A Family Affair. Yes, the film stars Nicole Kidman — who’s in another age-gap romance this year Babygirl, alongside Efron’s former costar Harris Dickinson. But the most headline-worthy thing about the film was the press tour. Fueled by costar Joey King’s own memories of being a High School Musical and Hairspray fan, Efron took fans through a highlight reel of his finest moments.

    From reaction videos of his most iconic scenes to brand-new revelations about decade-old performances, it was refreshing to hear Efron’s perspective. After distancing himself from the Disney bubble, Efron barely talks about his days as a teen dreamboat. But we haven’t forgotten. So this influx of information was a welcome change — and oh my god, the lore was better than I could have imagined.

    @much #ZacEfron rewatching and reacting to ‘High School Musical’ is so wholesome 😭 Via: @Vanity Fair ♬ original sound – MuchMusic

    Efron spent a lot of time reminiscing on his breakout role in the Disney Channel Original Movie
    High School Musical. From revealing that the “Getcha Head In The Game” dance number (basketball shots and all) was filmed in one take to shouting out his castmates and saying he’s up for a reunion, it was everything I never knew I needed. The most rousing revelation was when he casually dropped the fact that his most memorable — and most memed — performance of “Bet On It” in High School Musical 2 was entirely improvised.

    @netflix joey king loves high school musical-era zac efron? bet on it #AFamilyAffair ♬ original sound – Netflix

    Fans reeled at the tsunami of tea. What do you mean that every perfectly executed moment of angst in that video was improvised? Pure genius. Virtuosic commitment to the bit. “Give Zac Efron a Retroactive Oscar,” exclaimed
    The Cut. And I agree. I’ve been saying that Zac Efron needs his flowers for years. He’s our generation’s McConaughey. And he’s finally getting his due — especially since his role in The Iron Claw last year, alongside Jeremy Allen White and Harris Dickinson. With upcoming projects on the way, he’s in a verifiable career resurgence.

    But he’s not the only one of my teenage crushes experiencing a second act to their career.

    Chad Michael Murray, the brooding heartthrob who filled every millennial girl’s dreams during his time on
    One Tree Hill, has been staging a comeback of his own. While promoting his latest projects — Mother of the Bride, along with the new steamy CW series Sullivan’s Crossing — he’s been doing interviews, appearing on podcasts, and making TikToks to fuel our nostalgia — and it’s working.

    For the past few years, Murray’s been popping up in the most random media. He did a stint on
    Riverdale as a hot cult leader (I would have fallen for it too). He did a couple of Hallmark movies. But now he’s back in the mainstream and digging into this nostalgia hole alongside us.

    As he prepares to film
    Freaky Friday 2 — a sequel to the 21-year-old Lindsay Lohan flick, which is in turn a remake of the original-original 1976 Freaky Friday that starred Jodi Foster! — we’re eating it up. It’s 20+ years since the original, so Murray’s celebrating by spilling the tea on some of his best roles. He’s also been reciting some of his most memorable lines to melt fans’ hearts.

    But along with the lore, there’s gossip galore. In hindsight, some facts about backstage beef and our faves feuding have emerged. But they don’t cloud our visions of those iconic millennial dramas — honestly, the smell of drama just makes me more intrigued.

    The headline? Chad Michael Murray found himself in the middle of a love triangle between Lindsay Lohan, Hillary Duff, and Aaron Carter. Carter dumped Duff for Lohan in a move that’s reminiscent of the
    Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter drama.

    Here’s where it gets interesting. Murray worked with Lohan on
    Freaky Friday the year before A Cinderella Story. As a co-star to both starlets, he became a conduit for chaos. Long story short, they both gossiped about each other in the press — a 2000s version of subtweets or Twitter beef — and Duff barred Lohan from the A Cinderella Story premiere. Here’s hoping Duff will make it to the Freaky Friday 2 premiere.

    But it’s not just the stars who are feeling this nostalgia wave. The reunions and comebacks have created a strange new reality where millennials are simultaneously reliving their youth
    and facing their mortality. This nostalgia boom has led to some unexpected trends in the world of fashion and pop culture. Low-rise jeans are fully back and other millennial memories are being resurrected in front of them by Gen Z — raising questions about whether we’re moving forward or simply stuck in a Y2K time loop.

    The resurgence of these millennial icons, combined with the run of reunion tours sweeping the nation, has created a perfect storm of nostalgia that’s hitting millennials harder than the realization that “10 years ago” is no longer the 90s. Take the reunion of the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus being crowned a Disney legend, and even
    Justin Bieber having a baby. Everything’s a reminder that our favorite childhood stars are old now — and we are too.

    The resurrection of these cultural touchstones has sparked a new phenomenon: nostalgia whiplash. One minute, you’re belting out “Breaking Free” in your car, feeling like you’re 16 again. The next, you’re googling “Zac Efron age” and having an existential crisis when you realize he’s old enough to play the dad in movies. It’s like emotional time travel if time travel leaves you with a slight hangover and the realization that you can’t stay out as late as you used to.

    And with time, secrets often emerge. Like how when Britpop icons Oasis announced their reunion, fans took a trip down memory lane to revisit the best and worst of the Britpop/hard rock band. With time, the good seems better, and the bad just gives it layers.

    There’s no show that epitomizes this more than
    Glee. For better or for worse, Ryan Murphy changed the television landscape with this one. By making a show entirely about outsiders — namely putting queer people front and center for the first time — he was a pioneer of representation. But Glee didn’t birth a legion of gleeks for no reason — that chaotic, cursed show had a profound impact on us. Can you believe the first episode premiered 15 years ago?

    It’s been 15 years since “Don’t Stop Believing” got an update, since a whole new generation of these kids were indoctrinated into loving the musical
    Funny Girl (guilty), and the world met Lea Michele. But the past 15 years haven’t been easy. The Glee curse is just about as tragic as the Kennedy family curse.

    Stars of the show — Corey Monteith, Naya Rivera, and Mark Salling — have died. Members of the crew have also been victims of the
    Glee curse, including assistant director Jim Fuller, who died of a heart attack; production assistant Nancy Motes, who died by suicide; and Matthew Morrison’s stand-in Mark Watson, who died from a “car fire.”

    Plus, shows like
    The Price of Glee and Quiet on Set have revealed the dark truths behind some of our cherished childhood shows. That’s the price of getting older: seeing the hard truths beneath the rosy veneer.

    Yet, for all the existential crises and surreal moments, there’s something undeniably comforting about this latest wave of nostalgia. In a world that often feels chaotic and unpredictable, there’s solace to be found in the familiar chords of a Jonas Brothers song or still saying, “they did this on
    Glee” whenever you’re at a bar and a classic rock song plays.

    I often wish it could just be 2008 again, the year
    High School Musical 3 and Twilight both came out in theaters. Or better yet, Summer of 2007, when High School Musical 2 premiered on the same night as the first episode of Phineas and Ferb and the Hannah Montana Episode “Me and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas” — the epic Disney Channel crossover that inspired the best Jonas Brother song, “Lovebug.” That just might have been the best night of my life.

    But now I’m here: slathering on anti-aging treatments, considering “preventative” Botox, and checking my 401K balance. If you want to feel even older, here are some of our other teen media favorites that are having
    Significant Anniversaries this year:

    1. A Cinderella Story (20th Anniversary)

    Remember when we thought AOL Instant Messenger was the height of romance? Oh, to text Austin Ames “LOL” over AIM. Now we’re getting ghosted on the apps and no amount of fairy godmother magic can fix our dating lives.

    This flick sold us the lie that the hot quarterback was secretly a sensitive poet who’d fall for the quirky outsider. A classic tale for rom-coms but this is arguably one of the best that’s ever been executed. No Cinderella adaptation has come close to this one. Especially not
    Another Cinderella Story with Selena Gomez — though “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” was a banger. With a new Freaky Friday in the works, I’m hoping this Chad Michael Murray flick will also get its remake.

    https://www.tiktok.com/@entertainmenttonight/video/7367064189417917726

    2. Glee (15th Anniversary of Premiere)

    I’ll never forgive Ryan Murphy for giving theater kids a platform …yet they can never make me hate
    Glee. Cast feuds, diva drama, and rumors of on-set fights just add to the allure of the drama. Glee is the reason TV went from High School Musical to an even more musical high school and then further onto musical college, like Pitch Perfect. But I can still sing every Mercedes harmony in the Glee soundtrack.

    Yes, age has taught me that Mr. Schue was kind of a creepy man-child with a vest fetish who lived vicariously through his students — why were his students the only people at his wedding??? And though
    Rachel Berry was supposed to be the protagonist, we realized that being a diva doesn’t get you ahead in life. It only makes everyone hate you at the office Christmas party.

    Yet, there’ll never be anything like belting the
    Glee version of “Don’t Stop Believing” — or better yet, Jonathan Groff’s rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

    3. Mean Girls (20 years)

    20 years ago,
    fetch happened. The movie is a hallmark of millennial nostalgia, with quotes so insidious they worked their way into memes and lexicons alike. Tina Fey’s magnum opus about teenage cruelty gave us unforgettable quips and unrealistic expectations of high school hotness. Two decades later, the remake they made for Gen Z starring Renee Rapp, frankly, doesn’t come close to the original. I cherish the Lohan version even more now that I’ve seen what a trainwreck the second version is. The limits of our obsession does not exist, apparently.

    4. Napoleon Dynamite (20 years)

    Remember when random equaled funny? This indie darling made awkward cool in peak millennial humor. Nothing about this movie would fly anymore. Gen Zs probably cringe at our love for it. But when it was good, it was very-very good.. We quoted it ad nauseam, wore “Vote for Pedro” shirts unironically, and thought “ligers” were a laugh riot. Every year, more than one person donned a Napolean wig, glasses, and a “Vote For Pedro” shirt and did that dance sequence in my high school talent show. That experience can never be replicated by TikTok dances or Netflix films.

    5. Saw (20 years)

    Nothing says millennial childhood quite like a sadistic puppet forcing people into elaborate death traps. This torture porn franchise kickstarted our generation’s fascination with escape rooms and moral dilemmas. Now we’re too anxious to watch anything more intense than “Great British Bake Off.” How the mighty have fallen.

    6. The Notebook (20 years)

    The fact that
    The Notebook was 20 years ago is a testament to Ryan Gosling. He’s still managed to be relevant to the zeitgeist and one of the least awful men in Hollywood. From playing our dear Noah in this Nicholas Sparks masterpiece to playing Ken in Barbie, he is always in our hearts. In the words of Glenn Powell, “Gosling is a legend.” Cut to 2024, and we’re swiping through dating apps, wondering why our Hinge matches don’t build our houses or write us 365 letters. But we can still dream.

    7. Anchorman (20 years)

    Is
    Anchorman the boy equivalent of Mean Girls? Every non-funny man I’ve ever met thinks “Stay Classy” is a hilarious quote and witty reference. And who can blame them? At the time, Anchorman was the peak of comedy. We laughed our asses off at Ron Burgundy’s chauvinistic antics. But still liking this movie is a red flag — it’s a sign that a person’s sense of humor might not have matured beyond age 15.

    8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (20 years)

    The way stills of this movie haunted Tumblr should be examined. Pink and blue-haired Kate Winslet is admittedly still on my winter mood boards. This film was an episode of
    Black Mirror before Black Mirror. For a film about erasing our exes from our brains, it sure felt romantic at the time. Two decades later, we’re still trying to Marie Kondo our emotional baggage while stalking our high school crushes on Facebook. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet’s mind-bending romance feels more like an indie fever dream with each passing year.

    9. Spider-Man 2 (20 years)

    Have you heard about the
    Spiderman to tennis movie pipeline? Kirsten Dunst doing Wimbledon, Emma Stone doing Battle of the Sexes and Zendaya doing Challengers — I might venture to say these are the finest things to come out of the Spiderman franchise. But I have to admit, the Tobey Maguire version is a classic. The fact that we’ve been through Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland as Spiderman, plus the Spiderverse series — in the past twenty years! — is mind-boggling to me.

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    LKC

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  • Here’s Why Zac Efron’s Face Looks So Different These Days…

    Here’s Why Zac Efron’s Face Looks So Different These Days…

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    Since his viral video in 2021, fans have had questions over Zac Efron‘s face and if he’s had any plastic surgery done. Well, after a year of rumors over his face, the High School Musical star broke his silence and explained the real reason he looks so different to fans.

    Related: Meet Zac Efron‘s ex-girlfriends over the years, including Vanessa Hudgens

    Speculation over what happened to the actor’s face and whether he had plastic surgery started in April 2021 when he appeared in Bill Nye’s Earth Day Musical special for Facebook Watch, which led to questions from fans about his chin.

    “WHAT THE F—K HAPPENED TO ZAC EFRON LMAO, looks like he got stung by a bee,” Twitter user @KingAmadDiallo wrote at the time. Other users compared Zac’s face to The Weeknd’s prosthetics in his “Save Your Tears” music video. “Zac Efron was way too inspired by The Weeknd‘s face shape,” another user wrote.

    Zac’s friend, Australian talk show host Kyle Sandilands, defended him at the time, denying that he had any plastic surgery. “I would know if he’d had any plastic surgery,” Sandilands said in an episode of the The Kyle and Jackie O Show podcast at the time “It’s like getting a Picasso and having a kid finger paint all over it. Why bother?”

    So what happened to Zac Efron’s face?

    Zac responded to rumors he underwent plastic surgery on his face in an interview with Entertainment Tonight in September 2022. In the interview, Zac called the rumors “funny” and explained that his different-looking face was due to a jaw injury in 2013—not surgery. “My mom told me. I never really read the internet, so, I don’t really care,” he said.

    Zac Efron's face

    He continued, “It was funny. It sucks. I almost died, but we’re good.” Zac broke his jaw and had to have his mouth wired shut after he was running through his house in socks, slipped, hit his face on the granite corner of a fountain and lost consciousness. When he woke up, his chin bone was hanging off his face, according to Men’s Health. The injury also came around the time he tore his ACL, dislocated his shoulder, broke his wrist and threw out his back.

    Zac told the magazine in September 2020 that he does physical therapy to rehabilitate the injury, but he stopped for a time, which caused facial issues. He also explained to the magazine that the muscles in his face work together “like a symphony,” so the masseter muscles in his face, which are used for chewing, had to overcompensate for his other facial muscles not being as strong.

    While he was in Australia from 2020 to 2021, Zac took a break from his physical therapy. Around that time, he also recorded a video for Bill Nye’s “Earth Day Musical” special for Facebook Watch, where fans noticed that his chin looked different. “The masseters just grew,” he says.

    “They just got really, really big.” Zac told Men’s Health that he wasn’t even aware of the response to the size of his jaw until his mother called to ask if he had undergone plastic surgery. As for the rumors, Zac told Men’s Health, “If I valued what other people thought of me to the extent that they may think I do,” he adds, “I definitely wouldn’t be able to do this work.”

    On June 13, 2024, Zac stepped out on the red carpet at the premiere of his new Netflix rom-com, A Family Affair, looking more himself than ever. “Fillers dissolved, chin/jaw implant swelling gone….oh he’s so back,” one person tweeted. “Finally, he looks normal,” a second person chimed in about the former teen heartthrob’s face. “He looks so much better,” a third added.

    The actor’s character even acknowledged the cosmetic change in the film. “People thought that my quad [muscles] were completely fake. Like, that I got implants,” Zac’s character Chris tells Brooke in A Family Affair. “People magazine had a four page spread on my quad job. They called me the ‘quad father.’ It’s not that funny, actually, I had to sue them. But, they’re real.… I did have surgery though. Just right there [under my chin]. I fell on set onto some broken glass.”

    Some fans were still shocked at the change. “I am trying to watch ‘A Family Affair’ and I’m finding it so hard. What on earth did Zac Efron do to his face? I have tried but I can never get used to looking at it,” one tweeted. Other people were shocked by the combination of his face and Nicole Kidman’s. One person wrote, “Zac Efron’s face work makes him look as old as Nicole Kidman. It’s fascinating.”

    As for his body, Zac previously revealed to Men’s Health that he started suffering from insomnia and depression after his physical transformation for 2017’s Baywatch. “I started to develop insomnia, and I fell into a pretty bad depression, for a long time,” he said. “Something about that experience burned me out. I had a really hard time recentering.”

    Zac Efron Face

    He continued, “Ultimately they chalked it up to taking way too many diuretics for way too long, and it messed something up.” Zac told Men’s Health that it wasn’t until 2022 that he started to feel like his old self again. “That Baywatch look, I don’t know if that’s really attainable,” he said. “There’s just too little water in the skin. Like, it’s fake; it looks CGI’d. And that required Lasix, a powerful diuretic, to achieve. So I don’t need to do that. I much prefer to have an extra, you know, 2 to 3 percent body fat.”

    He recalled that it “used to be a dream” to have his body “in shape all the time.” But the changes came with a price. “What if I just say, “F**k it” and let myself go? So I tried it, and I was successful,” he said. “And for all the reasons I thought it would be incredible, I was just miserable. My body would not feel healthy; I just didn’t feel alive. I felt bogged down and slow.”

    Zac also spoke about his regret over his Baywatch body in a 2020 episode of Hot Ones. “It’s just stupid. It’s just not real. I’m happy that it worked, I’m happy that it got me through it,” he said. “Take care of your heart, take care of your brain, you’re good.”

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  • Why Was Zac Efron Hospitalized While Vacationing In Spain? Here’s What Source Has To Say

    Why Was Zac Efron Hospitalized While Vacationing In Spain? Here’s What Source Has To Say

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    The former Disney star, Zac Efron, 36, appeared to have allegedly been taken to a hospital after a “minor” incident that took place in the swimming pool during his getaway in Spain.

    As reported by People Magazine, Efron was vacationing at a villa in Ibiza, Spain, during the weekend when he decided to go for a swim with his friends in the pool at the property. The source told the aforementioned publication that Efron met with a “minor swimming incident” after that time.

    The insiders confirmed to the outlet on Monday, August 5, that the 17 Again actor’s chest hit the bottom of the pool after he dived, and as a result, water was ingested into his lungs.

    According to the outlet, the security at the villa assisted in pulling Efron out of the water after he showed signs of discomfort. The insider added that the Baywatch star was momentarily dazed, and thus he was hospitalized.

    The source said that the 36-year-old had X-rays done on his chest to make sure no water was left in his lungs. He was cleared within hours, but he waited at the hospital until the paparazzi who followed him to the hospital were gone. The High School Musical alum’s rep told the publication, “He’s fine.”

    On Sunday, August 4, Efron took to his Instagram stories to share a picture of himself, where he appeared to be lifting weights while balancing his body on top of a pink exercise ball. He wrote, “Happy and healthy,” adding, “Thanks for the well wishes.” The star is said to be back in the U.S., per the outlet.

    As reported by the publication, while the actor was in Spain, he appeared on stage with DJ Martin Garrix’s performance at the Ushuaïa Ibiza Hotel and Beach Club. Garrix uploaded a fun moment captured in a video on his TikTok account where both individuals can be seen dancing.

    As far as his professional front goes, he recently starred in a rom-com film titled A Family Affair, which was released on Netflix in June. The film also stars Nicole Kidman, Joey King, and Kathy Bates.

    We may experience nostalgia as we will get to see Efron in the Disney+ remake of Three Men and a Baby, released in 1987, along with a thrilling film titled Famous. Both projects are in the preproduction stage, according to the publication.

    ALSO READ: How Did Zac Efron Break His Jaw During Iron Claw Shoots? Explained

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  • From ‘A Family Affair’ to ‘The Idea of You’: Are These Age Gap Romances Truly Feminism?

    From ‘A Family Affair’ to ‘The Idea of You’: Are These Age Gap Romances Truly Feminism?

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    There’s a lot to be said about the new Zac Efron romantic comedy on Netflix (and when it comes to Zac, I’ll always say it), A Family Affair.

    First of all, the press tour has revealed a wealth of information about my dear Zac — and unlike with many movie stars, the more I know, the
    better. Just weeks ago, the internet was set ablaze when Zac revealed that his seminal, star-making performance of the hit “Bet On It” in High School Musical 2 was completely improvised. Beyond his critically acclaimed performance in The Iron Claw (famously snubbed by The Academy Awards), this info finally clued people into Efron’s true acting prowess.

    He also revealed that “Get Your Head In The Game” from the original
    High School Musical was shot in one take. Is there anything this man can’t do? Mastering choreography while sinking baskets and giving us some of the most iconic Disney scenes of all time? Olivia Rodrigo, watch your back, Zac Efron is coming for the crown of Disney’s biggest musical success story. It’s also refreshing to hear a male movie star speak fondly of the projects he did in his youth for younger fans — Jacob Elordi, take note.

    But beyond the revelations about the beloved
    HSM franchise — and the hints that Efron is itching to do another movie musical to recapture the magic of Hairspray and Greatest Showman — the most surprising thing about A Family Affair is that it’s kind of … good?

    Let me be clear, I watched it purely because
    I’ll watch anything with Zac Efron. I watched the recent Amazon Studios film Ricky Stanicky starring Efron and John Cena, after all, and it certainly wasn’t for the plot. I can only watch The Paperboy so many times to get my fix of him and Nicole Kidman together (I’m an Evangelist for that movie — if you haven’t seen the underrated Lee Daniels masterpiece, run, don’t walk). But I didn’t have high hopes for A Family Affair. That was my mistake. Imagine my surprise when the film wasn’t merely tolerable but quite charming.

    The reviews prove I’m not the only one who thought so.

    Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a cinematic masterpiece. Yet, I have no doubt that I’ll be returning to it as a comfort movie many times in my future. It’s funny! It’s delightful! The acting is good enough to buoy the unfathomable plotlines. And it has enough heart to justify its more outrageous elements.

    A Family Affair has officially joined the ranks of classic romantic comedies. But more notably, it’s joined the ranks of Hollywood’s latest obsession: hot young dudes paired with fabulous older women. It’s like The Graduate got a glow-up and decided to call itself feminism. And I’m all for feminism in mainstream movies — thank you, Barbie — I wonder about the limits of this genre and if it can deliver the promises it purports to make.

    What is the A Family Affair movie about?

    A Family Affair is not the 2009 Mary J. Blige song, much to my dismay. Rather, it’s Netflix’s latest rom-com effort starring Nicole Kidman and Disney Channel alum turned thirst-trap Zac Efron. At the center of their unconventional romance is Joey King, who you might know from The Kissing Booth or her awful accent in Bullet Train. Apparently, joey’s graduated from Netflix teen rom-coms to… Netflix mom-coms (you heard that term here first!)

    The premise? Kidman finds herself in an entanglement with Efron — her daughter’s famous boss. Honestly, the most unbelievable thing about this is that King’s character goes from being a pretty terrible assistant to managing a company. Some ex-assistant definitely wrote this screenplay.

    Semantics aside,
    A Family Affair is unexpectedly funny, engaging, and poignant in many ways. Just not the way it probably thinks. King goes from being wholly insufferable and selfish to learning that the world doesn’t revolve around her. Frankly, a lot more of these proto-girlboss characters need to experience the same harsh reality checks that King does in this film. Imagine if one of the characters in Lena Dunham’s Girls was told to their face that they were the worst. That’s what King goes through, and it shows a shift in the zeitgeist of narcissistic female characters paraded as simply chaotic yet relatable feminists. However, the film takes another would-be-feminist angle: the romance between Kidman, a 50-year old writer, and Efron, a 34-year-old movie star. It’s played as a feminist milestone. But is it?

    Watch the A Family Affair trailer here:

    A Family Affair is not the only film pushing this take. In the past year alone, multiple movies are tapping into this new fantasy. It’s like Eat, Pray, Love, but instead of finding yourself through travel, you find yourself through… Zac Efron’s abs. Hey, whatever works, right?

    It’s not just Netflix. Welcome to the boy-toy boom

    At the core of this sexy storyline, there’s a deeper message that’s been largely ignored by mainstream media: the idea that women can rediscover their sexuality and sense of self at any age.

    Wasn’t that the same message of the early-summer smash,
    The Idea of You, featuring Anne Hathaway getting her groove back with a character based on Harry Styles? It seems the fantasy of dating a One Direction member isn’t just for teenagers anymore. Moms can have their fan fiction-esque y/n moment, too.

    And lets not forget that Gabrielle Union, queen of 90s rom-coms, starred in her
    own version of this too in last year’s The Perfect Find. Alongside Keith Powers, she played an ambitious 40-year-old career woman making a comeback while falling in love with a younger man. Based on the book by Tia Williams, it was poorly received by critics but beloved as a comfort movie by its target audience.

    And it’s easy to understand why. There’s something undeniably empowering when women — who society often tries to make invisible — take center stage in these romantic fantasies. It’s a celebration of female sexuality that has no expiration date. It’s saying that desire, passion, and yes, even silly, giddy infatuation aren’t just the domain of the young.

    There’s been a market for this kind of story for decades. Hollywood just kind of … forgot? The essential
    Eat, Pray, Love is the epitome of the post-divorce drama. Under the Tuscan Sun is for all the women who dream of leaving it all behind and buying a house in Italy, then finding love, of course. But the real blueprint is How Stella Got Her Groove Back, in which Angela Bassett goes on a restorative vacation and falls for the younger Taye Diggs.

    Real-life seems to provide a plethora of examples of older women in recent relationships with younger men. However, from Jada Pinkett Smith’s entanglement with August to Cher and Madonna’s 39 and 35-year age gaps respectively, these might not be the greatest examples.

    Yet, we take what we can get. Let’s be real, in a world where women are constantly bombarded with messages about how to stay young, how to fight aging, how to basically apologize for daring to continue existing past the age of 40 (which is
    not that old?), these movies feel like a breath of fresh air. They’re saying: You’re not past your prime, honey. You can still snag one of the internet’s boyfriends.

    Subverting the genre

    In a way, these “reverse” age-gaps are refreshing. For decades, we’ve been force-fed the tired narrative of older men with younger women. From Bond Girls to Woody Allen’s entire filmography, Hollywood has been telling us that men age like fine wine while women don’t exist beyond 25 — just ask
    Leonardo DiCaprio.

    Even now, looking at the age difference between many actors and their co-stars gives me the ick. Some of our favorite rom-coms are guilty of this too. Kiera Knightly was just
    17 in Love, Actually. That says more than enough.

    In that sense, these new films are giving a big middle finger to that tired old trope. They’re saying, “Hey, women over 40 are still sexual beings! They can be desirable! They can desire!” And honestly? It’s about damn time. They’re starting conversations. They’re challenging norms. And, as Hathaway asserted when taking the controversial role in
    The Idea of You, just because a woman isn’t in her twenties, doesn’t mean she can’t have interesting roles. And-so. This genre is giving actresses over 40 complex, sexy roles.

    It’s also important to note that many of these films are written or produced by women. Gabrielle Union’s production company was behind both
    The Perfect Find and The Idea of You. And many of these storylines are sourced from books. So these are real women’s voices — and there’s clearly a market for it. But does that make it feminist?

    To be or not to be a feminist narrative

    While I champion the idea of women exploring their sexuality and finding themselves, why does a woman’s journey of self-discovery have to revolve around a man? Are we still saying that to be fulfilled, a woman needs to be desired? Does her journey of self-discovery need to involve a man — even if it’s a younger, hotter one?

    The problem isn’t that these movies exist. Like any sweet treat, they’re easy and comforting and scratch a specific itch. There will always be a place in my heart for Zac Efron doing anything. The problem is that this genre is being touted as the apex of feminist cinema — which is taking up space that could be used for actual feminist art. Just like
    Barbie’s fickle feminism (which I loved, but barely said anything), we’ve seen how feminism-lite can get in the way of actual radical ideas.

    Real feminism isn’t just about flipping the script — it’s about rewriting it entirely. It’s about telling stories about women who are fully realized human beings, with lives, interests, and passions that exist independently of their relationships with men (or anyone else, for that matter).

    So where does that leave us? These age-gap movies can be celebrated for giving us fresh narratives, but they’re a starting point, not an end goal. We need stories that celebrate women’s sexuality and desirability at all ages, yes. But we also need stories that celebrate women’s intellect, ambition, friendships, and personal growth — stories that recognize that a woman’s worth isn’t tied to those who need or desire her but to who she is as a person.

    So go ahead and enjoy A Family Affair and The Idea of You. Swoon over Zac Efron’s abs and Nicholas Galitzine’s accent. But remember, this is only the beginning.

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    Langa Chinyoka

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  • What to Watch on Streaming This Week: March 1-7

    What to Watch on Streaming This Week: March 1-7

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    Kate Winslet stars in The Regime. Photograph by Miya Mizuno/HBO

    From Oscar-nominated dramas to delightfully funny new series, streaming is overflowing with quality content this week. Whether you want to see Adam Sandler play introspective, Kate Winslet do her most absurd work or Joaquin Phoenix star in a historical epic, your A-list options are covered.

    What to watch on Netflix

    Spaceman 

    Adam Sandler stars in this sci-fi drama from the award-winning director of HBO’s Chernobyl. Spaceman sees Sandler play Jakub, an astronaut off on a solo mission that sees him exploring the furthest regions of our solar system. While he’s there, he realizes that he may never be able to return to the life he left back on Earth. How does he reconcile with this difficult emotional realization? Well, he talks to a strange spidery creature from the beginning of time (voiced by Paul Dano) that has taken up residence on his ship. Spaceman premieres Friday, March 1st.

    The Gentlemen

    Guy Ritchie has made a career out of snappy British crime movies, and now he’s bringing that talent to television. The Gentlemen stands as a spin-off of his film of the same name, with warring drug lords and mob bosses holding all of the power. Theo James stars as Eddie, a man who stands to inherit a massive estate from his father. However, that land belongs to one of the country’s biggest weed-growing operations, and it turns out it’s much sought-after by other members of the criminal underground. Kaya Scodelario, Daniel Ings, Joely Richardson, and Giancarlo Esposito also star. The Gentlemen premieres Thursday, March 7th.

    What to watch on Hulu

    The Favourite

    While Poor Things is on the road to racking up a few Academy Awards, it isn’t the first time that the likes of Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone, and Tony McNamara have worked together to create cinematic greatness. That would be The Favourite, a deliciously dark period dramedy that revolves around the strange reign of Queen Anne. Olivia Colman stars as the monarch, a troubled and insecure woman who relies on the attention of her woman in waiting, Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz). But when Sarah’s troubled cousin Abigail (Stone) enters the fray, it becomes a twisted love triangle for the ages. The Favourite streams starting Friday, March 1st.

    What to watch on Amazon Prime

    Ricky Stanicky

    The newest movie from comedy whiz Peter Farrelly, Ricky Stanicky revolves around a trio of best friends (Zac Efron, Jermaine Fowler, and Andrew Santino) who have come to rely on their imaginary friend Ricky well into their adulthood. Whenever something goes wrong and they need to explain it, well, it’s Ricky’s fault. But when these guys’ partners and families ask if they can actually meet the fabled friend, the men decide to hire a middling actor (John Cena) to take on the role. Naturally, the guy decides to go a bit method, meaning that Efron and co. get much more than they paid for. Ricky Stanicky premieres Thursday, March 7th.

    What to watch on Max

    The Regime

    A cutting political satire featuring an all-time great performance from Kate Winslet, The Regime is a devious and delightful new miniseries. Winslet stars as Chancellor Elena Vernham, the autocratic leader of an unnamed, vaguely Central European nation. She rules her country according to her own fleeting whims, until a strapping (and slightly unstable) former soldier comes into her life. Herbert (a hulking Matthias Schoenaerts) wins Elena and her policies over with his, er, rural charm, kicking off a political comedy of errors. Winslet is far and away the highlight of the show, serving up a fascinatingly funny performance. The Regime premieres Sunday, March 3rd. Read Observer’s review.

    What to watch on Apple TV+

    Napoleon 

    A historical drama of epic proportions, Napoleon goes big on everything. Ridley Scott boldly directs this dubiously accurate chronicle of the French ruler’s life, and it’s overflowing with action, horses and period details (it’s nominated for costume and production design at this year’s Oscars, after all). Joaquin Phoenix stars as Napoleon Bonaparte, imbuing the little corporal with his unique brand of moodiness. Vanessa Kirby plays Josephine, Napoleon’s all-but-doomed first wife who was there for his ascent to power. It’s a big, bombastic film with more than a few surprises up its sleeve. Napoleon premieres Friday, March 1st. Read Observer’s review.

    The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin

    British comedian Noel Fielding may be better known for his Bake Off hosting these days, but he returns to his oddball roots with The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin. The historical comedy series presents a fictional take on the life and times of infamous highway robber Dick Turpin. It’s sure to have the same wit and silliness as genre predecessors Blackadder and Monty Python, with good ol’ Dickie becoming the leader of a gang of outlaws despite being the least-skilled rogue of the bunch. The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin premieres Friday, March 1st.

    What to Watch is a regular endorsement of movies and TV worth your streaming time.

    What to Watch on Streaming This Week: March 1-7

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    Laura Babiak

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  • ‘The Iron Claw’ director talks tragedy, power of Zac Efron and toxic masculinity – National | Globalnews.ca

    ‘The Iron Claw’ director talks tragedy, power of Zac Efron and toxic masculinity – National | Globalnews.ca

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    The Iron Claw, starring some of Hollywood’s buzziest actors of the moment, Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White, is easily one of the most anticipated movies of the year.

    Directed by Canadian-American Sean Durkin, the film, which explores the epic highs and tragic downfalls of the Von Erich family of wrestlers, is based on a true story. Led by patriarch Fritz Von Erich (played by Holt McCallany), the movie follows the family as Fritz’s sons follow his footsteps into the ring.

    Repeated tragedies haunt the family. Even before the events on screen, the family was thought to be cursed.


    Still from the movie ‘The Iron Claw.’ (L-R) Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich, Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich, Stanley Simons as Mike Von Erich and Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich.

    Courtesy of Elevation Pictures

    The movie starts as a fun, nostalgic romp through the ’70s and ’80s, but quickly goes down a dark path and never turns back.

    Story continues below advertisement

    The Iron Claw tells a cautionary tale of toxic masculinity and intergenerational trauma, showing the lengths a son will go to in pursuit of his father’s dream, and the ultimate price paid when he fails to achieve them.

    The movie feels emotionally blunted by design, leaving viewers in a limbo of stoicism until its eventual cathartic release. The Von Erich family displays an unsettling lack of emotion, by order of its patriarch, and an unwavering devotion to wrestling excellence, even as history repeats itself in the most painful ways imaginable.


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    And yet the movie still finds time for levity. Viewers are sure to delight in the over-the-top hairstyles and costumes, ’80s graphics and ubiquitous rippling muscles. It’s impossible to not be charmed by the brotherly bond between the four Von Erich boys that grace the screen. (In real life there were five Von Erich brothers, but the stories of Mike and Chris Von Erich were combined into the character of Mike.)


    Still from the movie ‘The Iron Claw.’ (L-R) Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich, Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich, and Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich.

    Courtesy of Elevation Pictures

    As Durkin puts it, this film is a story of tragedy, survival and “athletic glory.”

    Story continues below advertisement

    Durkin told Global News that the most challenging part of adapting the true story was “just how epic the story is.”

    “They’re such a huge family and have such an unbelievable history and things that happen to them, both the athletic glory and the tragedies and everything in between.”

    He hopes that the depiction of the Von Erichs’ “extreme world of wrestling” will help people connect to the “harmful” ideas of masculinity that isolated these boys and pushed them to the brink.

    Trending Now

    “Although these ideas of masculinity have changed and things have gotten better, they’re still really dominant and really harmful,” he said.


    Sean Durkin attends the Los Angeles Premiere Of A24’s “The Iron Claw” at DGA Theater Complex on December 11, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

    Tommaso Boddi/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images

    Durkin also had praise for his cast, especially Efron, who “gave everything he had” and “fully committed” to this serious, dramatic role, a departure from Efron’s comedy roots.

    Story continues below advertisement

    “He just was amazing. He knew what it was. He knew what it had to be.”

    Durkin also noted that the film’s cast became close quite quickly, recounting how Efron and White started sparring in the wrestling ring almost immediately after meeting.

    “They got quite close wrestling because, within hours of meeting each other, they were in the ring, locking up,” Durkin said. “They just immediately hit it off and I think they both had so much respect for each other.”


    Click to play video: 'Montreal wrestling champs challenge stereotypes'


    Montreal wrestling champs challenge stereotypes




    —

    (Watch the full interview with Durkin, top.)

    ‘The Iron Claw’ is out in theatres across Canada on Dec. 22.

    &copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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    Kathryn Mannie

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  • Behind Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White's Transformations in “The Iron Claw” – POPSUGAR Australia

    Behind Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White's Transformations in “The Iron Claw” – POPSUGAR Australia

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    When photos from the set of “The Iron Claw” surfaced in 2022, fans were shocked at the cast’s drastic physical transformations. Not only did lead actors Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, and Harris Dickinson bulk up significantly to play real-life wrestlers the Von Erich brothers, but they also donned ’80s-style mullets that reflected the time period.

    The A24 film, which hits theaters on Dec. 22, chronicles the rise and fall of the Von Erichs (whose real surname is Adkisson) as well as the storied “Von Erich curse,” which refers to the family’s infamous string of tragedies. Because they didn’t interact with anyone from the Von Erich family in preparation for the film, makeup department head Elle Favorule and hair department head Natalie Shea Rose relied on director Sean Durkin for inspiration.

    “He knew what photos were from what matches, so he knew where he wanted to take each of the looks that we were creating,” Favorule tells POPSUGAR, explaining that the tight production schedule didn’t allow for each actor to have a ton of different looks. “That’s where Natalie and I were like, ‘OK, where can we hammer this down per character to have an overall arc for them?’”

    From elaborate body makeup to painstakingly detailed wigs, keep reading for all the behind-the-scenes hair and makeup details in “The Iron Claw.”

    Creating Characters Inspired by Real-Life People

    Though some cast members underwent serious transformations, filmmakers were careful not to create exact replicas of the real-life Von Erich brothers. Favorule and Rose say that instead, they strove to capture the Von Erichs’ essence in a way that looked realistic.

    “I feel like if you push it too far to look exactly like the person, it starts to pull away from [the story] a little bit,” Rose says. For example, Efron’s wig differed slightly from Kevin Von Erich’s actual hair in the ’80s. “If I matched it exactly, it wouldn’t have matched with [Efron’s] skin tone, and it would have looked wrong,” she explains. “You have to take so many factors into consideration.”

    It was a similar process for Favorule. “When it came to the costumes and things like that for wrestling, that was where they put the effort in,” she says. “They weren’t guys that wore sunscreen.” She also had to consider sideburns and facial hair “in terms of what [the Von Erichs] actually looked like and what the everyday man looked like in the ’70s and ’80s.”

    Behind Zac Efron’s Chiseled Look as Kevin Von Erich

    The dichotomy of Kevin Von Erich’s life as a professional wrestler and time spent on his family farm was reflected in Efron’s preparation on set, but subtlety was key. “His everyday look and his wrestling look were so similar but also had subtle differences,” Favorule says. “When he was wrestling, he was bronzed and glowing and perfectly shaved. On the days when we were filming at the farm, we let things go a little bit. It wasn’t as perfected.”

    These changes were so subtle that most viewers probably won’t even notice them – and that’s the intention. “We just want you to believe that this is a real guy that goes through his everyday life working hard for his family and then wrestling on top of all of it,” Favorule says.

    Rose agrees and approached Efron’s hairstyling in the same manner. “You don’t ever want to have anybody notice what you’re doing because then it takes away from the story and who they really were,” she says. “I want it to look as natural as possible.”

    Efron wore two custom-made wigs, with every individual hair laboriously hand-tied. Rose started with Efron’s natural color as a base, then added highlights until the color was just right. “We eased into it because we can’t really pull back with any of these [wigs], they’re so fragile and delicate,” she says. “They only really last a few weeks.”

    Embracing Jeremy Allen White’s Natural Hair Texture as Kerry Von Erich

    White’s natural curly hair texture is close enough to Kerry’s, so Rose used hand-tied extensions rather than creating a whole wig. “I wanted to match his natural pattern, so I bought hair that was already textured so that it blended in with his hair,” she says. Rose also notes that it was important that White’s extensions be undetectable during wrestling scenes, since his hair would be blowing in all directions, and she didn’t know where exactly the camera would be. Additionally, the production shot the wrestling sequences in one long take, during which hair and makeup couldn’t step in for touch-ups.

    White’s body makeup needed to be just as impervious due to his extensive collection of tattoos. “Normally you’ll do one fight scene or an underwater scene,” says Favorule of the tattoo cover process. “We were doing 10- or 15-minute matches over and over and over again, all day long. This couldn’t be a quick tattoo cover-up job; it needed to be flawless because he was going to get thrown around that ring.”

    Why Each Actor Required 5 Bottles of Body Makeup

    Hiding tattoos was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to body makeup on the set of “The Iron Claw.” Between makeup to cover tattoos, body oils, tanning, and fake sweat and blood, Favorule had a lot to consider while getting the actors ready.

    “You want it to be flawless, but flawless in the sense that it matches who they are, not flawless like a Ken doll.”

    “It was all about layering; the appropriate layers and the correct order,” she says. “We were using a tattoo makeup from Bluebird [FX] that we airbrushed on. I think each of the boys had four or five different bottles; the orange or coral or red that we use to knock out the [tattoo] ink color, then their base color, then the color over that we used to add their redness, freckles, or whatever the texture they had back onto their skin.” Favorule would also apply a sealant after every layer.

    Creating natural-looking texture and dimension was an important aspect of Favorule’s work. Without these steps, the actors’ skin would look jarringly perfect. “The tattoo cover can be very flat, and with all of the layers we had to add on, it gets quite thick,” she says. “You want it to be flawless, but flawless in the sense that it matches who they are, not flawless like a Ken doll.”

    Lily James Was Almost “Too Gorgeous” For Certain Beauty Looks

    Lily James’s portrayal of Pamela Anderson in Hulu’s “Pam & Tommy” proved that she’s not afraid to dramatically alter her appearance for a role. Playing Pam Adkisson, Kevin Von Erich’s wife and a veterinarian in rural Texas, required something very different, but Rose and Favorule say she was more than happy to go all in. “She really allowed us to go take her wherever she needed to be instead of trying to be super pretty or too done up,” Rose says. “She knew who the character was.”

    An early scene shows Pam and Kevin meeting after one of his wrestling matches. “We kept her very simple hair-wise because I didn’t want her to look like she was like trying too hard,” Rose says. “It wasn’t really her character. I wanted her have a natural, effortless beauty, which Lily already had.”

    In fact, James’s beauty sometimes posed a challenge. Rose recalls wanting to put the actress in a simple ponytail for a more serious scene, but it looked distractingly flattering on her.

    “Our issues with Lily kind of mirrored each other in terms of not making her too gorgeous because [the character] is a small-town girl,” Favorule echoes. “We basically amped her up and then took her back down.”

    Pam’s wedding look was one of the most memorable for Rose and Favorule. The pair agreed that they wanted her to hit the hallmarks of classic 1980s wedding style without going over the top. Rose gave James a voluminous updo, while Favorule utilized “fun, upward blush” and “eyeshadow that sat on the bone, not in the crease” to showcase the period.

    “It needs to look like her mom or her sister did it,” Rose says of Pam’s wedding glam. “She wouldn’t have had somebody come in and do her hair and makeup, they didn’t have the money like that.” In case you were wondering, yes, James is naturally blessed with full, luscious hair – Rose didn’t use any wigs or extensions on her.

    The Making of a Perfect ’80s Mullet

    It’s no secret that mullets are trending once again. Stars like Miley Cyrus and Billie Eilish have put a modern spin on the choppy, face-framing style, but as Rose points out, it’s a far cry from the harsh, almost purposefully unflattering mullets of the ’80s.

    “The mullet’s come back, but it’s a different mullet,” she says. “They didn’t look good in the ’80s. They were awful because it was just a straight cut and there was no feathering; you didn’t customize the cut. They just went and spent 20 bucks and got a blunt cut. It has come back, but there’s a reason why it’s doing so much better – it’s a better cut.”

    To stay as authentic as possible, Rose steered clear of the modern mullet and leaned into the traditional cut when creating the Von Erich brothers’ hairstyles. “I was like, ‘If it looks good, it’s gonna look bad,’” she says.

    Related: The Truth Behind How Movie Tattoos Are Made

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    Catherine santino

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  • Zac Efron’s Face Changed After This Dramatic Injury

    Zac Efron’s Face Changed After This Dramatic Injury

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    Since his viral video in 2021, fans have had questions over Zac Efron‘s face and if he’s had any plastic surgery done. Well, after a year of rumors over his face, Zac has broken his silence and explained the real reason he looks so different to fans.

    Speculation over what happened to Zac Efron‘s face and if he had plastic surgery started in April 2021 when he appeared in Bill Nye’s “Earth Day Musical” special for Facebook Watch, which led to questions from fans over his chin. “WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO ZAC EFRON LMAO, looks like he got stung by a bee,” Twitter user @KingAmadDiallo wrote at the time. Other users compared Zac’s face to The Weeknd’s prosthetics in his “Save Your Tears” music video. “Zac Efron was way too inspired by The Weeknd‘s face shape,” another user wrote.

    Zac’s friend, Australian talk show host Kyle Sandilands, defended him at the time, denying that he had any plastic surgery. “I would know if he’d had any plastic surgery,” Sandilands said in an episode of the “The Kyle and Jackie O Show” podcast at the time “It’s like getting a Picasso and having a kid finger paint all over it. Why bother?” While he hasn’t spoken much about his face, Zac has been open about the pressure to maintain a certain physique level, especially after his body transformation for 2017’s Baywatch. “I realized that when I was done with that movie, I don’t ever want to be in that good of shape again,” Zac said in an interview on Hot Ones in April 2020. “You’re working with almost no wiggle room, right? You’ve got things like water under your skin that you’re worrying about, making your six-pack into a four-pack. Shit like that it’s just not … it’s just stupid.”

    But back to Zac Efron‘s face. So what happened to Zac Efron’s face? Read on for his response to the plastic surgery rumors and what he’s said about why his face looks different.

    What happened to Zac Efron’s face?

    Zac Efron Before and After Jaw Surgery
    Image: Getty Images. Zac Efron in 2012 (Left) before jaw accident and in 2022 (Right).

    What happened to Zac Efron‘s face? Zac responded to rumors he underwent plastic surgery for his face in an interview with Entertainment Tonight in September 2022. In the interview, Zac called the rumors “funny” and explained that his different-looking face was due to a jaw injury in 2013—not surgery. “My mom told me. I never really read the internet, so, I don’t really care,” he said.

    He continued, “It was funny. It sucks. I almost died, but we’re good.” Zac broke his jaw and had to have his mouth wired shut after he was running through his house in socks, slipped, hit his face on the granite corner of a fountain and lost consciousness. When he woke up, his chin bone was hanging off his face, according to Men’s Health. The injury also came around the time he tore his ACL, dislocated his shoulder, broke his wrist and threw out his back.

    Zac told the magazine in September 2020 that he does physical therapy to rehabilitate the injury, but he stopped for a time, which caused facial issues. He also explained to the magazine that the muscles in his face work together “like a symphony,” so the masseter muscles in his face, which are used for chewing, had to overcompensate for his other facial muscles not being as strong.

    While he was in Australia from 2020 to 2021, Zac took a break from his physical therapy. Around that time, he also recorded a video for Bill Nye’s “Earth Day Musical” special for Facebook Watch, where fans noticed that his chin looked different. “The masseters just grew,” he says. “They just got really, really big.” Zac told Men’s Health that he wasn’t even aware of the response to the size of his jaw until his mother called to ask if he had undergone plastic surgery. As for the rumors, Zac told Men’s Health, “If I valued what other people thought of me to the extent that they may think I do,” he adds, “I definitely wouldn’t be able to do this work.”

    Zac Efron
    Image: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images.

    As for his body, Zac revealed Men’s Health at the time that he started suffering from insomnia and depression after his physical transformation for 2017’s Baywatch. “I started to develop insomnia, and I fell into a pretty bad depression, for a long time,” he said. “Something about that experience burned me out. I had a really hard time recentering.”

    He continued, “Ultimately they chalked it up to taking way too many diuretics for way too long, and it messed something up.” Zac told Men’s Health that it wasn’t until 2022 that he started to feel like his old self again. “That Baywatch look, I don’t know if that’s really attainable,” he said. “There’s just too little water in the skin. Like, it’s fake; it looks CGI’d. And that required Lasix, powerful diuretics, to achieve. So I don’t need to do that.” He continued, “I much prefer to have an extra, you know, 2 to 3 percent body fat.”

    Zac also spoke about his regret over his Baywatch body in a 2020 episode of Hot Ones. “It’s just stupid. It’s just not real. I’m happy that it worked, I’m happy that it got me through it,” he said. “Take care of your heart, take care of your brain, you’re good.”

    As for his dating life, Zac told Cosmopolitan in 2017 that he often asks his younger brother, Dylan Efron, for relationship advice. “If I’m dating someone, one of the few people I need to weigh in on the situation is my brother,” he said at the time. “We live together, and we’re different in a lot of ways, but he’s really grounded. He lived a more normal life than I did growing up, so he’s a great barometer for me. He’ll be like, ‘Are you sure you’re happy? Is this what you really want?’ Having my little brother around is a really great thing.

    Zac wished Dylan, who is four years younger than him, a happy birthday in an Instagram post in 2019. “Happy birthday @dylanefron! Honestly, I never in my wildest dreams, would’ve thought that the little terror, devil, monster that was my little brother would turn into my very best friend. I’m so proud of the man you are today. Let’s save the world together- one waterfall at a time. Love ya little brother!” he captioned an Instagram photo of them in a waterfall.

    Zac starred in The Iron Claw, an A24 biopic about the Von Erich wrestling family of the 80s, and the actor had to undergo a huge physical transformation, too. “In the best way possible, I did not look anything like me. It was jarring at first, but we kind of put it together piece by piece,” Efron told The Hollywood Reporter at the film’s Los Angeles premiere.

    “Individually, the wig by itself looks kind of ridiculous; by themselves, the clothes look pretty crazy. When you put them all together in the sets that our team built and get out there in the ring under those lights, it looks like the Von Erichs, man, and that was our goal. I think it added a lot to it.”

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    Jason Pham

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  • Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White and Harris Dickinson on wrestling drama The Iron Claw

    Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White and Harris Dickinson on wrestling drama The Iron Claw

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    In The Iron Claw, Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson and Stanley Simons step into the ring to portray the Von Erich brothers who made history in the world of professional wrestling in the 1980s. Their story is that of extraordinary highs and lows. Directed by Sean Durkin, the film also chronicles their personal tragedies. During a press conference attended by Filmfare, the cast and filmmaker came together to open up about the film’s making.

    Zac Efron, best known for his roles in High School Musical and The Greatest Showman, admitted that he did not know much about the Von Erichs before he came on board to play Kevin Von Erich in the biopic film. He said, “I wasn’t aware of the Von Erichs before I read the script but after speaking with Sean, it seemed like that’s too much to happen to one person or one family. It didn’t feel as much like a wrestling movie as it did a really great movie about family and loss and being able to triumph over a crazy curse. It was really deep and I still can’t believe it.”

    When asked how the film compares to the experience of filming The Bear, Jeremy Allen White, who continues to win acclaim for his performance on the show, said, “The intensity of the kitchen vs the intensity of professional wrestling – it seemed like it wouldn’t be competitive. That would be the obvious answer. But I find both industries to be very competitive and anxiety-ridden. I will say that I found the process of filming The Iron Claw was less anxiety-inducing for me than The Bear.” White plays Kerry Von Erich in the film. 

    The Iron Claw

    Triangle of Sadness star Harris Dickinson, who plays David Von Erich, opened up about going down the rabbit hole and researching for the film. He shared, “It’s really tricky because there is so much content on the brothers. There’s material to go off of and find your rhythm. But there are versions where they are in promo mode or in the ring where it’s all heightened. There aren’t enough of them just talking or at the farm or at home. We had to wonder what that might have looked like. It can get pretty obsessive. I spent a lot of time watching and listening to them. It’s a strange thing. I remember David’s nieces came up to me and said ‘You’re a British guy, how the hell did you do Dave?’ But I think it was lovely, they received it very well.”

    The Iron Claw is set to release in theatres soon.

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  • ‘Thinking about you’: Zac Efron thanks Matthew Perry in Walk of Fame speech – National | Globalnews.ca

    ‘Thinking about you’: Zac Efron thanks Matthew Perry in Walk of Fame speech – National | Globalnews.ca

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    Zac Efron spoke highly of Matthew Perry during his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, and said the late actor motivated him to reach new heights early on in his career.

    Efron, 36, was awarded a coveted Walk of Fame star in Los Angeles on Monday. During a ceremony honouring his career achievements, Efron said he had a special thanks for “someone that’s not here today.”

    Perry, who starred alongside Efron in the 2009 comedy 17 Again, was found dead in his Pacific Palisades home in October.

    Efron said the 54-year-old Friends actor was “so kind and generous with me” while they worked together on 17 Again. He said collaborating with Perry and Burr Steers, who directed the film, gave him the motivation to launch the “next chapter” of his career.

    “For that, thank you so much, Matthew,” Efron said while looking to toward the sky. “Thinking about you a lot today.”

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    Before his death, Perry said he’d like Efron to play him in a biopic about his life. In November, Efron said he would be “honoured” to play the part.

    Before 17 Again, Efron reached international fame for his portrayal of teen heartthrob Troy Bolton in the High School Musical trilogy, a project he also paid respect to on Monday. Efron gave thanks to both High School Musical director Kenny Ortega and producer Bill Borden, who were present at the ceremony.

    “You guys were both instrumental in giving me my start in High School Musical,” he said as the crowd cheered. “For that, I’m eternally, eternally grateful. I still think about it every day. I sing the songs in the shower.”

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    When a fan from the crowd shouted, “Me too!” in response to Efron’s shower admission, the star repeated Troy Bolton’s iconic line: “Go Wildcats!”

    As expected, the crowd of Efron’s fans at the event erupted in cheers.

    Actor Miles Teller, who filmed the 2014 comedy That Awkward Moment with Efron, also spoke at the ceremony, and pointed to Efron’s position in the pop culture zeitgeist.

    “For our generation, Zac was and is the first true superstar to come out of our class,” the Top Gun: Maverick star said.

    Efron’s Walk of Fame unveiling was more than just a trip down memory lane. The actor was also praised by co-star Jeremy Allen White and director Sean Durkin, whom he collaborated with for the upcoming film The Iron Claw. The biographical sports drama follows the story of the Von Erich wrestling family and the mythical “Von Erich curse” that plagued the family with tragedy.

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    White called Efron a true movie star and described his career as “prolific.”

    “He chases challenges, he chases change, he’s also devastatingly handsome, he’s kind and he’s endlessly hardworking,” White gushed.

    Trending Now

    “To me, I think he’s selfless. He’s egoless,” White continued. “It’s as if Zac Efron doesn’t know he is, in fact, a movie star. So, we’re all here to remind him, and put a big star in the ground with his name on it, so Zac will never forget.”

    Efron is the 2,767th person to be given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, according to a press release.

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    Efron said to have a Walk of Fame star is a “dream come true.”

    “I’ve been acting and singing and dancing for as long as I can remember, since I was a little boy, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d be standing here today in front of such dear friends, colleagues throughout the years and lifelong fans who have been with me since day one,” Efron said.

    The A24 film The Iron Claw will be released in theatres on Dec. 22, 2023.


    Click to play video: 'Minute at the Movies: Dec. 8, 2023'


    Minute at the Movies: Dec. 8, 2023




    &copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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  • The Iron Claw is Already the Hottest Movie of the Year

    The Iron Claw is Already the Hottest Movie of the Year

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    The SAG strike has been a long and difficult road for us all: the actors who are striking, the stubborn execs who just need to give in and make a deal already, and us, the lovers of cinema, who have had to endure so much. Movie after movie has been pushed to 2024, from Dune: Part 2 to Challengers, depriving us of not one… but two, Zendaya press tours.

    And some long-awaited shows can’t start filming, delaying their releases: White Lotus Season 3 won’t grace our screens until 2025…And the final season of Stranger Things won’t premiere on Netflix until 2027 — I genuinely don’t know if I’m going to make it.

    But thankfully, some films have reached interim agreements with SAG, allowing them to promote films that have agreed to their terms. A24 — a major indie studio that is known for its cult classics and mainstream success — is luckily in SAG’s good books, allowing films like A24’s Dicks (flop) and Priscilla (bop) to do press — hence Jacob Elordi’s recent It-boy status.

    But now, it’s time for another A24 team to take the reins, and at the helm are three certified heartthrobs: Zac Efron, Harris Dickinson, and Jeremy Allen White.

    In the words of Zac Efron in my favorite movie of all time, High School Musical 3: “The boys are back.”

    The stacked (literally … have you seen those abs) cast of The Iron Claw are playing a family of wrestlers in the 80s. You may remember the photos from the set leaking a few months ago, giving us the first glimpse of Zac Efron’s questionable wig. But now the full trailer is here, and the boys are bringing the heat.

    The Iron Claw | Official Trailer HD | A24www.youtube.com

    The press tour may have just begun, but it’s already the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. For Entertainment Weekly, the trio seductively ate a plate of ribs and all I could say was “Yes, chef!” They also talked about being naked on set and flashed their abs — making me think they knew exactly what they were doing.

    And if that weren’t enough, Jeremy Allen White was just unveiled as the cover star for this month’s British GQ. In a slew of tiny, slutty outfits, White shows off his guns, his tats, and his curly-boy hair to their full potential. With both this and EW on the stands, I will be rushing to the nearest bodega to pick up these print magazines hot off the presses.

    I am so excited for this cast, not just for their hotness, but because we have been so starved of heartthrobs who can actually pull their weight. Efron, White, and Dickinson all have some serious acting chops. Efron has been a household name since his teen years and roles like Incredibly Wicked, Evil, and Vile and The Paperboy have proven he’s more than just a pretty face — even if that face is the prettiest. He even won an Emmy for his TV show, Down to Earth.

    White has been having a smashing year with Season 2 of The Bear and his personal press campaign of paparazzi pics reminding us that he’s one of the hottest and best-dressed men in Hollywood. And though Dickinson is new to many, you might recognize him from the Cannes-award-winning film Triangle of Sadness. He was also nominated for an Indie Spirit award for his 2017 film Beach Rats and has been on my list to watch ever since.

    And believe me, I will be watching. Front row. Opening night. Iron Claw, here I come.

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  • Zac Efron Shows Off His Big Brother Skills in Rare Photo With His Baby Siblings

    Zac Efron Shows Off His Big Brother Skills in Rare Photo With His Baby Siblings

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    Zac Efron loves reporting for big brother duty. On June 29, the actor threw it back to his “Greatest Showman” days when he took his little sister Olivia, 3, and baby brother, Henry, to Circus Vargas in his family’s hometown of San Luis Obispo, Calif. He captioned his Instagram post, “Showtime,” and added a clown emoji in for good measure.

    In the photo, Zac wore a bucket hat with his sunglasses perched on top (no bowl cut in sight). The proud big brother grinned has he held one sibling on each hip. Meanwhile, his little siblings wore matching smiles as their big brother carried them around the circus.

    Zac also shared a video from inside the circus on his Instagram Stories. In the video, little Olivia sat on her brother’s lap as they watched an aerial performance. Henry sat with his dad, David Efron, who joined his kids for their day out at the circus. The “High School Musical” actor’s other brother, 31-year-old David Efron, couldn’t join his family for their outing, but he still popped in to comment two red hearts on his big brother’s post.

    This isn’t the first time Zac has shared photos of himself hanging out with his little siblings. Despite their age difference, the actor appears to have a special bond with his kid sister and baby brother. On Valentine’s Day, he shared a snap of Olivia sitting next to him and cuddling a stuffed wolf while he read her a bedtime story. He captioned his post, “My valentine.” And in December, he celebrated his sister’s third birthday with a sweet post captioned, “Happy bday lil sis.”

    While Zac clearly enjoys hanging out with his younger siblings, they haven’t inspired him to start thinking about becoming a dad just yet. During a 2022 appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” he explained he’s not ready to be a dad. “I have a little bit more growing to do, probably,” he said. “I don’t know. Not yet.”

    See Zac’s adorable photo with his siblings ahead.

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  • An Animated Debate: Which Feature Will Bring Home the Oscar?

    An Animated Debate: Which Feature Will Bring Home the Oscar?

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    This was such a good year for animation. Last year it truly boiled down to “Encanto vs. Mitchells”, but the field is wide open, so let’s run it down with the help of Vareity!

    With Disney/Pixar, we have Turning Red, a critical darling. Not commercial, because Disney didn’t give it a wide release….and Lightyear and Strange World, both of which did receive wide releases, flopped, and are non-entities in this race. Turning Red, which marks the first from Pixar to be solely directed by a woman, has received critical acclaim for Shi’s depictions of female friendships and the mother-daughter relationship.

    OP Note: TR is still probably my favorite film of the year.

    Netflix has quite a lot, including The Sea Beast, their most successful animated film to date. There’s also My Father’s Dragon, the latest from Cartoon Saloon, which hit the platform with a mild splash. Of course, there’s Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, which is almost guaranteed to place in the nominations.

    The article does not, however, mention Henry Selick’s Wendell and Wild.

    OP Note: Sea Beast was fine enough, and GDT’s Pinocchio was really cool. Nice to see a multitude of stop motion available, sad W&W isn’t getting more attention.

    GKIDS missed a nomination last year with Belle (tip: the soundtrack is amazing), but with Inu-Oh already being nominated for a Golden Globe, maybe they can take it all the way (and give us a US release, y/y?).

    Did you, like most people, forget Dreamworks Animation had not one, but two films this year? The Bad Guys had a fairly slow rollout worldwide with it’s soft, almost Spider-verse-esque style for a bunch of criminals. It sadly seems to have sunk out of the public conciousness. Meanwhile, the sixth entry into the Shrek franchise, Puss In Boots: The Last Wish, may be 11 years too late, but it was worth the wait, with very positive reviews, and a bombastic artstyle and story that stops just short of saying memento mori.

    OP Note: Ok, maybe Puss in Boots is my favorite this year?

    Welcome to the animation side, A24, and welcome Marcel The Shell With Shoes On. I didn’t like it. But I’m glad another stop motion/live action hybrid is making the rounds, and is winning a lot of smaller circuits!

    src –> ft Apple and their John Lasseter film.

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  • Discussion for The White Lotus S2 finale

    Discussion for The White Lotus S2 finale

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    Discussion for The White Lotus S2 finale

    2×7: Arrivederci
    Albie asks Dominic for a karmic payment to help Lucia. Tanya grows wary of Quentin’s motives. Ethan confronts Cam.


    Meghann Fahy

    Mike White

    Haley Lu Richardson

    1 2 3 4

    ONTD, who did you hope were the murder victims (multiple choice so pick as many as you like)?

    Who do you hope is the returning character in S3?

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    silverstarry

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  • How to Navigate The Heartthrob to Hollywood Transition

    How to Navigate The Heartthrob to Hollywood Transition

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    “Being in such a specific pigeonhole right now, it’s very strange,” Pattinson told Vanity Fair in 2011, a person couldn’t swing a vampiric baseball bat without hitting a Team Edward shirt. “Having a persona people recognize, it’s the thing that probably gets you paid the most—but it’s also the thing that virtually every actor in the world doesn’t want. ’Cause, like, no one would believe me if I wanted to play something ultra-realistic, like a gangster or something.”

    In the decade since Twilight’s final installment, Pattinson worked to prove just the opposite and undo his teen heartthrob status, trading mainstream fare for challenging roles in films from David Cronenberg, Werner Herzog, Claire Denis, and Nolan. And yes, he even got to play that “ultra-realistic” gangster in 2017’s Good Time, a hard-boiled thriller directed by Benny and Josh Safdie. Pattinson’s blockbuster origins and recent indie presence collided for his weirder, more detached take on Bruce Wayne in The Batman earlier this year. 

    Dwayne Johnson: Lean Into Your Strengths

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    Nearly two decades before Johnson was considered a presidential contender, not to mention one of the biggest stars in the world, it was unclear if he would even be taken seriously as an actor. He was credited only as The Rock, his professional wrestling name, for his first several films, including The Mummy Returns and The Scorpion King. At times, Hollywood struggled with which space to slot Johnson into—testing him as a family-friendly lead in The Game Plan and Tooth Fairy and brawny supporting player in comedies like Get Smart and The Other Guys. But it was his casting in the Fast & Furious franchise as Hobbs, a character he’s played in five films and a spin-off, that first truly tapped into Johnson’s built-in action-star charisma.

    At the time, Johnson says he reinvisioned his career around fellow heartthrobs turned movie stars like Will Smith and George Clooney. “I said, ‘Those are the guys who are on top. And I don’t know how, but I feel like if we can all go shoulder to shoulder on this, I feel like there’s a pathway to that kind of success, only different and maybe better or bigger,’” he told Vanity Fair. With box office smashes such as Jumanji, San Andreas, and the recently released Black Adam, it appears that Johnson’s vision has been realized to the tune of $430.4 million in box office receipts in recent years. 

    Zac Efron: Explore Different Genres

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  • Ariana Grande Is Completely White Again?

    Ariana Grande Is Completely White Again?

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    Ariana Grande Is Completely White Again?

    Gurl, your blackfishing was off the charts in the seven rings era and your recent plunge into “asian” was something else.

    Everyone knows you’re trying it because you’re playing Glinda in a two-movie attempt at a block-buster that I’m betting is gonna flopp-

    But, I’m not having it.

    SHE ACTUALLY HAS THE NERVE TO CALL THIS MAKE-UP RELEASE “MOD VANILLA”.

    For those of us that still remember and have eyes to see…

    SOURCE

    ONTD are you multi-racial?

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  • Leave Zac Efron Alone!

    Leave Zac Efron Alone!

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    Zac Efron, I believe, is one of the only true heartthrobs of our time. I’ll die on this hill.

    Who else do we have? Austin Butler in Elvis? Keep him. Jacob Elordi in Euphoria? He may be super tall, but don’t insult me. Timothee Chalamet? Okay, I’m listening.

    But no matter which White Boy of the Month you have on rotation, Zac Efron is the north star of millennial and Gen-Z hotness. He was a revelation in High School Musical (no, I will not watch that Olivia Rodrigo x Joshua Bassett spin-off), and actually, don’t get me started on Baywatch.

    It seems impossible, but Zac Efron is more than just his looks! My king keeps to himself, goes to the gym or whatever, and only resurfaces when he has an upcoming project. In the words of culture writer Hunter harris, I love a man with a job!


    His latest project: Down to Earth

    Down to Earth: Season 2 is Zac Efron’s answer to Bear Grylls. Season 1 saw him travel across the world to experience nature and carbs. Like, seriously. He cried eating pasta in Italy for the first time in years. Who could blame him?

    The recently released Season 2 finds Efron in Australia, where he was trapped during lockdown — an experience that made him fall in love with the country, its wildlife, and its cultures. The first season was even awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Daytime Program Host.

    This season starts with a welcoming ceremony, in which Zac explores Aboriginal land and is welcomed by elders in his quest to learn. It’s an important moment that acknowledges the history of colonialism and pays tribute to the original custodians of the land. And then the adventures commence.

    After the last season of Down to Earth – which I, of course, watched in one sitting – Twitter revealed its true evils as body shamers came out of the woodwork. People commented on Zac’s “dad bod,” and while some meant it as a compliment (we all like what we like), others were lamenting his less-chiseled frame.

    To be clear, a less-chiseled Zac Efron is more shredded than most people could ever hope to get in their lifetime. But even so — leave Zac alone! You come to me … on the day of my man’s series premiere … and talk about his body? The disrespect! I mean, the man cried over pasta. We could all cut him some slack.

    But Zac Efron’s body is not the only thing to have taken verbal — and physical — hits over the past few years. He’s been the subject of much online speculation for quite some time now.

    First things first … the plastic surgery allegations?

    Many celebrities are subject to rumors about what they have and what they have not done to their faces. Bella Hadid recently finally opened up about her nose job. And even Joe Jonas admitted to getting filler. It’s a brave new world.

    But when pictures of Zac Efron looking unrecognizable surfaced, they begged the question: was this plastic surgery gone wrong?

    In April 2021, Efron appeared in a Facebook Watch video entitled Earth Day! The Musical. Screenshots from this circulated and fans went crazy. BBL Zac? Botox, the Musical? The rumors were endless. But turns out, the answer to his strange appearance was way, way scarier than botched fillers.

    Zac finally opened up about the rumors in a Men’s Health interview. Turns out, our social media-averse king didn’t even know about the rumors for a while. But he quickly put them to rest. It was plastic surgery … kind of. But it was reconstructive surgery after a major accident.

    “He’d been running through his house in socks and slipped, smacking his chin against the granite corner of a fountain. He lost consciousness, and when he woke up, he recalls, his chin bone was hanging off his face,” revealed Men’s Health.

    As for his jawline? “The masseters just grew,” he says, shrugging. “They just got really, really big.” Maybe we should take a lesson from Zac and mind our business a little more — not to mention show a little compassion. “If I valued what other people thought of me to the extent that they may think I do,” he says, “I definitely wouldn’t be able to do this work.”

    But, since I am in the business of not minding my business, there is one more thing to discuss: the recent viral photos of Zac Efron with the most atrocious hair.

    Breaking My Silence: Zac Efron’s Wig

    Usually, when new photos of Zac Efron drop, I see fireworks and hear Barbara Streisand’s “My Man” playing on loop in my head. No further questions.

    But when new photos from Zac Efron’s A24 production dropped … the record scratched. Instead, I heard that vintage Vine sound: “Oh no, baby, what is you doing?”


    The now-viral photos were taken from the set, where Zac Efron is in jorts (that part, I enjoyed) and an atrocious wig. He looked like a yassified Lord Farquaad. My jaw was on the floor, and not in a good way.

    Is this method acting? If it is, I don’t like it. For his new role in The Iron Claw, Zac has transformed into the wrestler the Golden Warrior, aka Kevin Von Eric. Alongside him, Harris Dickinson (now that I think of it, another heartthrob) will play his brother, David Von Erich, and Jeremy Allen White, aka Carmy from The Bear, will play Kerry Von Erich. I can only hope they do not do to them what they did to Zac. How much more can a girl take?

    But in this case, I will take my own advice and trust the process. You best believe I will be front row in the theatre when the film is released. For now, I’ll watch Down to Earth and remember that what matters isn’t what’s on the outside. It’s what’s underneath that wig.

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  • Zac Efron’s Net Worth Isn’t as ‘Down to Earth’ as His Show—But He’s Making the Most of It

    Zac Efron’s Net Worth Isn’t as ‘Down to Earth’ as His Show—But He’s Making the Most of It

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    Without a doubt, Zac Efron’s net worth doesn’t exactly fit into the titular mission of his latest Netflix series, Down to Earth with Zac Efron. But that doesn’t mean the star isn’t aware! The Disney Channel alum opened up in his new docuseries about the woes of fame and fortune, admitting that his experience isn’t always what it’s chalked up to be.

    The series, which stars wellness guru Darin Olien as Zac’s trust co-host, sees the pair traveling around the world in search of better models of healthy living and sustainability. In one episode, Zac admits that he wants to “get out of Hollywood,” after realizing that it’s “not conducive” to a “long, happy, mentally-sound life.”

    The episode in question sees Darin and Zac traveling to Sardinia, Italy—home to the world’s highest centenarian population (a.k.a., people who live past 100). In exploring the secrets to their long and healthy life, Zac begins to see his own life differently. “I’ve learned so much here, including that the secret to a long, healthy life is not just one thing, it’s many,” the Baywatch star says. “One major takeaway from this experience is that the locals maintain a low-stress, yet active lifestyle well into old age.”

    “I’m definitely looking at my life a whole new way,” he tells Darin. “I gotta get out of Hollywood, I’m done. It’s not a place conducive to living a long, happy, mentally-sound life.”

    While the star also admits he’s not planning to leave his acting career behind for good, he does consider the benefits of a move to somewhere new. “I love California, I just think that dense population of people and city life is clearly not leading to many centenarians,” Zac says.

    “The nature of being an actor or being in the public eye, sort of leads to isolation at times,” he adds. So while Zac Efron’s net worth has definitely benefitted from his celebrity career, his mental health hasn’t always fared so well.

    But there’s a plus to Zac Efron’s net worth in this situation, too—namely, it gives him the flexibility to move wherever he wants in the world. The star has recently been laying low in Australia, perhaps escaping some of the “isolation” that he originally feared (it is believed that Down to Earth season 1 was filmed sometime in 2018). Now, Zac Efron’s net worth has certainly come in handy as far as that goes. Here’s how much the actor has to burn through, should he choose to really “quit” Hollywood altogether.

    How much did Zac Efron make for High School Musical?

    High School Musical 3

    Image: Walt Disney Co./courtesy Everett Collection.

    Chances are you learned about Zac Efron after he starred as teenage heartthrob Troy Bolton in Disney Channel’s High School Musical franchise. But the truth is, the films weren’t always expected to be a hit. Multiple sources suggest that Zac was only paid around $100,000 for the first movie. Once HSM became the most commercially successful Disney Channel Original Movie (!!!) however, things began to look up for the young star.

    By High School Musical 3: Senior Year, Zac was making an estimated $3 million to $5 million. The major paycheck bump meant Zac was making the most out of anyone in his cast.

    In an interview with E! News in 2022, Zac revealed he’d be open to playing his High School Musical character, Troy Bolton, again. “Of course, of course. I mean, to have an opportunity in any form to go back and work with that team would be so amazing. My heart is still there. That would be incredible. I hope it happens,” he said at the time. In 2016, Variety reported Disney Channel had started casting on a High School Musical 4 movie, which planned to introduce a new cast of characters. “The potential movie is described as continuing the story of High School Musical, while introducing new East High Wildcats and their cross-town school rivals, the West High Knights,” Variety reported at the time.

    Though conversations around High School Musical 4 slowed down, Disney Plus premiered a TV spinoff of the franchise, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, in 2019. The show starred Olivia Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett and other actors as students at a fictional version of East High School as they performed school musicals, including a production of High School Musical. High School Musical actors Lucas Grabeel and Kaycee Stroh made cameos as themselves in the first season, while alum Corbin Bleu had a main role in season 3. In September 2022, Disney confirmed that a fourth High School Musical movie, titled High School Musical 4: The Reunion, was in the works. “On their first day back, the principal announces that Disney has decided to make the long-awaited High School Musical 4: The Reunion movie on location at their beloved high school, and our Wildcats will be playing featured extras in the movie,” Disney’s description read. The announcement came after Zac posted an Instagram photo of him in front of East High School with the caption: “Don’t you…Forget about me.”

    How much did Zac Efron make for The Greatest Showman?

    Image: Everett Collection.

    While Zac Efron’s role in HSM definitely put his name on the map, the star has taken that career success and used it to grab a handful of other lucrative opportunities. Since the franchise wrapped, Zac has starred in plenty of other films from Doctor Seuss’ The Lorax, Neighbors, Hairspray, 17 Again, and yes, 2017’s The Greatest Showman. 

    While it’s unclear how much exactly Zac made from Showman, we know the film grossed a whopping $439 million worldwide—so we can expect his paycheck was easily in the millions, too. For comparison’s sake, Zac’s starring role in 2009’s 17 Again earned him $1 million alone.

    What is Zac Efron’s net worth?

    Zac Efron

    Image: Michelle Quance/Variety via Getty Images.

    What is Zac Efron’s net worth? Zac Efron’s net worth is $25 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Along with what he made from the High School Musical movies, The Greatest Showman and Down to Earth, Zac Efron’s net worth also includes his earnings from other blockbusters, such as 17 Again, Hairspray, Baywatch, Neighbors, The Lucky One and Dirty Grandpa. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Zac was paid $1 million to star as Matthew Perry’s younger self in 2009’s 17 Again. The site also reported that Zac was paid $100,000 for star as Link Larkin in 2007’s Hairspray, which was one of his first mainstream movie roles after High School Musical.

    In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2016, Zac looked back on his success as a child star and how it affected him, for better and for worse. “No matter who you are, you face challenges growing up,” he said. “You go with your things, you learn, you have to. It’s impossible to lead an honest and fulfilling life as a man and not make mistakes and ‘fess up to them when you need to. But it’s especially humiliating when they happen to be so public and so scrutinized.” He continued, “When you have success young, and you accept the good things, you have to accept all of it. You have to accept the moments of glory but also a great responsibility. And that responsibility, to some degree, involves being a role model. At the same time, I’m a human being, and I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I’ve learned from each one.”

    Zac also opened up about his struggle with alcohol and drug abuse at the time, which led to stint in rehab. “I was drinking a lot, way too much,” he said, acknowledging there were drugs, too. “It’s never one specific thing. I mean, you’re in your 20s, single, going through life in Hollywood, you know? Everything is thrown at you. I wouldn’t take anything back; I needed to learn everything I did. But it was an interesting journey, to say the least.”

    Down to Earth with Zac Efron is available to stream on Netflix.

    Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

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    Jenzia Burgos and Jason Pham

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  • Today in History: October 18, U.S. gets Alaska

    Today in History: October 18, U.S. gets Alaska

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    Today in History

    Today is Tuesday, Oct. 18, the 291st day of 2022. There are 74 days left in the year.

    Today’s Highlight in History:

    On Oct. 18, 1867, the United States took formal possession of Alaska from Russia.

    On this date:

    In 1648, Boston shoemakers were authorized to form a guild to protect their interests; it’s the first American labor organization on record.

    In 1892, the first long-distance telephone line between New York and Chicago was officially opened (it could only handle one call at a time).

    In 1898, the American flag was raised in Puerto Rico shortly before Spain formally relinquished control of the island to the U-S.

    In 1954, Texas Instruments unveiled the Regency TR-1, the first commercially produced transistor radio.

    In 1962, James D. Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins were honored with the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology for determining the double-helix molecular structure of DNA.

    In 1968, the U.S. Olympic Committee suspended Tommie Smith and John Carlos for giving a “Black power” salute as a protest during a victory ceremony in Mexico City.

    In 1969, the federal government banned artificial sweeteners known as cyclamates (SY’-kluh-maytz) because of evidence they caused cancer in laboratory rats.

    In 1972, Congress passed the Clean Water Act, overriding President Richard Nixon’s veto.

    In 1977, West German commandos stormed a hijacked Lufthansa jetliner on the ground in Mogadishu, Somalia, freeing all 86 hostages and killing three of the four hijackers.

    In 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum, 26, was taken off life support six days after shooting himself in the head with a pistol loaded with a blank cartridge on the set of his TV show “Cover Up.”

    In 2001, CBS News announced that an employee in anchorman Dan Rather’s office had tested positive for skin anthrax. Four disciples of Osama bin Laden were sentenced in New York to life without parole for their roles in the deadly 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa.

    In 2010, four men snared in an FBI sting were convicted of plotting to blow up New York City synagogues and shoot down military planes with the help of a paid informant who’d convinced them he was a terror operative. (James Cromitie, David Williams, Onta Williams and Laguerre Payen were each sentenced to 25 years in prison.)

    Ten years ago: The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York ruled that a federal law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman was unconstitutional. (The following June, the Supreme Court would use that case to strike down provisions keeping legally-married same-sex couples from receiving federal benefits that were otherwise available to married couples.)

    Five years ago: President Donald Trump rejected claims that he had been disrespectful to the grieving family of a slain U.S. soldier in a phone call to the family. Instead of accepting awards at the CMT Artists of the Year show in Nashville, singer Jason Aldean and other stars honored the victims of the mass shooting at a country music festival in Las Vegas.

    One year ago: Colin Powell, a trailblazing soldier and diplomat who was the first Black person to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and also the first to serve as secretary of state, died at 84 of COVID-19 complications. Jury selection got underway in the trial of three white men charged with fatally shooting a Black man, Ahmaud Arbery, as he was running in their Georgia neighborhood. (All three would be convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.) Attorneys said the families of those killed, wounded and scarred in the 2018 Florida high school massacre had reached a $25 million settlement with the Broward County school district.

    Today’s Birthdays: College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka is 83. Singer-musician Russ Giguere is 79. Actor Joe Morton is 75. Actor Pam Dawber is 72. Author Terry McMillan is 71. Writer-producer Chuck Lorre is 70. Gospel singer Vickie Winans is 69. Director-screenwriter David Twohy (TOO’-ee) is 67. International Tennis Hall of Famer Martina Navratilova is 66. Actor Jon Lindstrom is 65. International Hall of Fame boxer Thomas Hearns is 64. Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme is 62. Jazz musician Wynton Marsalis is 61. Actor Vincent Spano is 60. Rock musician Tim Cross is 56. Singer Nonchalant is 55. Former tennis player Michael Stich (shteek) is 54. Actor Joy Bryant is 48. Rock musician Peter Svensson (The Cardigans) is 48. Actor Wesley Jonathan is 44. R&B singer-actor Ne-Yo is 43. Country singer Josh Gracin is 42. Olympic gold medal skier Lindsey Vonn is 38. Jazz singer-musician Esperanza Spalding is 38. Actor-model Freida Pinto is 38. Actor Zac Efron is 35. Actor Joy Lauren is 33. U.S. Olympic and WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner is 32. TV personality Bristol Palin is 32. Actor Tyler Posey is 31. Actor Toby Regbo is 31.

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