So let me get this straight — Zac Efron, that guy who was in all those High School Musical movies and 17 Again, has spent the last several years starring in indie films? Okay, I actually knew that already, but it’s still pretty surprising considering he probably still had five or so years left of milking teen heartthrob movies but instead chose to do more under the radar projects like Liberal Arts, The Paperboy, and At Any Price. The latter co-stars Dennis Quaid and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
When asked on the red carpet by the Huffington Post why he has gravitated toward independent films, Efron answered, “I don’t know. I’ve been doing a lot of interviews with Dennis and his words of wisdom are sort of just fresh in my mind. Dennis says the only role he sort of had for himself in this career is to do as many different types of movies as possible and never stop stretching or trying something new, particularly roles that challenge you. And working with great directors. That’s really all I want to do.”
It’s clear that Efron really did listen to Quaid, because when asked for his take he answered, “The only strategy I’ve ever had is to play as many different types of roles as possible.”
Sounds like that’s very good advice for a young actor. At the very least, I think Efron fans should be grateful that he’s taking advice from Dennis Quaid, not Randy Quaid. He would have a very, very different career path then…
