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Does Zac Efron Have the Potential To Be the Next Generation-Defining Actor?
Okay, this has been on my mind lately and I figured that maybe I should finally talk about it. Lots of people rag on Zac Efron and like a lot of the Spill Crew, I genuinely think that he's talented especially after seeing 17 Again. He was actually really good in that and pretty much carried the movie with skill and charisma.
I absolutely HATED Zac Efron back in the day when he was doing all that High School Musical shit and I desperately wished that he would go away. Much to my disappointment at the time, after Hairspray, he blew up even more. It wasn't until the Spill Crew reviewed 17 Again and Me and Orson Welles that I started to think that maybe there was something to this actor besides the "pretty boy" aspect and the fact that he was getting all the girls' attention.
That was probably because I hadn't realized that those other people that hated Efron hated lots of other actors that are now considered some of Hollywood's best. I guess all of Hollywood's modern pop/tween stars had to start somewhere and then had to make a bold choice that could've risked or even destroyed their image and career. It never crossed my mind that people bagged on Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt or Leonardo DiCaprio or Heath Ledger back in their early days. It never even occurred to me that Shia LaBeouf was in the same sort of situation as Efron is now.
I guess every big young star has to go through something like 21 Jump Street, Cool World, Titanic and Romeo + Juliet, and 10 Things I Hate About You and the baggage that guys throw at you for it before they can do their Dead Man, 12 Monkeys, Gangs of New York, or Dark Knight. Even Shia LaBeouf has had some tormented character work in the independent film A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints which was vastly overlooked and forgotten.
Even a badass like Christian Bale started out with movies like Swing Kids and Little Women before he did mind-bending, bold, and daring roles like American Psycho and The Machinist. Yet another example of this is the wonder that is Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I feel that a lot of people tend to forget that Joseph Gordon-Levitt had co-starred with Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You when he was a rising child star. While Heath Ledger got more attention, it got Gordon-Levitt notice as a teen star. It's only in the past five years that he's proven how incredible he is with Brick, Mysterious Skin, The Lookout, and obviously his two most recent name-making roles in (500) Days of Summer and Inception. As of now, I have not seen Zac Efron's new movie called Charlie St. Cloud but I plan to for a couple of reasons.
- I really want to see what this guy can do as an actor more and with the trailer and premise of Charlie St. Cloud, it seems like a project that could show what Efron could have potential to be as an actor.
- Despite the low ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, the trailer caught my eye and peaked my interest.
- I read Carlyle's (Massawyrm) review on Ain't It Cool News and he said that he really liked it and that's a very good sign because our opinions on movies tend to be compatible almost all the time and I say almost. He even says that the movie is "a huggably sweet Twilight Zone episode".
So, does Zac Efron have what it takes to be the actor that defines his generation like Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Heath Ledger before him? Well, I say ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY!! People say that he needs to start straying away from the pop image and start doing bolder and darker roles like the four men mentioned above. I say that he has lots of time to do exactly that. Then again, I might be cursed if Efron tragically ends in a similar way to Heath Ledger but I have high doubts that that will happen to Efron because Heath Ledger's tragedy was a one-in-a-million thing that happens to young stars.
I say that he has lots of time because Johnny Depp made Dead Man when he was 32. Brad Pitt made 12 Monkeys when he was 32 also. Leonardo DiCaprio made Gangs of New York when he was 28. Heath Ledger made The Dark Knight when he was 27 or 28. Christian Bale made American Psycho when he was 26 and The Machinist when he was 30. Joseph Gordon-Levitt made Brick when he was 24, (500) Days of Summer when he was 28, and Inception when he was 29. So, the average age of an up-and-coming teen idol/actor to make that daring and sometimes dark and disturbing role and becoming a superstar is 28.5 years old. So, Efron has plenty of time to cater to his own audience for a while before he's expected to make any daring or bold decisions in picking a transcendant role that makes him the poster boy for his generation of Hollywood actors. Zac Efron's only 22 years old. So, I'm betting that we'll see that huge transcendant role in about 5-10 years from now. But, for now he'll just cater to his own audience because it's the safest move he can make for his career.
But ultimately, I think he holds the key to this generation of actors and I do think he'll become his generation's Brad Pitt. I also think that Shia LaBeouf will make his big transcendant role in the next few years. So, whether you like it or not, Zac Efron and Shia LaBeouf mainly hold the key to being the superstars of tomorrow and the leading men to watch of the future.
Comment
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Comment by Caleb Kahn on August 5, 2010 at 6:21pm -
@QbanKnight I know that's almost exactly what I'm saying.
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Comment by Ha-Ra on August 2, 2010 at 11:13pm -
He's got time and the makings of another DiCaprio, Ledger, or Depp. But let's not count our chickens before they hatch shall we? First, he needs to do a truly fucked-up roll, or anything that has an insane amount of dept. Me and Orson Welles was a positive step forward, now he needs to take it up a notch. Soon he'll be working with the top of the industry if his gambit pays off. Otherwise, he'll just be another forgotten pretty face like Pattinson (ok he's not pretty, but apparently there are women who swoon over him so I guess that'll count)
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Comment by Hero on August 2, 2010 at 5:53pm
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I've only watched Efron in those crappy High School Musical movies and Hairspray, haven't seen 17 Again, haven't seen Me and Orson Welles, and still...and not exactly sure If I want to watch Charlie St. Cloud ( there's a big chance I do though)... and... I liked in Hairspray.
I don't completely agree with you that in terms of age they have to be 28.5 or around that age to make that transition, Gordon-Levitt went to college and as an adult started to doing an Indie flick here and there until he got to Brick, DiCaprio already had a career going, with What's Eating Gilbert Grape and Basket Ball Diaries and I think the mistake he made was doing Romeo + Juliet and not long after Titanic, and there was nothing wrong with that but Titanic was just THAT big of a movie that people labeled him as "that Titanic kid".
In terms of Efron, I think he should make the transition slowly if he has the chops and that I don't know... i haven't seen enough performances by him to judge.
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Comment by Chris Bartel on August 1, 2010 at 10:12pm -
i agree zac efron was really entertaining in 17 again, but if you watch any of his interviews or read anything zac efron has said about his film choices, he wants to model his career after leonardo dicaprio while doing things he can relate to, with charlie st. cloud he said that the reason he did it was cause he wanted to see what it would be like to try and do a character where he didn't have the things in his life that he has. i.e. (younger brother).
however him doing edgier films just to be edgy i doubt you will see him do them, unless he decides to ignore everything he has said in the past and currently about what drives him to pick the roles he does.
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Comment by Caleb Kahn on August 1, 2010 at 6:18pm
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@Cale Actually I was just thinking of that. I'm thinking of writing a space opera type of movie and I want to write a character around him just to see how it would work.
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Comment by Cale Tyler on August 1, 2010 at 6:16pm -
I think he should do an action film. Like it or not, that boy is RIPPED, and could probably kick the shit out of everyone on this site. I think he could play a live action anime role, or stylized action role easily.
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Comment by Caleb Kahn on August 1, 2010 at 12:11pm
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@Zeek Slider Thank you! I actually learned a lot of this information from Carlyle. But, I hopefully presented my opinion through this article the right way without borrowing too much from Carlyle.
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Comment by Zeek Slider on August 1, 2010 at 12:06pm -
Brillient article. You really got me thinking there, and I like your argument you presented here. Hopefully, when the conversation comes up around me next, I will use this information to defend Zac Efron.
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Comment by Caleb Kahn on August 1, 2010 at 2:56am
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Well, I'm a teenager as well and my opinion on stars and movies is almost identical to Carlyle so I obviously LOVE Shia and I genuinely think that Efron has what it takes to be a Brad Pitt, it's just that somebody needs to believe in him enough to give him an edgy role.
I mean Zac Efron has already worked with Richard Linklater on Me and Orson Welles. Shia has already worked with Spielberg on many projects, he's worked with Alex Proyas on I, Robot, and now he's already worked with Oliver Stone on Wall Street. So, both of these guys have already worked with some of the top directors in Hollywood so there must be something there.
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Comment by Cinema Dr. AJ on August 1, 2010 at 12:38am -
Yo Don Panini-
Don't '@' me unless thats my email address that follows.
Last time I checked, being hopeful for a film based on beloved source material wasn't a crime, especially if I'm not a big enough douche to still insist that it was a great movie. Because it blew terribly and tore my soul haha. But yeah, I think Shia will land another role or two and then get a revolutionary one. Zac not so much, Shia- I think so. He's got a better track record than Efron so far
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