Zac Efron got a lot off his chest on Running Wild with Bear Grylls, and I don't just mean that he climbed down a mountain shirtless. Though the point of Grylls' show is a lighthearted test of celebrities' outdoor skills, Efron took things to a deeper level when he decided to open up to the survivalist about his struggle with addiction and decision to go to rehab.
The challenging part was never the work, that was never it. Sort of the in-between work, the social aspects of it outside of it. I mean, everywhere you go to a certain extent, there is press in some form. Whether you are going out to an event where you are supposed to be out with friends, there will be press there. If you are leaving your house to go to the grocery store, there will be press there. It can be everywhere, and it can be confusing.
To deal with those feelings, Efron said he started to need a "social lubricant."
It got to the point where I was starting to care less about the work and waiting more for the weekend ... I couldn’t wait to go out and sort of let loose and have fun. Then on Monday and Tuesday when they were tough to get through, I was like "oh this is bad."
But fortunately, after his stint in rehab, Efron is on the right track. During his conversation with Grylls he explained that he never wants to have to take something again to make him feel good about himself. These days, he instead turns to "meditation and stopping and slowing down your brain."
It was a pretty heartfelt speech, and inspiring to hear that he's doing so well and is refocused on his life. But now that that chapter of his life is hopefully over, what can we expect to see from Efron in the next year? He doesn't have a whole lot of confirmed projects, but there's always a lot under the surface that we might not know about. In April he said, "There’s irons in the fire, so to speak. I don’t like to talk about anything too early because, you know, it takes a while to get these things done right."
Here's what I think Zefron has cooking for the year so far.
THE ASSOCIATE
Slotted for a 2015 release, this film is based off John Grisham's novel of the same name. Efron plays a Yale law student who is "coerced into taking a job with a prestige firm after he's given privileged information concerning a multi billion dollar case." Efron has never played a lawyer before, so it's a step out of his basketball playing/love interest/frat bro character. As we've seen Efron age from Disney channel star into a serious actor, it will be nice to see him step even further outside his comfort zone.
MARVEL HERO?
In May, rumors broke that Marvel was eyeing Efron for an unspecified project. Since Marvel has a number of films ongoing, it's possible that he could play any number of characters from Daredevil to Dr. Strange. Honestly, I wouldn't care what hero's costume Efron was stepping into, just as long as he does a better job with his character than Ryan Reynolds did with Green Lantern.
STAR WARS: EPISODE VII?
With filming already underway, it's unlikely Efron will still appear in the seventh installment of this sci-fi series. But his name has been tossed around for quite awhile and in February he admitted to having met with JJ Abrams about a possible role in the film. "I just went and met with them," said Efron. "So I don't know. It would be cool. I love [the Star Wars movies], I love them, but who knows?"
Even if he misses the boat on this one, perhaps he can snag a role in Episode: VIII or IX. There's plenty of Star Wars screen time to go around.
MORE DANCING
From his "Wiggle" Instagram moment to this dancing to "Turn Down for What" I'm glad to see Efron still has his High School Musical moves. Now he just needs to keep the dancing videos coming, because they're awesome.
CHARITY WORK
Recently, Efron has been dabbling in philanthropy. Specifically, making skateboards to help a good cause. Is the good cause getting to see him shirtless? Sign me up.
But seriously, it's nice to see that as he recovers from addiction, Efron is extending his reach to help others in need.
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 4, PLEASE?
Efron did say he was open to a High School Musical reunion film, so it needs to happen. That's how he got his big break in the first place, so maybe the walk down memory lane will help reinforce why he got into the business in the first place and help him stay on track work-wise going forward. Plus, I just want more singing Zefron in my life, K? Thanks.
Images: NBC; Doubleday Publishing; andpop; tookmyworldwithyou/Tumblr
