Zac Efron has been known for his charm and good looks since he starred in Disney’s High School Musical back in 2006. Since then, he’s taken on a number of comedic roles but never really shed his good boy, albeit cocky, image. In the grand tradition of former teen stars taking on self-consciously edgy roles, Zac Efron is now playing the serial killer Ted Bundy in a new film that screened recently at Sundance.
It may seem like a strange choice, but it’s actually in keeping with the character of Ted Bundy. In the ’70s when Bundy was caught and put on trial, people had a hard time reconciling his charismatic, handsome, charming exterior with the crimes that he committed. So it makes sense to cast a similarly appealing lead to play him.
One way in which Efron did not resemble Bundy, though, is in his build. Bundy was thin and Efron has built up muscle in the years since he broke out. As a result, Efron reportedly did a lot of cardio and limited weight lifting in order to get closer to Bundy’s body type.
The film is said to follow his relationship with his girlfriend and her difficulty in coming to terms with the dark side of the man she thought she knew. The film is called “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile.”
