Growing up in the 2000s as a teen meant a lot of Zac Efron. While many of us still didn't know what the adult life was like, we knew that Efron was forever going to be our boy crush. With the release of the Disney classic High School Musical, we instantly became hooked on the pretty boy with blue eyes and shaggy brown hair who knew how to bust moves, sing and sway the ladies. And while we’re at it, we're not shy to admit that we totally envied Vanessa Hudgens. He was also the poster boy that was tacked all over our walls; at least we know we had good taste as youngsters.
Fast forward all these years later, and girls all over the world still yelp over the Hollywood A-lister. Over the years we have seen him flourish into a handsome man - one with a lot more muscle and abs. Lately, though, he has gone through numerous transformations and we barely recognize him at times. Currently, there is a lot of hype surrounding the actor as he is the star behind the film, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, in which he portrays Ted Bundy. This role has gained him a lot of press, but along with that, so have his various looks.
If you're as surprised as we are about Efron the chameleon, you may want to check out the photos of your teenage crush below.
20 We Had To Do A Double-Take For This One
Fans of the actor may know that Efron has been going through a tough time because of a torn ACL; the actor is slowly getting back into the swing of things with various trainers, like the man above.
Wait, is that our beloved Efron sitting on the left? At first glance, we had no clue that was the charming actor sitting there in burgundy! He looks like he lost a lot of muscle mass and even his side profile looks different. He has a gorgeous mane, but the blonde, especially in this photo, takes away from all his dreamy features.
19 A Beard? Who's That Boy?
There is no denying Efron’s good looks; no matter what he does to himself, no matter what he switches up, we will still have eyes for him. It feels like just yesterday we saw him with a soft and smooth face, and now he is pampering himself and making numerous visits to the barbershop to maintain his scruff.
Hey, we totally don’t mind it because he pulls it off. If Calvin Klein is looking for a brand ambassador, we have their man. We are totally vouching for his clean beard to stay. Look at his expression! He knows he is fierce and working it.
18 When Did This Pretty Boy Grow Up?
So, we said that we totally dig the Hollywood hunk with a beard, but this beard may be too much for the man with the signature pretty boy face. Maybe he let it grow out this much so that when he walked the streets in public, fans would stop hounding him and chasing him because he is barely recognizable.
However, at the same time, it totally matches his laid-back and chill personality. Efron has never been the conceited type, despite his fame, which is probably why he permits himself to do whatever he wants. Efron still manages to pull off a full-grown beard and make us fall for it.
17 He Kind Of Looks Like Ted Bundy's Twin
Did Ted Bundy resurrect or…? Because this man in the blue jumper looks exactly like him. No, it isn't him or his long-lost twin. It's Zac Efron.
Some of you may know this, some not, but when Ted Bundy was doing the bad things he did and was suspected of it, authorities and his friends dismissed him because they did not believe that a man who looked that good could commit such things. Efron was perfectly cast for his role as Ted because he has the same effect on viewers. Who would ever believe that someone as handsome as Efron could cause so much harm?
It is quite freaky how identical the two are. We never envisioned Efron as Bundy.
16 Efron's First Phase Of Blonde
Efron looks content to be back on his feet, but what is it with the hair? Whether you're a fan or not, the actor seems to be totally into his blonde tresses. However, do you notice how he left his original colour under the blonde? He must have wanted to take the leap into platinum blonde, but was unsure of his decision at first. Efron is all about taking beauty risks, we have come to learn.
And look at his untidy hair! He surely woke up with bed hair, but that still beats how we look when we have bad hair days. If Efron could get away with brown and platinum blonde hair, and still pull it off, then he is allowed as many bad hair days as he wants.
15 Then Came This Blonde
Not fully platinum yet, Efron posted this photo to his IG page and fans worldwide noticed the difference. His hair was no longer brown underneath, but fully blonde; a blonde with hints of honey and yellow.
We know, it is not the Efron that we first laid eyes on and fell in love with, but the playful actor is clearly having fun and experimenting with his more outlandish side. Maybe he is having a 30s crisis, who knows? But if he is happy, which he seems to be, then we are too. With that adorable grin and those ocean blue eyes, who is paying attention to his hair anyway?
14 Digging The Surfer Dude Look On The Actor
We have a bunch of words to express our excitement right now after looking at this photo, but we’ll refrain from using them, just in case Efron stumbles across this article.
In other words, we wish we were that lady - how is she doing it so elegantly and gracefully? We would probably have our mouths wide open and our tongues sticking out.
Efron already has it going on, but the long brown thick hair and thick beard have us feeling weak. He looks grown up, extra-masculine, and ready to hit the beach in tiny floral swim trunks - and we do not mind that one bit. This look totally compliments him, and we hope he tries it out again soon.
13 Dreadlocks Are Not His Thing
For about three seconds, we actually thought this photo posted to his IG page was of Bradley Cooper and not Efron.
Do not get us wrong, the photo is great. It is serene but serious and edgy at the same time. What we find off about it are the dreadlocks that are camouflaging the rest of him. Not used to seeing the young hunk with this hairstyle, we can't get our eyes to focus on anything else.
Notice how he loves to experiment, though? He went from surfer dude to hipster, to “check me out, I'm a blonde now.” Efron must get easily bored and loves to keep his hairdresser busy. We have got to give him credit though, he still looks rad.
12 A Painful Recovery For Efron
Efron tore his ACL, but from the looks of this picture that the star shared on his page, it hasn't stopped him.
Taking all the measures to heal properly, Efron has included physical therapy in his morning routine. With such a hectic and rigid schedule, especially right now with the anticipated release of the Ted Bundy film, Efron is clearly making sure that he gets back into tip-top shape soon.
To give his fans a glimpse into his progress, he even posted a link to a video that shows exactly what his physical therapy sessions entail. And, by the way, he has still made it to every interview and appearance for the film despite the pain.
11 Efron Looking Like A Dreamy Cowboy
Yeehaw! We are no longer hesitant to get on a horse and do some horseback riding since Efron seems to know what he is doing on that horse - and he doesn't look too shabby doing it, either.
Seriously, he puts us all to shame; who looks that perfect when they go horseback riding? With such a flawless face, you would think he was partaking in a professional photo shoot.
We must confess, besides the fact that we are totally distracted by his biceps and his popping veins, this look on Efron has us jumping off the walls. With his short brown hair, groomed beard and olive skin, we just cannot resist him. We are just about ready to put on our riding pants and cowboy hats!
10 Does This Man Know How To Do It All?
Zac Efron apparently skates - is that enough to get us on a skateboard? YES!
Clowning around aside, we have seen the actor try out many different knacks, and he looks like a professional doing all of them. If you follow the hunk on IG, you may notice that his profile picture is of his lower body on a skateboard, so it has got to be his thing.
This picture is quite artistic and portrays a more serious Efron that seems to be very focused. What stood out most to us, though? That it does not look like Efron at all. Maybe it is the lighting, and the fact that his face is very shadowed, but we keep looking at it and just do not see Efron - anyone want to brighten this picture up for us?
9 Efron Has Been Experimenting With A Few Hairstyles
Efron, we love you and all, and we apologize ahead of time for saying this, but your hair instantly reminded us of The Whos in The Grinch.
At the end of the day, whether we're a fan of his look or not, Efron could pull off anything; yes, even awkwardly long front hair. Maybe he forgot to comb it or gel it to the side, or maybe he just took off his skate helmet, but the truth of the matter is, Efron still looks awesome. If women are allowed to have bad hair days, so can Efron; yes, he is human, too.
We have never seen him coiffed like that, and we think it's pretty dandy.
8 Did He Want To Look Like A Tiger Or...?
It turns out that Efron sported this look for a movie called The Beach Bum, that came out about three weeks ago.
Before the film even came out, Efron posted this above photo on his IG page and some fans were left conflicted, while others were busy making side-by-side memes of his new look and a grilled toast sandwich. We found it quite hysterical, but only Efron could make a handsome panini.
And, since we had no context for the photo, other than the caption reading "#fbf beast mode," we thought Efron lost his mind, woke up one day, and decided he wanted to look like Tony the Tiger. Who in their right mind would shave their beard that way? Thankfully, it was for a movie role.
7 Some Streaks For The Ted Bundy Actor
We feel like Efron's mother because we have literally seen him grow into a handsome gentleman in front of our very eyes; we honestly never thought he'd let go of that long and shaggy hairdo with the bangs.
Efron shared this photo on Christmas day, and while it looks like he was in a jungle and exploring the world, we cannot help but pay attention to the streaks in his hair and the slight 'stache.
We are starting to think that deep down inside, Efron always wanted to be blonde, so he took baby steps. The caramel streaks actually tickled our fancy, and paired with the mustache and faded beard, we thought he looked like a mature Tarzan.
6 Fans Caught A Glimpse Of The Star Looking Different
Efron may just be in hot water with soccer fans, as he was spotted sporting both a Tottenham and Arsenal jersey recently - Efron, which team are you truly rooting for?
The 31-year-old Hollywood star probably thought he would get away with it since many do not recognize him with his new hair colour and slimmer figure. Efron is currently in London promoting his new film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile, and when in London, you have to attend a soccer match, right?
Even his face and smile look different in the above photo; maybe he was just way too content about his new jersey. Or maybe he just needs a haircut so we can concentrate on his hypnotizing eyes.
5 Efron Attended The Movie Premiere With Signature Platinum Blonde
We really do not want to be so critical of Efron's new look, but he looks creepier with this platinum blonde hair than he did in his role as Ted Bundy.
It is not that we do not like the platinum blonde, it is just that he is so charming and we find the pale colour makes him look somewhat sick; it sucks the life out of him. For some, the platinum blonde on Efron is making them weak in the knees, which we totally get, because it is still Efron - maybe we just need to get used to it.
4 The Most Recognizable Efron
There he is - that is the Efron we all know! Okay, maybe not entirely because he always had long hair, but with his sunkissed skin, shorter brown locks, and clean face, we could tell right off the bat that it is the Hollywood star.
It is difficult to decide which look is best on Efron since he has gone through many transformations in the last year, but we totally dig this one. And while we're all staring at it, we keep reminding ourselves that he is a blondie right now. We even prefer the faded haircut; maybe he should try that with the blonde.
3 Yes, Ladies, That Is Him
"There is just no way that is Zac Efron," is probably what you are telling yourself right now, we know. Wipe your eyes, and look again, because it is indeed the Disney actor we all fell in love with, looking like a strong man ready to conquer the world.
After we saw him in the Baywatch movie, we saw how fit and ripped the actor could be, but we in no way looked at this photo and thought it was him climbing those rocks.
Look at his arm, it looks like it is the size of our heads! However, since it is the actor, just stare at it and be happy that he granted us permission to see this photo.
2 Efron Trying To Bring Back The Punk Look
Queue the song, "he was a skater boy, she said see you later boy." Looking at this photo of Efron, we instantly became nostalgic and lyrics from Blink-182, Good Charlotte and Avril Lavigne songs came rushing to our minds.
We never expected Efron, the pretty boy, to pull off such a throwback style - is anybody looking for a lead singer in a punk-rock band?
If we were taking a stroll through Los Angeles and Efron was walking ahead of us with the snapback hat, high socks, shorts and sneakers, we would have never noticed him. He could still pull this look off as the blonde he is now.
1 The Problem? Efron Actually Looks Good
We have known for quite some time now that Efron was going to star as Ted Bundy, but we never thought that he'd look so good doing so and that we'd actually dig it. Because of that, some have been saying that picking Efron to play Bundy was the wrong choice as it romanticizes Bundy.
While we do not have an issue with that, what we have an issue with is that we find Efron looks sophisticated, dandy and handsome with his mature 1970s look. Maybe, just maybe, it is because we are not used to seeing Efron wearing suits, but the hair and fresh face are just so mesmerizing.
