'I wasn’t interested in glorifying anything': Zac Efron reveals he had 'reservations' about playing serial killer Ted Bundy in new movie
He's set to appear as serial killer Ted Bundy in new film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.
However, Zac Efron has revealed that he initially had 'reservations' about portraying the disturbing criminal.
Speaking on The Graham Norton Show which is set to air on Friday, the actor, 31, insisted that he didn't want to 'glorify' anything went it came to depicting the twisted American murderer.
Hesitant: Zac Efron, 31, has revealed that he initially had 'reservations' about portraying the disturbing criminal Ted Bundy in new film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
Revealing all to the Irish presenter, 56, Zac said: 'I had a lot of reservations about playing a killer and in this genre of film.
'I wasn’t interested in glorifying anything, but I was interested in the psychological aspect of whether he was capable of real love.'
When asked if he had to convince anyone that he was capable of such a role because it is so different to anything he has done before, he defiantly responded: 'I was very hesitant to do it, but I knew I could.
'I just didn’t want to jump at something that could be seen as a desperate shot at trying to change my image. It was a unique experience and not what anyone expects. It makes me proud.'
Fears: Speaking on The Graham Norton Show which is set to air on Friday, he insisted that he didn't want to 'glorify' anything went it came to depicting the twisted American murderer
Responsible: 'I wasn’t interested in glorifying anything, but I was interested in the psychological aspect of whether he was capable of real love'
The Dirty Grandpa star recently told how he struggled to detach himself from playing the the killer when asked about the methods he used to keep the character separate from his home life.
Speaking at the London premiere of the harrowing film, he said: 'I’ve never played a role in which I really have to separate myself from when I go home at night and it was almost impossible. I’d like to say that I did it successfully but I couldn’t.
'I really wasn’t interested in playing a serial killer, I’m not in the business of glamorising a horrendous person or his acts, but there is something unique about the way we went into the psyche of Ted, and his longtime girlfriend Liz [played by Lily Collins].
'It’s a different perspective and not your run-of-the-mill serial killer cliché, body count gets higher and higher and oh the guy you always knew did it, did it.
Honest: 'It was a unique experience and not what anyone expects. It makes me proud' (pictured L-R Graham Norton, Charlize Theron, Seth Rogan, Zac and Matthew Broderick)
'This is what it was like to be there on the day, we didn’t know if he was innocent or guilty, we just saw Ted Bundy through their eyes.'
Echoing the star's fears expressed on the BBC One chat show, director of the film, Joe Berlinger, also spoke of Zac's tentativeness about taking on such a role.
'It’s a dark subject matter,' he said at the premiere. 'It’s a kind of cliché where you take someone who was seen as a teen idol, a teen star, and you put him a dark role. So he wanted to make sure that it wasn’t gratuitous.
'We had a very good conversation about what I wanted to do, which is to send a message out to his fans, to his demographic, there’s a certain group of people for whom Zac can do no wrong, because of how he looks, because of how he acts.
So tough: 'I’ve never played a role in which I really have to separate myself from when I go home at night and it was almost impossible'
'He’s a wonderful guy, but nobody really knows who he is in real life, and that’s the hold Bundy had over people, because he was charming, because he was good looking he was able to manipulate his victims, he was able to lead them to their death.
'He was able to manipulate the American media that made him into a hero, and a perverse kind of folk hero. He was able to manipulate the criminal justice system, so casting somebody like Zac was the perfect way for me as a documentarian who looks for something real to bring into the movie.
'Now if he didn’t have the acting chops you could say that it was a stunt, but he has amazing acting skills and he did such a fantastic job.'
Meanwhile, Zac - who appeared on the show with Charlize Thron, Seth Rogan and Matthew Broderick - also discussed whether there was a possibility of a sequel to 2017's hit movie The Greatest Showman.
Zac, who played Phillip Carlyle in the film, told Graham: 'Hugh (Jackman) is working on all sorts of things including a one man show. What’s next? I don’t know but I hope there is a sequel.'
Extremely Wicked, Shocking Evil and Vile premieres in the US on Netflix and in select theaters on May 3. It will be available in UK cinemas and on Sky Cinema from May 3 and on NOW TV.
The Graham Norton Show airs Friday 26th April at 10.35pm on BBC One.
Greatest sequel? Hugh (Jackman) is working on all sorts of things including a one man show. What’s next? I don’t know but I hope there is a sequel'
