Zac Efron Sports Sunglasses During 'Today' Interview -- Here's Why!
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on December 20, 2023 at 12:53 PM EST
Zac Efron decided to wear sunglasses during a recent interview with 'The Today Show,' but it's not because he had a rough one the night before.
The 36-year-old actor explained the situation right away to start the interview. “No, I’m sorry man," Efron told Craig Melvin while on the morning talk show, admitting, "I feel weird being in shades."
The 'High School Musical' actor then explained why he was wearing dark shades -- because he had a nasty eye infection. “I just have a bit of an eye infection,” he said. “But I really wanted to be here. It’s such a good movie, and I want to come see you guys and tell everyone about it.”
Zac Efron Talks Getting In Shape For 'Iron Claw'
The actor went on to talk about his upcoming movie, 'Iron Claw,' admitting he didn't know much about Kevin Von Erich, the wrestler around whom the true-story film revolves.
"No, we found out about the story, most of us did, through the script and through investigation."
"It really is a crazy true story," the actor added.
The A-listers described having to eat a ton and "lift heavy things" to get into proper shape for the film. These were "big guys" said the group.
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'The Iron Claw' starring Zac Efron hits theaters on December 22.
Zac Efron Talks Matthew Perry's Tragic Passing
Zac Efron recently admitted that he wished he was there for Matthew Perry before his unexpected passing earlier this year, as Efron admits the acting world “definitely can be isolating.”
“It can be incredibly lonely, being an actor and being in the spotlight. It definitely can be isolating,” Efron told Variety in a recent interview, adding, “It’s very important to reach out to friends and foster relationships where you can talk and share stories.”
“I wish in the past couple of years that I had an opportunity to do that with Matthew [Perry],” he admitted, before continuing, “I hold the time we shared together really dear. I’ve been thinking about him a lot, every day.”
That confession came just days after Efron received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. While accepting his star, he thanked Perry for helping to “propel” him into the “next chapter” of his career.
“I want to mention someone that’s not here today, and that’s Matthew Perry, who was so kind and generous with me while we worked on ’17 Again’,” Efron stated when standing at the podium earlier this week.
Perry and Efron played adult and teen versions of each other in the 2009 comedy “17 Again.”
Zac Efron Could Play Matthew Perry In A Biopic
Zac Efron also spoke out on Matthew Perry’s passing when news started circulating that Perry wanted Efron to portray him in a biopic.
“I heard that, and it’s a huge honor,” Efron said at the time. “Matthew [was] just the best guy in the world. I had the best time of my life working with him, and to think that he was thinking of me for that role,” Zac said. “I mean, I would be honored to do it, to be honest.”
The late 54-year-old actor had struggled with addiction for a long time, though it wasn’t until he released his memoir that he opened up and let down his walls about that time in his life.