Zac Efron Finally Addresses Plastic Surgery Rumors: “I Almost Died”

Zac Efron is setting the record straight on recent rumors about his appearance. Contrary to speculation about plastic surgery, Efron revealed that he experienced a serious injury. During the promotion of his latest film, The Greatest Beer Run Ever, he clarified that he shattered his jaw after slipping in a puddle of water near his home; this accident needed his jaw to be wired shut. The revelation shut all the speculations around plastic surgery. 

"It was funny. It sucks. I almost died, but we’re good," Efron told Entertainment Tonight when he was asked if he was aware of the rumors doing the round. "My mom told me. I never really read the internet, so, I don’t really care." Audiences pointed to the changes in Efron's face alongside Bill Murray and Russell Crowe in the new movie. Efron takes on the role of a man who, in 1967, embarks on a journey to Vietnam to deliver beer to his childhood friends serving in the Army during the war.

Efron's new appearance debuted in April 2021 during his appearance on Earth Day! The Musical, a show produced by Bill Nye. Despite the environmental focus of the event, Efron's short appearance stole the spotlight. Fans immediately began speculating about the surgery. However, the actor shared, "If I cared too much about what others thought of me, I wouldn’t be able to do my job." He remained undeterred and did not allow them to impact his personal or professional life. Instead, he seemed to prioritize what truly matters, such as spending quality time with his siblings. 

According to a People news story, entertainment reporter Athenna Crosby also had a conversation with the late Matthew Perry just a day before his untimely passing. Paparazzi spotted the two conversing over a meal at the Hotel Bel-Air. Crosby shared details from her conversation with the actor, mentioning that he expressed a wish to develop a movie based on his life and to have a biopic produced. She also disclosed that Perry specifically mentioned his 17 Again co-actor, Efron, as his choice to portray him again because 'he [Efron] did such a good job.' Regrettably, this aspiration of Perry never materialized, at least when he was alive. Whether this dream will be realized or not remains to be seen.

In the film 17 Again, Efron and Perry portrayed alternate versions of the protagonist. Perry played the down-in-the-dumps and cranky character Mike O'Donnell, whose life doesn't quite turn out as he had hoped for. His marriage is in the process of crumbling, his beloved children become distant, and his job is far from easy. Yearning for a change, he magically wakes up younger—as the 17-year-old version of himself (played by Efron)—to realise just how good his mundane life is.