Ever since the trailer for Lee Daniels's The Paperboy was released, guys have been talking about that scene with Zac Efron in his tighty whiteys dancing in the rain with Nicole Kidman (pictured). It's the only thing that got them to stop talking about the infamous scene where Kidman pees on Efron after he's nearly fatally stung by jellyfish! The former child star wears nearly nothing throughout most of the movie, and is sure to be the major draw for many to the cineplex to catch him playing a '60s-era Florida boy who gets caught in a strange web of intrigue. Now in his first interview with the gay press about the film, Efron explains to The Advocate the choice to do erotic stuff on screen.
He says the scene was improvised by Kidman, and he explains: "With a scene like that, you just have to stick with it and see where it takes you. After the fact, though, I remember thinking, Oh, jeez, what did I just get myself into?" In fact, it seems he was easily coerced into most things by the will of his powerful costars (including Matthew McConaughey, who plays his older brother in the film) and the director Daniels.
"I've always just embraced Lee as a brilliant artist, so I followed him blindly, trustingly, and wholeheartedly," Efron says. "He's searching for beauty and truth in every scene, so I believed in him and always felt safe."
Efron goes on to state, "I've always felt embraced by the gay community, and I feel incredibly grateful and honored," and says "without question I had gay role models." He also mentions that a fan made him a shirt that reads "Some Dudes Marry Dudes. Get Over It." (after a Photoshopped image of him wearing a similar shirt surfaced on blogs), and he may wear it in public some day.
The overall feeling from the interview is that Efron is comfortable talking about himself, his future roles (even potential gay ones), and being seen as a sex object (no matter who's doing the objectifying). So, get ready, boys. You won't ever look at him the same after The Paperboy.
Read the full interview here.
