Zac Efron in '17 Again'

To play a grown man trapped in a teenage boy’s body is not easy. But, it was delightful for 21-year-old Zac Efron in his new film ‘”17 Again” which is to be released this Friday.

The light-hearted comedy is about Mike O’Donnell, a popular student and star athlete who is on his way to winning a college scholarship. But, he gives it all up and marries his high-school sweetheart . Twenty years later, the adult Mike (Matthew Perry) finds his life all topsy-turvy. He is separating from his wife (Leslie Mann), living with his best friend (Thomas Lennon), is estranged from his teenage kids, and has a boring job. Overall, Mike is thoroughly dissatisfied. Then comes a twist. Through some kind of magic, Mike is 17 again and back in high school. But, the year is 2009, which means he is in high school with his own children! And not just that, he is expected to dress cool, know new gadgets, and take classes with his kids. Its difficult for the 37-year-old Mike to be a 17-year-old high school student again, as he struggles to survive the ultra-modern school life. The consequences are hilarious and a treat for the audience.

Scenes where Efron’s character has adult talks with his kids made the actor recall his own childhood memories which he used for inspiration. “I thought about how my dad tried to have those talks with me and my little brother.  He was always passionate and energetic and he delivered it like a champ,” says Efron. When it came to slapstick, Efron stated (in context to a  scene where actresses had to slap him) “It was amazing watching everybody have so much fun that night. They had a stunt coordinator there that day and he was instructing everyone how to slap, and he goes ‘you really have to sell it! You really have to slap him!’ And I’m sitting there like ‘they’re slapping me!“

The “High School Musical¨”and “Hairspray” star has experienced the wisdom that has been depicted in “17 Again” through serious issues such as regret, life lessons learned etc. He said “When you’re 17, you have the social awareness of an adult, but that doesn’ really apply in high school because everyone is young and stupid. You take it too seriously. I’d go back to tell myself to chill out.”

Efron has made a smart career move by playing the complicated character of Mike in “17 Again.” As he moves on to play more mature and challenging characters, Efron allows his huge fan base to grow with him. The teen heartthrob has his career focus clearly fixed at the present. He says “This is the best job in the world. I’m having the time of my life. I wake up every day with a new challenge, whether it’s acting, learning a new skill set, or doing press. It’s always fun.“

On being asked whether he would like to be 17 again, in real life, Efron said “The number one question I’ve been asked about this movie is, ‘’f you could be 17 all over again, would you go down this road?’ I’m like, ‘Absolutely.’ “

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