Zac Efron.
The Age reports
Surfing and love scenes with Nicole Kidman have convinced Zac Efron he wants a home down under.
It should come as no surprise that Zac Efron will fly to Australia next month for the premiere of one of his new films.
Australia has become Efron's second home, with the 24-year-old Californian born and bred heart-throb taking up any opportunity to fly Down Under for work or, if he has time off, a secret surfing vacation with Aussie mates.
"It is easy to keep a low profile," Efron, sitting in his trailer on the Universal Studios movie lot, told AAP about his unannounced, stealth trips.
"We jump into a little bus and my Aussie friends know all of the best surfing spots.
"We surf every day and barbecue every afternoon.
"Then we get to bed early, wake up, surf and do it all over again.
"I love Australia.
"I have been spoiled by how much I have been to Australia and have surfed all over.
"What I love about Australia, which is what we don't have in California, is there are so many wide open beaches where no-one is at."
On this recent afternoon Efron is on the Universal lot to promote his new big budget animated film, Dr Seuss' The Lorax, based on the 1971 children's book, which includes a voice cast of Danny DeVito, Taylor Swift, Betty White and Ed Helms.
Efron voices 12-year-old Ted, a resident of the walled city of Thneed-Ville, where environmental destruction has resulted in everything, including the oxygen residents breathe, being manufactured.
Ted is besotted by a neighbour (Swift) and to win her heart takes the advice of his grandmother (White) and sneaks outside the walls of Thneed-Ville to speak to the mysterious Once-Ler (Helms), who tells the story of the Lorax (DeVito), a grumpy, orange-coloured creature and guardian of the land.
"There's a powerful message," Efron said of the environmental message underlining the film.
"It is definitely what drew me to the movie.
"I also fell in love with it when they first showed me the rough animation of the Lorax with Danny's voice.
"It was one of the most charming and funny things I have seen in my life."
Efron rocketed to stardom and become the imaginary boyfriend of almost every teenage girl on the planet when the Disney movie, High School Musical, first aired in 2006. Two sequels confirmed his status, but in recent years Efron has been seeking more mature roles, including the 2010 drama Charlie St Cloud and the recent New Year's Eve.
The Lorax is a U-turn, with Efron voicing Ted.
"I had to go back up to get his high pitch and high energy," Efron joked about trying to voice a 12-year-old.
"But, I loved doing this movie.
"When I was a kid my parents read the Dr Seuss books to me so they have a special place in my heart. Throw in the environmental message, it was something I definitely wanted to do."
Efron fans will see the actor in plenty of different roles in coming months and, not surprisingly, they have significant Australian links.
Next month he will fly to Australia for the premiere of The Lucky One, a drama directed by Oscar-nominated Australian Scott Hicks, with Efron playing a US Marine and Iraq war veteran who returns to North Carolina to find a woman he has only seen in a photograph.
Efron and Nicole Kidman also just completed filming The Paperboy, a thriller shot in New Orleans and based on the award-winning novel by American author Pete Dexter.
Asked if Kidman plays his mother in the movie, Efron raises his eyebrows and breaks into a smile.
"Mother? No, she's my love interest," he laughed.
The actor is usually tight-lipped with the media about anything personal, but while talking about Kidman, and the love scenes they shot, he can't contain his excitement.
"Nicole is so gorgeous," Efron, looking like the cat that ate the canary, said.
"It was everything you dreamed of. She was such a lovely person.
"I pinch myself every day, especially after doing love scenes with Nicole Kidman.
"It was the highlight of my life.
"Nicole was something else and was always in character.
"She didn't get weird method, like some actors do, but I have never seen anyone so centered."
With regular trips to Australia and so many close relationships with Aussies, Efron said he would not mind buying a house in Australia and maybe even becoming a dual US-Australian citizen.
"God, I would love to," he said.
"I'd love to get a nice house down there. It would be a dream to do that.
"I'll do it when I get that big movie and can afford it."
There only appears to be one sticking point preventing Efron from becoming a true blue Aussie.
It could be a deal breaker.
"I love the seafood in Australia," he said.
"I love meat pies. I love Tim Tams.
"Vegemite is the only thing I can't do. I'm adventurous and it's not like I will never taste it again, but I just can't quite get the Vegemite thing."
Dr Seuss' The Lorax opens in Australia on March 29.
AAP
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