Zac Efron is no stranger to the spotlight, but not necessarily for his recent roles.
The actor, known for High School Musical and The Iron Claw, most recently starred in the Netflix rom-com A Family Affair alongside Nicole Kidman and Joey King last year. Following the film’s release, plenty of conversation was stirred up online, and not just about its storyline.
The film’s synopsis teased: “An unexpected romance triggers comic consequences for a young woman, her mother, and her boss, grappling with the complications of love, sex, and identity.”
And while the rom-com drew attention for its steamy scenes and quirky premise, much of the online chatter focused, once again, on Efron’s appearance.
A clip from the movie recently went viral after being posted by the X account non aesthetic things, garnering over 4.3 million views. In the scene, Efron delivers a line as a text overlay reads: “Zac Efron? I can’t focus on the movie. How is this him?”
The caption echoed that sentiment, asking: “What happened to Zac Efron? He looks like an entirely different person.”
However, many fans quickly came to the 36-year-old actor’s defense, reminding critics of the serious injury that led to the changes in his facial structure .
Back in 2022, Efron opened up to men’s health about the incident. He explained that while running through his home, he slipped on a pair of socks and smashed his chin on a granite fountain.
The impact was severe enough to knock him unconscious, and when he came to, his “chin bone was hanging off [his] face.”
The injury led to reconstructive surgery and a shift in how his jaw functioned. Efron said his “masseter muscles”, used for chewing, began to overcompensate as he healed.
“The masseters just grew,” he explained. “They just got really, really big.”
Amid persistent speculation about cosmetic surgery, Efron clarified that the changes weren’t cosmetic but medical.
He also noted that he generally stays offline and didn’t know his looks were being debated again until his mother called to let him know.
“My mom told me. I don’t really read the internet, so I don’t really care,” he told Entertainment tonight , adding that paying too much attention to the noise would only distract from his work.
Whether it’s his transformation or his on-screen charm, Zac Efron has once again found himself at the center of pop culture conversation.
