GERMANY: Teen heartthrob Zac Efron attends premiere of new film "17 Again" in Berlin

Record ID: 385096

  • Title: GERMANY: Teen heartthrob Zac Efron attends premiere of new film "17 Again" in Berlin
  • Date: 27th April 2009
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (APRIL 26, 2009) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) ZAC EFRON, WHO PLAYS YOUNG MIKE O'DONNELL, SAYING (IN ANSWER TO THE QUESTIONS OF WHETHER HE ENJOYED MAKING THE FILM): "It was an adventure. You never knew what the next day of filming would bring. One day we're battling with lightsabers, the next day I was driving 120mph in a Ferrari down the freeway, or a Lambourghini. It was definitely crazy but that's the kind of movie we wanted to make. It was pretty fun."
  • Embargoed: 12th May 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVABHXSNP3DGZH6LTEWYQESQQ9JR
  • Story Text: Crowds of mainly female fans gathered into the Berlin Sony Centre on Sunday (April 26) to catch a glimpse of U.S. teenage heartthrob Zac Efron at the German premiere of his new film "17 Again."
    Screaming fans lining the red carpet tried to pushed their way forward to get closer to the teen idol. Efron himself was quite overwhelmed by the reception.

    "It's insane. It's amazing. I can't believe I'm in Berlin. I finally made it and I'm just excited so many people showed up. I'm very very thrilled and very honoured", Efron told Reuters Television.
    The actor abandons the singing and dancing that won the hearts of teenage girls in the "High School Musical" franchise, and turns to comedy acting as a 37-year-old down on his luck and is transformed back to his winning ways at the age of 17.
    The first two made-for-TV "High School Musical" films were big hits for Disney. The third film, released in theatres in 2008, made more than 251 million USD at global box offices.

    "It's not that I'm done with musicals at all. I can't wait to do more and I hope that there is an opportunity to do many more musicals in the future. But there are a lot of other things I want to accomplish and right now feels like an important time to try", Efron said.
    In "17 Again," Efron plays the younger version of a soon-to-be divorced father of two named Mike O'Donnell. The older Mike is portrayed by "Friends" star Matthew Perry.
    When older Mike's dream of reclaiming his life as a high school basketball star is fulfilled, he finds himself with the body he had at 17 and immediately enrols in school.
    But instead of focusing on basketball, young Mike turns his attention to the welfare of his teenage children, who are now his classmates and have no clue about Mike's transformation.
    The role calls for Efron to offer fatherly advice to his daughter and coach his son in love and basketball. In the process, young Mike tries to put old Mike's family life back together.
    At just 21 years of age, Efron admitted that he had to learn from others to take on the role of a father.

    "It was interesting. I didn't really have any life experience to go off so the challenge was drying to make it as real as possible. But it was fun, Burr helped me figure it out and he gave advice and words of wisdom. He kind of helped me through it so by the end I had some fatherly instincts which was weird," he said.
    The premiere comes just a day after another U.S. teen sensation Miley Cyrus premiered her new film "Hannah Montana: The Movie" in Munich.
    When asked what he thought of the young U.S. actors taking Europe by storm Efron had nothing but praise for Cyrus.

    "Maybe that's the trend but I think individually I think Mileyis extremely talented. She could probably take over Europe by herself."
    adding. "That's a funny quote: Teen idols take over the world. There I said it."

    "17 Again" opens in German cinemas on May 14.
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