Zac Efron explains what actually happened to his face

Zac Efron had surgery following a freak accident at his home

Efron has returned to the small screen in the Netflix movie A Family Affair but many viewers have been discussing the actor's looks rather than his performance.

There's no doubt that the 36-year-old looks different from his High School Musical days but his transformation results from a freak accident.

Efron stressed that he looks different because he slipped in his home and shattered his jaw.

Speaking about the accident, Efron said his jawbone was hanging off and he was unconscious.

He was wearing slippy socks when he fell into a fountain and knocked his face off the granite corner.

Efron told Entertainment Tonight: "I don't really read the internet. It was funny. It sucked. I almost died."

The 17 Again star said the muscles started to grow following the accident, but he has been undergoing physical therapy to help.

"The masseters just grew. They just got really, really big," he told Men's Health.

Fans have defended Efron with many saying the actor has also simply aged and that's why he looks different.