“I was very hesitant to do it.”
Zac Efron has denied that he opted to play serial killer Ted Bundy in a bid to change his image.
The actor, who is probably best known for playing teen heartthrobs and beefed up lifeguards, said that he had his reservations about taking the role, but that ultimately he felt that he’d be able to do it justice.
“I had a lot of reservations about playing a killer and in this genre of film,” he told Graham Norton.
“I wasn’t interested in glorifying anything, but I was interested in the psychological aspect of whether he was capable of real love.”
“I was very hesitant to do it, but I knew I could,” he went on.
“I just didn’t want to jump at something that could be seen as a desperate shot at trying to change my image. It was a unique experience and not what anyone expects. It makes me proud.”
Efron is playing the serial killer in the upcoming Bundy biopic, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile.
The film, directed by Joe Berlinger, has received a fair amount of criticism since its trailer dropped a few months back.
Audiences were concerned that the movie would glorify and romanticise Bundy, focusing on his charm and good looks rather than the women that he tortured and killed.
The first trailer appeared to confirm this fear as it featured Efron bounding about the place, looking handsome while a jaunty soundtrack played in the background.
The second trailer, however, hit the intended tone of the movie a bit harder, depicting Bundy’s relationship with Elizabeth Kloepfer, the details of his murders and mutilations as told in court, and the misguided fascination that many people felt towards the killer while he was on trial.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile will be available to stream on NOW TV from May 3.
You can watch the trailer here:
