Zac Efron just seems to be growing in popularity over the years and he’s one of the most bankable hotties in the industry right now. We saw a whole new side of him in The Greatest Showman and he proved to all of us that he is an incredible actor. He’s got a couple of cool projects in the works and you might be surprised to hear that he’s going to be playing the role of Ted Bundy. Now, that’s a role that’s really going to take him out of his comfort zone and we haven’t really seen him in that type of role before. Playing the role of a serial killer is something that takes a lot of work.

A lot of us have seen him grow up over the years, getting his big break in High School Musical and then moving on to more mature roles. He’s taken a lot of good roles over the years and he’s never disappointed. He has consistently been working on good projects throughout his career and his next role may be huge for his career because it will show his versatility. Check out these 20 things about Zac Efron people would be surprised to know.

He’s Not Great on Dates

You would think someone that looks like Zac Efron would have no problem with dating, but that would not be the case. He’s so charming in interviews and let’s not forget the fact that he looks incredible. So what’s the deal?

"One thing I'm not great at is going on dates," Zac told Australia's The FIX. Although we find that hard to believe he assured the interviewer that he’s not the cool guy that everyone thinks he is. "I'm a nerd, dude. I love comic books and video games. I love chilling.”

He’s Taking On a very serious role 

Many people might not think that’s a big deal but to play a complex person like Ted Bundy is no easy feat for anyone. Efron has yet to play a deeply complex character and now he has the added task of getting into the mind of someone who is beyond cruel. The movie will tell Bundy’s story through the eyes of his girlfriend, Liz, who will be played by Lily Collins. He posted this photo on Instagram with the caption, “Meet Ted.”

He Turned Down A Record Deal From Simon Cowell

There are many people in the world that would love to have a record deal basically handed to them by someone like Simon Cowell. We've seen his singing skills in High School Musical as well as The Greatest Showman, so we know that he has a good set of pipes, but even the always-critical Cowell thought that he could make a career out of it. Efron turned it down because his priority has always been acting and he’s even included singing in some of his roles. Who knows, we may see him release a solo album in the future.

He Has A Passion For Surfing

Zac Efron has been surfing for over a decade now, so he’s no beginner. Back in his High School Musical days, he used to gush about how much he loved it.

"I love to surf every chance I get," he admitted, adding, "Oh man, I would love to go surfing with Kelly Slater at Bells Beach."

He had a bit of a break after he did promotion for The Greatest Showman and took some time out to surf as seen in this Instagram photo. It was his way to relax before the next project started.

He Got Punkd By Ashton Kutcher

Remember the show Punkd that Ashton Kutcher created where celebrities got punked on the regular. In 2012, Zac Efron was a victim of the pranking show. It was Hayden Panettiere that had the opportunity to prank Efron. The actor was told that he was being arrested for a hit and run accident that he didn’t commit. Imagine how terrified he would be initially? If you saw the episode, then you know how freaked out the actor was. “Hayden Panettiere, you're up to no good my dear.” But it was all just for a couple of good laughs.

He’s A Huge Fan of Anime

Many people assume that anime geeks are just that, weird geeks that no one would want to talk to. But that’s not the case. Zac Efron is admittedly a nerd and he loves anime, most especially Bleach, Death Note, Naruto, and Dragonball Z. Back when Efron was just becoming famous, a lot of people wanted an American version of Death Note and they wanted Efron to play the lead of Light Yagami. Even Efron wanted to do it, especially since he has a striking resemblance to the character.

He’s sought help

One of the most surprising things to have happened to Zac Efron over the years was his stint in rehab. It was sad to see such a young actor have to go through something like that. But we were all happy to see that he went to get the help that he needed and changed his life for the better. He has said that he hit rock bottom not because being an actor was hard but because of the obsession the media had with him and his personal life.

"The challenging part was never the work. That was never it," he said. "It was sort of the in-between work — the social aspects outside of it.

I mean, everywhere you go to a certain extent, there is press in some form."

He Looked A Shark in The Eyes

Wait, what? It’s true, he’s one of many celebrities that have decided to go shark diving and he had a pretty interesting experience.

“I was in Hawaii recently, and I went shark diving with some researchers. I came face to face with a shark. I could either turn and try to beat the shark to the boat, or I could look it in the eyes and let it know I'm present and I'm not afraid.

It went right past me, and I put my hand out and I actually rode the shark for 10 or 15 seconds.”

He Learned to Stop Googling Himself

He wouldn’t be the first celebrity to Google himself, but that can be a dangerous thing for anyone because you see the haters. There are many celebrities that have sworn off Googling themselves because it can be destructive to their self-esteem.

“There was a moment when my morning routine was, like, get up and Google yourself. But that stopped, dramatically and instantly, probably three years ago. I realized that viewing yourself through other people's pictures is not living your own life.

I wasn't really being myself. A lot of my hobbies had gone out the window. I couldn't skateboard or surf for fear of being followed. Crossing the line of fear is what leads to greatness.”

His Father Taught Him About Basketball

Look at how adorable this photo is of Zac Efron, his father, and brother. Efron posted this photo on Twitter for Father’s Day. When Ellen asked Efron about a time when he realized his father was human, he said,

“My parents love me in very different ways. But they checked every box. My dad always taught me to be driven.

I was always the shortest kid at school. Always the worst kid on the team. I'd come home after practice and my dad would build a basketball hoop. Then we'd go out and shoot 100 free throws. Pretty soon, every time I got fouled, I would make my free throws.”

He Loves Fixing Up Old Cars

Zac Efron is one in a long line of men that like to get dirty by fixing up old cars. He posted this photo on Instagram of his grandfather’s old Mustang. It looks pretty sweet now.

“After 2 years of remodelling, my grandpa's 1965 Mustang is finally ready. It's a beast. Shout out to Grandpa Efron.”

He inherited two old cars from his grandfather and he's honoring him by bringing them back to life.

Tom Cruise Taught Him How to ride A Motorcycle

When Tom Cruise found out Zac Efron didn’t know how to ride a motorcycle, he took it upon himself to teach him the ins and outs of riding. Efron needed to learn for an upcoming movie he was doing and thought Cruise was pretty cool for teaching him.

“We were at a party and he says, ‘Hey man, do you ride motorcycles?’” said Efron. “I hung out with Tom the next day and he literally sat there for two hours and showed me how to ride a motorcycle.

It’s just a testament to the kind of guy he is."

He Used to Be Afraid of Fans

He wouldn’t be alone there. Nothing is more uncomfortable then knowing you are being watched and followed around all the time. Efron has said that he felt he couldn’t even go surfing because people would follow him around. Now he’s realizing that there are some pretty cool fans out there. “I was riding down Venice Boulevard on a bike and this happy dude — a big guy — stopped me.

He was like, 'No way! Zac Efron!' He said my full name. And he goes, 'Man, I saw Neighbors last night! That was so funny! I just wanted to shake your hand.' And that was it.

He shook my hand. He didn't ask for a picture. He just wanted to tell me that he appreciated the movie. That was a big moment.”

He Thought Seth Rogan Was Making Fun of Him

These two were hilarious together when they filmed Neighbors, but when Efron first met Seth Rogan, he thought he was making fun of him. “

I was at a party. I was maybe 20. At the time, even a teenager's opinion of me was pretty low. I wouldn't say I was a fan of my work, you know? I went up and shook Seth's hand. I was like, 'You probably don't know who I am. Or you hate me.'

And he's like, 'Oh man. You're going to end up being a nice guy, aren't you?' He expected me to be the cockiest ass in the world.”

He Used to Have A Crush On Paula Abdul

When American Idol was in its heyday, Zac Efron was a huge fan of the show and of Paula Abdul who he calls a sweetheart. “There was a period where I was actually going to the shows of American Idol. A few years ago, I went, like, almost every week. That was the season Taylor Hicks won. I tend to agree with Simon most of the time. But my favorite judge, just because I know her, is Paula — she's a real sweetheart.”

He’s More Than Just A Set Of Abs

There’s no doubt about it, directors like Efron to show off his body during filming. There used to be a joke where his contract stated that he had a shirtless scene in every movie. He was asked by an interviewer for Elle if he thought his career would be over if he wasn’t so ripped.

“I don't know. I look at Matthew McConaughey. He's maintained it his whole career. We know so much more now than we used to about [the effects of] being sedentary.

I'm driven. I want to attack life. I want to do a triathlon.”

He Was On Tinder

If you think about it, celebrities are just like us and sometimes, they have just as much trouble dating as we do. Could you imagine swiping through Tinder and finding Zac Efron. His mailbox must have been full. Unfortunately, he didn’t do very well on Tinder because everyone thought the account was fake. So instead of having his mailbox full, it was barren. You would think he would have plenty of opportunities to meet someone because of his career, but that just hasn’t been the case.

He’s Never Gone to College

He’s been working in the industry since he was 11. After high school, he was actually accepted into the University of Southern California, but it all happened at the same time as High School Musical. So he decided to pass on college and work on his acting career. We can’t blame him. You got to strike when the iron is hot. Look how far he has come and now he’s taking on more serious roles.

He Broke His Hand During Filming

You might not be aware that Efron broke his hand during the filming of Neighbors 2. Seth Rogan was freaked out and had to figure out how he could write it into the movie. But Efron arranged to have emergency surgery so that he could return to the movie the next day.

“I had to go back to work so I couldn't really wear a cast. So they put like a titanium plate in it and a bunch of screws.

I don't know why I'm telling you this. My hand in theory is back to normal, it just looks really gross.”

He Can Actually Sail A Boat

If you saw the movie Charlie St. Cloud, you would have seen Zac Efron sailing. Many actors would have just got a stunt double or worked around making it look like they sailed, but Efron was the real deal. He decided to go through a three week intensive training on how to sail a boat. That allowed him to do it for real in the movie. He didn’t have to get a stunt double and he learned a new skill.

References: teenvogue.com, aceshowbiz.com, cnn.com, eonline.com, alloy.com,   thethings.com, tickld.com, elle.com