2 "It’s been great. I grew up so far removed from this industry and so far away from L.A. I just fell in love with theatre, and after being so focused on school my whole life and musical theatre, specifically, being my creative outlet, I can’t believe that it has turned into something more than that. I’m grateful and thankful and amazed at how it’s all turned out. I’m still on the craziest ride of my life."

Eliminate Round 7 3 "You have to do your best every time, but after each audition you have to forget about it. You always have to be looking forward and not look back.”

Eliminate Round 8 4 “A fan sent me a letter and a $10 bill. It's a short letter--all she said was, "Hey, since it's harder for you to go out these days without getting photographed, here $10 for a pizza." I was like, "Aww, she sent me money for a pizza so I could eat at home!"

Eliminate Round 6 5 “Honestly, if the worst these people can say about me is that I'm gay, then I think I'll be fine. I can handle it.”

6 “I'll never try to put on a fake image. I'm just Zac.”

Eliminate Round 2 7 “From day one, I got addicted to being on stage and getting the applause and laughter.”

8 "I'm still treading that fine line between celebrity and actor. I've learned it's going to be a difficult ride and it's going to be hard work. I'm trying to stay resolute here and try and just have fun."

Eliminated Round 3 9 "I'm always bobbing and weaving through alleyways trying to get to meetings, scouting out and looking outside doors and running around like Jason Bourne. I've always loved secret agent movies, whether it be James Bond or Bourne Identity. Now I'm kind of living it."

10 "I never half-ass anything. And every time I do, it always comes back to haunt me. Whatever I'm focused on is what I will succeed at. When I was in school, I told myself I'd get good grades, and I got great grades. And when I started doing this - you learn. You can't help but recognize what the people that are better than you do. Every film is a challenge. You have to acquire new skills. You have to put your ass out there."

11 “The face on the lunchbox and ***** – you can’t share that with your friends. You start talking about that, you start thinking about that at all, and it takes you out of reality. It’s never been real to me. None of it. I don’t buy into it. You can’t.”

12 “I’m not the next Tom Cruise, because there will never be another. I don’t want to go and copy Top Gun. Instead, I want to have the passion and dedication to accomplish what he accomplished. That said, hopefully, someday, somebody’ll say, ‘That kid’s the next Zac Efron.’”

13 "Stop talking! I'm hanging out with my fans."

Eliminated Round 4 14 "I’m truly ready right now. I can’t wait, dude. I’m going to do something—something cool. Something people aren’t necessarily expecting.”

15 "I like my pants pretty low on my waist -- I invest in nice boxers, you know? [laughs] It was the most fascinating feeling in the world to wear my pants buttoned at the belly button for the entire run of the film (MAOW)."

16 “You graduated last year! I love older women.. because of their experience.. academically, that is.”

17 "I love girls who are happy and healthy with curves…What it comes down to, as cliché and as cheesy as it sounds, when a guy gets to seriously know a girl, the things that he likes are much deeper, beyond the surface…The hard part is getting to know someone first. It's like there's some prerequisite with looks that should be abolished."

Eliminated Round 1 18 "Bathe in pussy?" he repeats. "Yeah, everyone tells me that. I think a lot of guys would enjoy that. But I'm not really like that. Believe me," he says. "I rack my brain thinking, 'Why am I not out there playing the field?' One of my buddies was like, 'You have no idea what's going on right now. You're peaking on Ecstasy and you're watching TV.' But it's not in my heart."

Eliminated Round 5 19 "They want you to believe it, and they hope they'll influence you to break up by making you seem insane for being in it. And then you'll play the field, and then they can write about you a ****load, make **** up, and speculate about everything. Right now they know exactly what's going on and it's not very interesting and there's no money to be made on it. It's exactly how it should be. It's real."

20 "Oh...my...God," Efron says with a gasp. "It's like the best...orgasm...ever! And I just keep coming!" [Efron and I are in the Soho House bathroom after a pee, and he's lingering at the sink, letting the water pour over his diseased wrists.]

21 Interviewer: Have you ever said this.... ‘Get ready for the Zac Attack?’
Zac: I have
Interviewer: Okay, who have you said it too?
Zac: Uhh this isn’t radio appropriate...