Zac Efron has revealed he had “reservations” about playing Ted Bundy in the new film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile.
The American actor, who shot to fame for his leading role as Troy Bolton in High School Musical, admitted he was concerned taking on the role of a killer would look like a “desperate” attempt at abandoning his teen heart-throb image.
However, Efron decided to go ahead with portraying the character after finding the opportunity to delve into the mind of a violent mass murder intriguing.
Speaking on the Graham Norton Show, Efron said: "I was very hesitant to do it, but I knew I could. 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. I had a lot of reservations about playing a killer and in this genre of film.
"I wasn't interested in glorifying anything, but I was interested in the psychological aspect of whether he was capable of real love."
Earlier this week Efron hit the blue carpet alongside his co-star Lily Collins, who plays Bundy’s partner of seven years Kendall, for the European premiere of the film.
The pair shared a warm embrace as they met on the carpet whilst posing for a string of pictures.
Speaking at the premiere, Efron said he had to leave the character on-set for his “own safety”.
“You have to be careful for your own emotions, your own safety. This is a movie that I didn't go too method, I was able to compartmentalise myself and leave him on set, in the jail cell - most days,” Efron explained.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile focuses on the horrifying story behind one of America’s most violent killers, which saw him claim the lives of 30 women in seven states in the mid 1970s.
The Graham Norton Show airs Friday at 10.35pm on BBC One
