Zac Efron was propelled to success as the baby-faced heartthrob in the Disney movie “High School Musical.” But that sudden success didn’t lead to any high notes in his personal life. In fact, being thrust into stardom and becoming a paparazzi favorite caused Efron, 26, social anxiety that eventually led to drug and alcohol abuse.
“Everywhere you go to a certain extent, there is press in some form,” Efron said on an upcoming episode of NBC’s Running Wild with Bear Grylls. “Pretty soon, you need a social lubricant. Once I needed that, it became [needed for me] to go anywhere. It was getting to the point where I was caring less about the work and waiting more for the weekend.”
Efron reportedly entered rehab in the spring of 2013 for cocaine and alcohol addiction. Although he has been fairly quiet about his rehab experience, he did tell Grylls that he attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and that that has had a positive impact on his life.
“I never again want to take something from the outside… to be comfortable in my own skin,” Efron said. “That takes a lot of work.”
You can view a clip of Efron’s episode of Running Wild here.
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