Zac Efron, I believe, is one of the only true heartthrobs of our time. I’ll die on this hill.

Who else do we have? Austin Butler in Elvis? Keep him. Jacob Elordi in Euphoria? He may be super tall, but don’t insult me. Timothee Chalamet? Okay, I’m listening.

But no matter which White Boy of the Month you have on rotation, Zac Efron is the north star of millennial and Gen-Z hotness. He was a revelation in High School Musical (no, I will not watch that Olivia Rodrigo x Joshua Bassett spin-off), and actually, don’t get me started on Baywatch.

It seems impossible, but Zac Efron is more than just his looks! My king keeps to himself, goes to the gym or whatever, and only resurfaces when he has an upcoming project. In the words of culture writer Hunter harris, I love a man with a job!

His latest project: Down to Earth

Down to Earth: Season 2 is Zac Efron’s answer to Bear Grylls. Season 1 saw him travel across the world to experience nature and carbs. Like, seriously. He cried eating pasta in Italy for the first time in years. Who could blame him?

The recently released Season 2 finds Efron in Australia, where he was trapped during lockdown — an experience that made him fall in love with the country, its wildlife, and its cultures. The first season was even awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Daytime Program Host.

This season starts with a welcoming ceremony, in which Zac explores Aboriginal land and is welcomed by elders in his quest to learn. It’s an important moment that acknowledges the history of colonialism and pays tribute to the original custodians of the land. And then the adventures commence.

After the last season of Down to Earth – which I, of course, watched in one sitting – Twitter revealed its true evils as body shamers came out of the woodwork. People commented on Zac’s “dad bod,” and while some meant it as a compliment (we all like what we like), others were lamenting his less-chiseled frame.

To be clear, a less-chiseled Zac Efron is more shredded than most people could ever hope to get in their lifetime. But even so — leave Zac alone! You come to me … on the day of my man’s series premiere … and talk about his body? The disrespect! I mean, the man cried over pasta. We could all cut him some slack.

But Zac Efron’s body is not the only thing to have taken verbal — and physical — hits over the past few years. He’s been the subject of much online speculation for quite some time now.

First things first … the plastic surgery allegations?

Many celebrities are subject to rumors about what they have and what they have not done to their faces. Bella Hadid recently finally opened up about her nose job. And even Joe Jonas admitted to getting filler. It’s a brave new world.

But when pictures of Zac Efron looking unrecognizable surfaced, they begged the question: was this plastic surgery gone wrong?

In April 2021, Efron appeared in a Facebook Watch video entitled Earth Day! The Musical. Screenshots from this circulated and fans went crazy. BBL Zac? Botox, the Musical? The rumors were endless. But turns out, the answer to his strange appearance was way, way scarier than botched fillers.

Zac finally opened up about the rumors in a Men’s Health interview. Turns out, our social media-averse king didn’t even know about the rumors for a while. But he quickly put them to rest. It was plastic surgery … kind of. But it was reconstructive surgery after a major accident.

“He’d been running through his house in socks and slipped, smacking his chin against the granite corner of a fountain. He lost consciousness, and when he woke up, he recalls, his chin bone was hanging off his face,” revealed Men’s Health.

As for his jawline? “The masseters just grew,” he says, shrugging. “They just got really, really big.” Maybe we should take a lesson from Zac and mind our business a little more — not to mention show a little compassion. “If I valued what other people thought of me to the extent that they may think I do,” he says, “I definitely wouldn’t be able to do this work.”

But, since I am in the business of not minding my business, there is one more thing to discuss: the recent viral photos of Zac Efron with the most atrocious hair.

Breaking My Silence: Zac Efron’s Wig

Usually, when new photos of Zac Efron drop, I see fireworks and hear Barbara Streisand’s “My Man” playing on loop in my head. No further questions.

But when new photos from Zac Efron’s A24 production dropped … the record scratched. Instead, I heard that vintage Vine sound: “Oh no, baby, what is you doing?”

The now-viral photos were taken from the set, where Zac Efron is in jorts (that part, I enjoyed) and an atrocious wig. He looked like a yassified Lord Farquaad. My jaw was on the floor, and not in a good way.

Is this method acting? If it is, I don’t like it. For his new role in The Iron Claw, Zac has transformed into the wrestler the Golden Warrior, aka Kevin Von Eric. Alongside him, Harris Dickinson (now that I think of it, another heartthrob) will play his brother, David Von Erich, and Jeremy Allen White, aka Carmy from The Bear, will play Kerry Von Erich. I can only hope they do not do to them what they did to Zac. How much more can a girl take?

But in this case, I will take my own advice and trust the process. You best believe I will be front row in the theatre when the film is released. For now, I’ll watch Down to Earth and remember that what matters isn’t what’s on the outside. It’s what’s underneath that wig.