Zac Efron Recalls the Time He Made Michael Jackson Cry

Zac Efron told The Graham Norton Show that he once made his hero, Michael Jackson, cry. He never met Jackson who died in 2009, personally, but he did talk to him over the phone.

Efron told Norton the phone call happened when he was in Paris promoting High School Musical 3 with the film’s director, Kenny Ortega. The director’s phone rang, and he told Efron that he needed to pick up the call. It was Jackson on the line.

“I was like, ‘Hello,’ and I heard, ‘Hi, who’s this?’” Efron said while trying to imitate Jackson’s voice. “And I was like, this is Zac Efron and I’m a massive fan and I’m an actor you’re like my hero.’ I didn’t know what to say… I was just at a loss for words.”

Efron said Jackson told him, “That’s really nice. Can you get the phone back to Kenny?”

Efron gave the phone back to Ortega and sat down. After they hung up, the phone rang again. After speaking on the phone, Ortega told Efron he needed to take the phone again because it was Jackson.

“I was like ‘Hello,’ and he goes, ‘Oh, this is Zac from High School Musical?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah,’” Efron recalled. “And he was like, ‘Oh, I love you. I’m a huge fan. I love what you do.’ And I lost it!”

Efron said he started crying and became a “mess” after that phone call. He told Jackson how much he idolized him.

“That made him cry! He ended the whole phone call with something like, ‘Hey Zac. Isn’t it awesome? Dreams really do come true, don’t they?”

You can catch Efron in The Greatest Showman in theaters now.