Ted Bundy’s lawyer from the ’70s and early ’80s, John Henry Browne, says that Zac Efron portraying the infamous serial killer could be a role that the Baywatch star will be remembered for in the future.
The man who defended Bundy says that the 29-year-old actor’s background as a handsome heartthrob will be crucial in tapping into the killer’s persona. Bundy famously used his smooth-talking abilities and good looks to seduce young women.
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While Browne feels that Efron has an edge in the physical appearance department, he says that the real challenge will be to capture Bundy’s “essence of evilness.” If Efron is able to pull off the haunting role, Browne feels that it could be such a drastic departure that could set the actor’s career on an entirely new trajectory.
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Ted Bundy confessed to killing at least 30 people, mostly women and young girls. His crimes spanned between 1974 and 1978 and took place across seven states. He received three death sentences for his crimes, dying in the electric chair in 1989.
The news dropped this week at the Cannes Film festival that Zac Efron will be starring as the serial killer in director Joe Berlinger’s Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.
The script was penned by Michael Werwie. The story “is told through the perspective of Elizabeth Kloepfer, Bundy’s longtime girlfriend, who went years denying the accusations against Bundy but ultimately turned him into the police. Only nearing his execution, when Bundy began talking about his extensive and heinous murders, did Kloepfer, and the rest of the world, learn the true scope of his numerous and grisly crimes.”
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Zac Efron’s take on the serial killer will give him the opportunity to transition from a teen star and comedic actor to a Hollywood heavyweight. Efron is most known for his roles in 17 Again, High School Musical, The Lucky One. He has also appeared in several R-rated comedies such as the Neighbors films and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates.
[H/T TMZ]
