Zac Efron Helped Robert Pattinson Navigate His ‘Insane’ Early 2000s Fame

Iconic 2000s staple Zac Efron was a support system for fellow teen heartthrob Robert Pattinson almost 20 years ago.

Efron told The New York Times Style magazine that he sympathized with his real-life pal Pattinson during the “insane” fervor of early 2000s fame. Efron starred in 2006 feature “High School Musical,” while Pattinson began his own career with 2005’s “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” before leading 2008’s “Twilight.” Both Efron and Pattinson went on to lead tentpole franchises, with “High School Musical” spurring a trilogy and the “Twilight” novels adapted into five films.

“It was an insane time,” Efron said. “I was invested in making sure he [Pattinson] was all right because I knew what it was doing to me.”

Efron has previously opened up about how early fame impacted his mental health.

To the NYT, Pattinson also recalled being treated as a prop early in his career.

“I was very aware, that no one was really thinking about me,” Pattinson said. “There’s something about the nature of being fresh meat. They thought, ‘You’re not even a human.’”  

Pattinson played with the constructs of celebrity at the time, especially during his “Twilight” franchise press tours. The actor became infamous for fabricating stories about his life, including tales of witnessing a clown die and being a women’s hand model.

“There was absolutely no hesitation at all [in my voice],” Pattinson said of rewatching one of his interviews from 2011. “I’m like, ‘What on earth? Are you possessed?’”

He added, “The only thing people would ever ask me about was being famous. You go into, like, a fugue state.”

Now, the star is still recognized for his “Twilight” tenure.

“’Hey, you’re the guy from “Twilight.” Why’d you stop acting?’” Pattinson recalled being asked at an airport. “I was like, ‘I’m Batman?’ She just laughed.” 

Pattinson will next lead “Mickey 17” from writer/director Bong Joon Ho. Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo, and “Blink Twice” breakout Naomi Ackie also star, with Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment producing.

The behind-the-camera creative team includes Oscar-nominated director of photography Darius Khondji (“Okja”), Oscar-nominated production designer Fiona Crombie (“The Favourite”), Oscar-nominated editor Jin-mo Yang (“Parasite”), costume designer Catherine George (“Okja,” “Snowpiercer”), and visual effects supervisor Dan Glass (“The Matrix” franchise). The music is by composer Jae-il Jung (“Parasite,” “Squid Game”).