“High School Musical,” a movie that has played an unarguably integral role in forming the culture of our generation, just celebrated its 10th anniversary this past week. There to commemorate the occasion were many of the original stars: Vanessa Hudgens, Corbin Bleu, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel and Monique Coleman. They gathered together to create a reunion featurette for the fans. But, as many of you may already have heard, Zac Efron was not in attendance for this special moment due to scheduling conflicts.
This dramatic revelation took the internet by storm as fans voiced strong opinions on the subject. Memes were produced; the fans declared that they felt “betroyed” by the once-beloved Troy Bolton. Though Efron did tape a message that aired before the 10th anniversary special, many people were unsatisfied with the lack of commitment he seemed to display towards the occasion.
The strong reactions were rather surprising to me. I was a fan of the movie back in 2006 and thought the featurette was a fun and interesting way for the stars to show their allegiance to the franchise that gave so many of them their start. Sure, Efron’s non-appearance was disappointing, but many fans moved away from funny, harmless puns about his absence and began to target him specifically. There was a surprising degree of animosity directed at the actor, which made me start to wonder: what degree of loyalty do actors owe to their films or television shows?
Efron’s cardinal sin, in the eyes of the fans, is that he did not make the time to show up for an important event for “High School Musical” fans everywhere. However, his pre-taped video was sweet and sentimental. He referred back to his favorite day on set and called the movie “the coolest thing [he’d] ever been a part of.” In my opinion, it was nice he at least made an effort for fans, even if “Dirty Grandpa” did restrict his availability.
Should he have done more? Maybe. But there are actors who show even less respect for their previous roles.
Robert Pattinson famously despised the “Twilight” franchise, often remarking in interviews that, were he not cast as Edward Cullen, he would “just mindlessly hate it.” While the actual quality of the film is endlessly controversial, many fans of the franchise were disappointed with the reaction of the film’s main star.
“Transformers” actor Shia LaBeouf also had quite a bit to say after finishing up his role as Sam Witwicky, talking badly about big-budget movies and discussing the terrible time he had acting in the films.
Kate Winslet, known best for playing Rose in “Titanic,” also shared a lot of negativity about her breakout role. She has said that she hated her accent and was unhappy with many of her scenes in the movie. She even went so far as to say that Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” makes her feel like throwing up, adding that she has to hide a “massive internal eye roll” every time she hears it.
When actors fail to show proper appreciation for roles that got them where they are today, or when they actually insult the job itself, it’s upsetting for the fans, who would like to believe that the movie or show they love was enjoyed by those who worked to make it.
Yet on the other hand, should actors be forced to fake an opinion? Haven’t we all had jobs that we didn’t care for over the years? Where should the line be drawn?
Here’s my take: No, actors shouldn’t be forced to lie if they hated a role. (Nor should they be publicly crucified for not attending a 10th anniversary special.) After all, they are human and should be allowed to voice their opinion to some degree.
But I also don’t believe that actors should announce how much they hated being part of a particular franchise, either. It’s unfair to the fans, who’ve supported them all along. Let them complain to their friends, family or coworkers about their frustrations. Once they start to take those complaints into interviews and talk shows, I think a line has been crossed.
After all, if any of us are working at an unfortunate job, we shouldn’t always have to keep on a happy face. But at the same time, we can’t go around complaining to customers. There needs to be a degree of professionalism involved in any career.
All in all, actors should try to respect their fans, if not their role. And as for Efron, whose video made it clear that he did appreciate his fans and his time as Troy in “High School Musical,” I believe his absence should be viewed with humor instead of frustration. After all, once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat.