It’s not unusual to get a haircut inspired by your favorite movie star or television character, but for Zac Efron, the inspiration for the unique ‘do he rocks in his latest movie came from a truly unlikely place.
In his upcoming flick The Beach Bum, 31-year-old Efron plays what The Hollywood Reporter describes as a “raver-ish himbo.” According to Rolling Stone, his character is billed as a “rehab-facility resident who apparently took tonsorial-design tips from MC Esher.”
While not much is known about the movie’s plot, it also stars as Matthew McConaughey as a washed-up Florida poet who goes on a journey that includes prison, rehab and homelessness after his heiress wife (played by Isla Fisher) remarries.
Though the movie isn’t out until later this month, at a screening at SXSW earlier this week, writer and director Harmony Korine apparently said he “just stared at a panini” when looking for inspiration for the High School Musical alum’s locks. The New Yorker’s Laura Leibowitz confirmed the interesting tidbit on social media when she recently tweeted, “Harmony Korine said the inspiration behind Zac Efron’s Beach Bum hairstyling was ‘a panini.’”
In trailers for the upcoming film, Efron’s hair does, in fact, resemble the grilled Italian sandwich. His facial hair is styled in horizontal stripes that run across the side of his face at varying lengths, while the tresses on his head are decidedly fuller and partially blonde.
As photos of Efron’s character began to emerge in conjunction with Leibowitz’s tweet, it didn’t take long before social media users began weighing in on the Dirty Grandpa actor’s panini-esque hairstyle. Even Panera Bread got in on the fun, tweeting in response to Leibowitz, “If you really wanted a panini, you could’ve just asked.”
Check out a few additional funny reactions below:
@ZacEfron To panini or not to panini? 🧁, I don't care. Say what they may. I like the overall look.
— Terri Ludden (@TerriLudden) March 12, 2019
Asking my waxing place to give me the Zac Efron Panini Press pic.twitter.com/56y66sQRbn
— Gabriella Paiella (@GMPaiella) March 12, 2019
Zac Efron burned his face with Michael Scott’s George Forman grill.
— Fernando (@jedifernando57) March 11, 2019
Grill marks on point.
— Cortney Johnson (@CortneyJohnelle) March 12, 2019
I can see my shawarma right through your face, bro.
— T-Zaf! (@zafarnaama) March 12, 2019
Tell Us: Do you think Zac Efron’s hair in The Beach Bum looks like a panini?
