Zac Efron didn’t shy away from the gritty research while preparing for his role as Ted Bundy, as the actor reveals he used a ‘psychotic’ woman as inspiration.
The 31-year-old has taken on his most challenging role to date playing infamous serial killer Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile.
It explores Bundy’s murders from the perspective of his longtime girlfriend who was unaware of his crimes.
Zac hopes that the movie will serve as a ‘warning message’ to make people aware of whom they are dating, but it’s not just an issue for women.
The actor explained to The Guardian: ‘It’s difficult as a man, too.
‘This is not a gender thing. This [story] in particular we told, but it goes completely both ways.’
He added that one of his character motivations was a ‘psychotic’ woman
Proving his point that gender doesn’t matter, Zac revealed that one of his character motivations in playing Bundy was a ‘psychotic’ woman.
Zac also stated that he wanted to make Extremely Wicked ‘for the victims’ and denies that the movie glamourises any of Bundy’s heinous crimes.
With Bundy estimated to have killed at least 30 women, it’s certainly not a role for the faint-hearted.
Earlier this month, Zac admitted that playing Bundy took a toll on his mental health despite his efforts in trying to ‘separate’ himself from the serial killer.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk at the European premiere of Extremely Wicked, Zac said: ‘That was put to the test for this one.
‘I’ve never played a role in which I have to separate myself. It was almost impossible. I would like to say I did that successfully, but I couldn’t.’
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