About a decade ago, Zac Efron got to talk to one of his heroes, Michael Jackson.
The conversation happened when he was in Paris, France and around the time when he was just starting out as an actor in Hollywood. Efron, who starred in Disney's High School Musical, was at dinner with a director when he was handed a phone to speak to the King of Pop.
Conversation With A Legend
"This is Zac Efron, I'm a massive fan and I'm an actor and you're, like, my hero," Efron said on the phone. Jackson, unimpressed, wanted to talk to High School Musical 3: Senior Year director Kenny Ortega.
The 30-year-old recounted this during an appearance on BBC's The Graham Norton Show. Sitting alongside his The Greatest Showman co-stars, Zendaya and Hugh Jackman, Efron revealed that he eventually had a proper conversation with his idol.
A few moments after his phone call with Ortega, Jackson called again but this time, to speak to his fan and fellow singer. The most exciting tidbit about the phone call was when Jackson admitted that he was a fan of the rising star.
"I lost it. I just lost it," Efron added during the interview. "I lost my balance. I think I fell over the wall."
The actor-singer was completely flustered by his conversation with Jackson. He admitted that he broke down and cried. However, he was not the only one who shed some tears because, after hearing how he influenced Efron into pursuing music, Jackson also cried.
Death Of An Icon
The King of Pop sadly passed away in 2009. He was found lifeless in his home in Los Angeles after an overdose of propofol, a sedative. His doctor, Conrad Murray, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and served a two-year prison sentence.
Last year, his daughter Paris claimed that her father was murdered and everyone around him knew it.
"He would drop hints about people being out to get to him and at some point, he was like, 'They're gonna kill me one day,'" the 19-year-old said in an interview with Rolling Stone. She added that she is certain that her father's death was a setup and was part of a conspiracy.
When pressed about who would have wanted to kill the late singer, the model did not divulge any names. However, she said that she is still seeking justice for the death of her father.
