Zac Efron in Me and Orson Welles

zac efron vanessa

Both Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens are working to shed their goody two shoes High School Musical image. Vanessa's been taking the naughty pictures route, but Zac's sticking to the straight edge, playing it safe by taking on roles that set him apart from the Disney pack without alienating his fans. Hairspray was a lot like HSM, 17 Again was a good in between, and this piece (check out the clip below!), Me and Orson Welles, is a period piece that may just cement his status as the next Leonardo DiCaprio.

Celebuzz reports:

Feast your eyes on this trailer for Me and Orson Welles, in which Zac plays Richard Samuels, a teenage boy cast in the Mercury Theatre production of "Julius Caesar" directed by a young Orson Welles.

You know it's a period piece, because they actually got Efron to comb his famously unruly locks.

The Richard Linkater-directed film, which also stars Claire Danes and Ben Chaplin, will hit U.S. theaters sometime in late 2009.

Speaking of cementing his image as a young Leo, Zac was spotted downing drinks like nobody's business a few weekends ago with friends in Vancouver. If partying with his friends doesn't separate him from the Disney pack, I don't know what will. Unless Zac wants to go the naked pictures route like his girlfriend has done..

Celebuzz comments on Zac's partying:

For Zac Efron, it's simple: He wants it all.

Or at least that was his motto last weekend at the Opus Bar in Vancouver when he tried to drink it all. The High School Musical star was spotted with friends downing drinks as if this was the last chance to make it his night.

"They were all about partying," said an insider to Fox News. "They were downing one Bitter Cherry Salome Sour after another, until they moved on to super strong Belvedere vodka and sodas."

Despite onlookers claims of outlandish "celebration", Efron doesn't envision his life becoming the standard rise-and-fall downward spiral story that has ruined so many other up-and-comers before him.

"You know what, I do not want to fall victim to that, it’s too easy and too often done. It’s out of style anyway," Efron has explained in the past. "I think too many people have done it before me, I’m not going to."

And he pointed out, "I think the rebellious thing to do would to actually be successful."

Hmm...watch out for those Belvederes then, Zac!