Interview - Hairspray

By Clint Morris
Interview with Zac Efron & Nikki Blonksy
Stars of Hairspray.

The new all-singing all-dancing take on John Water’s 1987 classic Hairspray definitely has it’s share of star power behind it – but the performers everyone’s talking about the less experienced but no less brilliant of the bunch, Zac Efron and Nikki Blonsky.

Clint Morris caught up with them in Melbourne to talk about how they got involved in the movie, their first impression’s of seeing co-star John Travolta in a dress and how they’ve changed since becoming stars…

Firstly Zac, I hear congratulations is in order – you’re doing Footloose?

Zac: Yeah, hopefully. It’s really in development. There’s no script yet so we don’t know if it’s going to get made. But everyone seems to want it to happen.

You got the thumbs up from Kevin Bacon, too

Zac: Yeah, which is an honour. Can’t wait to talk with the guy and see what he thinks.

How did you get involved in Hairspray?

Zac: After High School Musical, there were surprisingly few things except for other teen projects. In fact after High School Musical I didn’t do much of anything at all for about eight months.  Finally, after waiting and waiting, Hairspray came along. So it was a tedious time, seeing what would happen next, and for a while it didn’t look like anything was going to come along. Luckily this audition for Hairspray came along, and I felt blessed to be considered for the part - to be taken seriously was a very big deal. I was very grateful to them for keeping an open mind and seeing beyond the character of Troy Bolton.

Did your audition involve singing?

Zac: Yeah, absolutely. That was the first thing we did, first and foremost. There was one small [acting] scene but most of it was singing and dancing. I was mainly working with Adam - faces came and went, and it was kind of a long process. Nikki was on board at this stage. She’d definitely been discovered already. I’d heard a lot about her but hadn’t had a chance to meet her yet.

And what about Travolta? Was he attached before you were?

Zac: Yes, John was already affiliated with the film. Before I ever auditioned, there was buzz that John was going to be in it. Oh, man! That was really cool. The first time I saw him as Edna, it was a great moment. I remember there was kind of a commotion behind me at dance rehearsal. And after fighting my way to the front of this crowd of dancers, I saw John...well, I didn’t see John, I saw Edna! After about 10 minutes or so, you’re deep into this character. You believe it. And by then Hairspray has got a hold on you.

What about you Nikki, how did you get involved?

Nikki: I saw the Broadway show when I was 15 and fell in love with it. At 16 I auditioned for it but I didn’t get it because I was too young. But I knew that I really wanted to play Tracy some time during my lifetime. Then I read on the internet that they were casting the movie, so I immediately sent in a tape. They called me and told me they were actually doing an international search but they would be in New York on certain days. I went in and went through five-and-a-half months of auditions and callbacks. It was absolutely incredible. Every audition was another chance to play Tracy, and that was my dream. So for me to actually be cast in the movie was just incredible.

Long audition process?

Nikki: Well, I knew what a big deal it was for them to have everybody perfectly fit. This is Adam Shankman’s baby, and he wants to ensure that he has all the key components, so I completely understood why it took so long to make sure they saw every possible option. And each audition was just fun - it was a chance to be living the dream for five minutes.

How has life has changed for you?

Nikki: Life really hasn’t changed that much. Sure, my dream has come true and I’m working in the business that I’ve always wanted to be in, making movies. But I’m the same person. I still live at home with my family. I’m enjoying myself  as a normal teenage girl would. I still have the same friends and do the same things. I mean, my favourite thing in the whole world is to go fishing with my dad. It’s not shopping in Beverly Hills.

No, that’s what Zac likes to do doesn’t he [Laughs]

Zac: Ha Ha. Hardly.

You don’t like to spend all your time at the Beverly Centre then?

Nikki: Man, anyone would go lost in that place! Its so big!

Were you inspired by other Tracy performances – say Ricki Lake’s from the original movie?

Nikki: No. I saw the original movie when I was 10 and fell in love with it. I think Ricki [Lake]’s interpretation of Tracy was brilliant. I saw Marissa [Janet Winokur]’s version on Broadway and I thought that was great. But with Adam’s blessing, I decided to make Tracy very real, very approachable and very 17. We wanted to make her this mix of sweet and sassy, spunky but down to earth. We wanted to make new and refreshing. So there’d be the same name and the same ideas but we’d make them our own.

And Zac, did you base your performance on anyone in particular?

Zac: Mostly I thought Elvis. The two main inspirations are Elvis and Danny Zuko from Grease. I was looking at characters that really bring that ‘60s element of cool. I think John pioneered that in Grease. For me, those are characters that steal the show. I was always intrigued by those characters when I was a young boy. I thought they brought a lot to their movies, so I saw potential there. So it was Grease and YouTube videos of Elvis.

How was Adam Shankman as director and choreographer?

Nikki: Every dance you see in the movie, Adam choreographed. He choreographed and directed the entire film. And I think that’s what made it so special. When he gave a direction, it was not just an emotional direction, it was ‘Make sure you incorporate this dance step with this feeling’. He was so hands-on. He is the movie; we just added our own little bits of spice to it. Adam’s the backbone of the film, no doubt.

Zac: Adam directs like a choreographer. He’s very spontaneous and if something’s not working he’s not afraid to change it on the fly. He’s got his groove.

Any input from John Waters?

Nikki: Well, he flashed me! He was on-set that day, but it was really after the film was done - he came to a bunch of our premieres and that’s how he supported us. He made Hairspray and Tracy Turnblad was conjured up in his brain so when he came up to me and told me that he loved the way I did it and he was happy with the production, that meant more to me than anything. Getting his stamp of approval and knowing that he’s happy with what we did with his ideas.

Did Waters ever see Hairspray as a musical?

Zac: Music’s very prevalent in all of his movies and very prevalent in Hairspray, so I’d have to say he was open to the idea. John’s blessing on this movie really made it count for us. There were several reactions he could have to this idea, and to have him come to the premieres, to have his compliments after the film came out and literally become a part of our movie just made the experience.

Nikki: He’s like our Hairspray grandpa.

Is it hard balancing light musical-comedy conventions with Waters-style kinkiness?

Nikki: There are garbage trucks everywhere in the world but there are none quite like the ones in Baltimore. The magic of Hairspray is that everything is slightly offbeat, and everybody’s version of offbeat is different, so I think it speaks to everybody. That’s what I enjoyed the most about it.

Zac: I was reading the script for the first time, and it said how Tracy ended up singing her first song on top of a garbage truck. And I was like ‘Okay, now anything can happen!’

Nikki: I remember thinking ‘God, I just want to ride that garbage truck!’

Was it a fun movie to film?

Zac: The most surreal thing was working alongside actors we’ve admired for so long, people who’ll be the most-remembered actors of our generation. To have moments on screen with them is above and beyond anything I ever expected.

Nikki: Just seeing my name on the same credits made me cry. And then you’ve got greats like Queen Latifah and Allison Janney - Allison is my favourite character in the movie; I remember laughing out loud when I watched her shooting her scenes.  And Brittany Snow, who plays the most evil person in the movie - I love her so much!

The musical seems to be making a bit of a comeback, doesn’t it?

Nikki: With Hairspray, the response I’ve gotten is that families are really into it. People are saying they took 80-year-old grandmothers and five-year-old children and they were both laughing, singing the songs and dancing. That’s the magic of Hairspray - it reaches everybody. To hear that all different types of people are enjoying it equally is incredible.

Zac: I think it’s impossible to bring up musicals without talking about the young generation. They’re definitely much more aware of musicals than previous generations. It’s great to be affiliated with feel-good movies, specifically musicals, that are making kids aware about music. Music was a huge part of my development - I watched every single animated Disney movie a hundred time over. I thought Cinderella was the coolest thing ever! Then for a while it was Power Rangers and Transformers, but I know those musicals meant so much to me when I was younger. And that’s the reason I can make musicals today with a straight face. They had a profound effect on me when I was young, and the idea that we are sharing that feeling with kids is surreal and very cool.

Zac, any other genres you’d like to tackle?

Zac: I could talk musicals all day but I love fantasy - Lord of the Rings and that kind of thing. I love the direction comedy’s taking these days. There are a lot of forward thinkers in the world of comedy. I’d love to dabble in all genres. It’s time to start making some original musicals, some original comedies - we need more movies like Superbad.

I notice you didn’t mention teen slasher movies?

Zac: Yeah, I’m so over all them. And the teen films too – American Pie was good, but since then, nothing has come close. Not any teen film, anyway.

What’s next for you both?

Nikki: A great movie called Harold with Spencer Breslin, Ally Sheedy and Cuba Gooding, Jr. That’ll be out next summer. It’s a wonderful comedy. I play Rhonda Baxter, the biggest geek in school, the leader of the nerd herd.

Zac: Seventeen is looking like one of the more likely projects that’s coming up. It’s definitely original - the only relationship to big is that Big has Tom Hanks as a child in a man’s body and this is the exact opposite. In other words, how would things be different if you could go back to high school knowing what you know now? That’s the only tip of the iceberg.

How was it singing a whole album’s worth of material in one movie?

Nikki: I’ve been a singer since the age of three, so it’s very relevant in my life. I’m actually developing my own album. I love all kinds of music so I’m gonna try to pay homage to every style of music out there. I’m going to co-write it as well, so it’ll be about my life and my journey, and I’m sure there’ll be a song about dreams coming true.

HAIRSPRAY Commences 13TH September across Australia