High School Musical star Zac Efron sheds his squeaky clean image by posing with naked model in the mud

He's better known as the star of Disney's phenomenally successful High School Musical franchise.

But Zac Efron clearly wants to be thought of as a promising mature actor instead of a squeaky clean heart-throb.

So he's taken a path trodden by many young actors before him and posed in a raunchy magazine spread.


Zac has been photographed in a steamy clinch with a completely naked model for the April edition of U.S. publication Interview.
The 21-year-old, who is in a relationship with his High School Musical co-star Vanessa Hudgens, admits he chose to do the shoot because of a desire to play with his clean cut image.
'It was definitely different from anything I had ever done before,' he told the publication


Real-life love: Zac and his girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens pictured at the Watchmen premiere in Hollywood earlier this month

'You know, everything I've done in the past has felt very safe, and it was great for a while, but now I'm looking for a place to take chances. I want to play with things.'
Zac is acutely aware of his appeal and is determined to branch out no matter how long it takes.

'Most of the directors I'd want to work with don't even know who I am,' he said. 'Their daughters might.'
Being one of Hollywood's hottest properties means Zac is now followed everywhere he goes by the paparazzi.
But he's slowly working out how to evade celebrity photographers

He said: 'It's pretty weird. I'm definitely making leaps and strides in figuring out how to keep my head down, and that's completely liberating.

'You know, it's legal to take pictures, but it's also legal to hide.'