5 of Zac Efron's Craziest Stunts and Health Scares: Breaking His Jaw, Dealing With Substance Abuse Issues and More

With his sudden rise to prominence in the early 2000s due to High School Musical's success and his past relationship with his costar Vanessa Hudgens, Zac Efron felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. His continuous work in the industry also led him to use substances so he could cope with being in the public eye.

In 2013, he entered rehab to deal with his alcohol and substance abuse issues at the age of 25.

“It’s a never-ending struggle,” Efron told The Hollywood Reporter after his rehab stint. “I was drinking a lot, way too much.”

The Hairspray star, 36, added, “I mean, you’re in your 20s, single, going through life in Hollywood, you know? Everything is thrown at you. I wouldn’t take anything back; I needed to learn everything I did.”

Efron joined Alcoholics Anonymous, and he told The Hollywood Reporter how the group helped him change his life and become more comfortable in his "own skin."

Efron made headlines for his physique in the 2017 flick Baywatch. However, he drained himself during the process.

Nearly five years after the film was released, the 17 Again actor told Men's Health he suffered from "bad depression," insomnia and other issues when he recorded the movie.

"Something about that experience burned me out. I had a really hard time recentering. Ultimately they chalked it up to taking way too many diuretics for way too long, and it messed something up," said Efron.

Aside from rigorous workouts and crazy diets, the Charlie St. Cloud star used diuretics to make his muscles pop more. But in exchange for his chiseled physique, Efron dealt with health issues for six months afterward.

In 2019, the Summerland alum became ill while filming Killing Zac Efron in Papua New Guinea.

According to the Sunday Telegraph, Efron was airlifted to Brisbane, Australia, and sent to St. Andrews War Memorial Hospital after contracting a bacterial infection, which reports said was typhoid fever. He received treatment and returned home on Christmas Eve after the health scare.

"Very thankful to everyone who has reached out. I did get sick in Papua New Guinea but I bounced back quick and finished an amazing 3 weeks in P.N.G.," he wrote on X. "I'm home for the holidays with my friends and family. Thanks for all the love and concern, see you in 2020!"

E! News reported in 2013 that Efron fractured his jaw after “slipping in a puddle of water” while at his home. At the time, the news outlet said his mouth was wired shut after the incident.

Years later, his fans noticed his changing looks for the first time when he participated in an April 2021 Facebook Watch video with Bill Nye. His appearance also led to speculation he had gone under the knife.

After his friends and family denied plastic surgery claims, Efron addressed the buzz in his 2022 interview with Men's Health and shared the details of the accident he faced.

"He'd been running through his house in socks and slipped, smacking his chin against the granite corner of a fountain," reporter Lauren Larson said in the October 2022 issue. "He lost consciousness, and when he woke up, he recalls, his chin bone was hanging off his face."

Aside from surgery, Efron also underwent physical therapy, which he stopped before filming his Netflix series, Down to Earth with Zac Efron, in Australia. The sudden stop caused his muscles to become enlarged to compensate for the other muscles while his chin area was still recovering.

A representative for the Family Affair star confirmed to People that he was taken to the hospital after having a "minor swimming incident" while using the pool of a villa in Ibiza on August 2. TMZ was the first to report the news.

Efron was discharged from the medical facility the following day, and he assured his fans he was doing okay by posting a photo of himself using weights and a gym ball on August 4.

“Happy and healthy – thanks for the well wishes,” he captioned the Instagram Story.