In order to play Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Zac Efron wore fake teeth that were similar to Bundy’s.
During the Chi Omega trial in 1979, investigators had to rely on the bite mark bruise that Bundy left on the buttocks of one of his victims, Lisa Levy because he left no fingerprints and none of the surviving sorority house victims could identify him.
Bundy at first refused to allow investigators to take an impression of his teeth but they obtained a court order and forced him to comply.
The real-life Bundy had chipped teeth that were also misaligned and investigators were able to match his teeth with the bite-mark bruises on Levy’s buttocks.
The fake teeth that Efron wore in the movie were designed to be similar to Bundy’s.
Many fans were creeped out by the sight of Zac Efron’s teeth in the scene from the movie when investigators forcefully took dental evidence for prosecution.
The only thing “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” were the wigs and fake teeth they made Zac Efron wear in that movie
— Devin (@devinandhearts) May 4, 2019
So they made zac efron’s teeth match Ted bundeys for this movie ??? wow
— katie (@kaaylynj) May 4, 2019
Do you think it was triggering for Zac Efron to go back to having a gap in his teeth for Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile ?
— ????? (@Sammiii) May 4, 2019
Zac Efron is still just as sexy with that gap in his teeth and that’s the tea 4 u #ExtremelyWickedShockinglyEvilandVile
— Supergirl (@KayStinson) May 4, 2019
@ZacEfron are you wearing fake teeth in the Ted Bundy movie?
— Deanna (@MyNameIsDeanna) May 3, 2019
That new ted bundy film with Zac Efron is awful, flirts the idea he was framed then acts like every girl who ever sees him on the steets gives him come to bed eyes. The way got teeth evidence wasnt how it happened. Seriously just watch the Ted Bundy tapes #ExtremelyWicked
— Danny Jackson (@JustDanny92) May 3, 2019
About to sink my teeth (no pun) into this #TedBundyNetflix movie. @ZacEfron so versatile High School musical – now serial killer. I’m ready!
— Megan R (@meggersrad) May 4, 2019
Besides wearing fake teeth, Efron also watched plenty of real-life footage of Bundy and spoke with people who knew him so that he would be able to capture some of the aspects of the real-life characters’ mannerisms, behavior and comportment.
Based on real-life footage of Bundy he watched and what he learned about him from people who had known him, Efron spent some time practicing how to better capture Bundy’s appearance. Part of the effort to portray the character involved learning how to talk with the fake teeth.
“I worked to learn how to talk with new teeth in,” Efron told Entertainment Weekly.
Efron was also required to undergo a transformation in his physical appearance to make him look more like the real-life Ted Bundy from the 1970s. To acquire a physique similar to Bundy’s he ate more of a plant-based diet and lost 13 pounds.
Efron revealed in an interview with Variety that he did cardio workouts on a stationary cycle for an hour every morning to order to achieve Bundy’s “wiry” physique.
“It was that Ted and I had quite a bit in common in the way we carried ourselves. There are a few mannerisms,” Efron told Variety. “You can tell he’s a bit bashful. He’s kind of shy. He’s a well-spoken guy, but he hides his anxiety with a bit of a smile. I didn’t want to do too much of an impersonation.”