Zac Efron's Face Transformation Is Wild To See In Side-By-Side Photos

Zac Efron has had an incredible transformation as an actor. After setting the hearts of teens across the world aflutter as Troy Bolton in the "High School Musical" franchise, he continued to hone his craft and take on more challenging roles, including his critically acclaimed turn as wrestler Kevin Von Erich in the biopic "The Iron Claw." It's not just his acting skills that have matured, either; he's also grown out of his 2000s teen heartthrob image and become a hunky movie star. However, this transition hasn't exactly been smooth for the former Disney star. 

In 2021, Efron raised eyebrows when he debuted a startling new look in Bill Nye's star-studded Facebook Watch special, "Earth Day Musical." Screenshots of his appearance quickly went viral, overshadowing the message of the video intended to raise awareness of climate change. But it's hard to blame shocked fans, considering Efron's face transformation is wild to see when we put old and recent photos of him side by side.

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty & Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock

As seen in the photo on the left, a 24-year-old Efron's facial structure leaned more toward round than square back in 2012. The actor, who was attending the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards at the time the image was taken, had a soft and rounded jawline and chin, which made him look even younger than his years. Fast forward 10 years, and many of the then-34-year-old actor's signature features had completely changed by 2022. Efron now had an obviously square face shape due to his more chiseled and prominent jawline and chin. It's no surprise that the "17 Again" star's drastically altered look sparked plastic surgery rumors, with some social media users speculating that he might have gotten a little too much Botox and filler.

After a year of being plagued by plastic surgery rumors, Zac Efron finally addressed the changes in his appearance during a September 2022 interview with Men's Health. The "Lucky One" actor revealed that a tragic story lay behind his noticeably more prominent jaw. He made headlines back in 2013 when it was reported that he sustained a severe injury to his jaw after he slipped and fell in his home in Los Angeles. Efron shared more details about that incident during his chat with the magazine, revealing that he had hit his chin on his stone fountain, resulting in a broken jawbone. 

While Efron's shattered jaw eventually healed, his face later began to show the long-lasting effects of his injury. His masseter muscles, located on the cheeks and jaw area, worked overtime during his recovery, ultimately growing stronger and bulkier. "The masseters just grew. They just got really, really big," Efron recalled. And while he wasn't losing sleep over the plastic surgery speculations, the accident that changed Efron's appearance forever was no joking matter. "It was funny," Efron told ET in 2022 of learning about the rumors from his mother, adding, "It sucks. I almost died, but we're good."

After recovering from his fall, Efron underwent physical therapy to reduce the size of his masseter muscles, and his hard work appeared to have paid off. In November 2025, a photo of him with his brother Dylan in the "Dancing with the Stars" ballroom made the rounds on social media, and users immediately noticed that the actor's jaw had softened considerably. "Zac's face is returning to looking normal," one person commented. Some, however, speculated that this wasn't the result of physical therapy alone. "Someone got a new surgeon," another wrote. "He looks MUCH better now."