Zac Efron: Being heavier was impractical

Zac Efron worried he was “wheezing” because breathing was so difficult when he put on weight.

The actor will next be seen in The Lucky One, in which he plays a Marine. His character has served three tours in Iraq and travels to North Carolina to find the mystery woman he believes helped him through the war.

The High School Musical star had to beef up for the part. He ate “blended chicken” to help pile on the pounds.

“The amount of food I had to eat to put on weight is, for anyone, intense,” he said.

“No dude it’s so impractical [to stay that size]. It doesn’t feel good in life to walk around like that. I mean I was wearing different size clothes and it was easier to lie down than move around. I felt like a slob just sitting around and just eating and eating.

“It was harder to breathe even. I was like, ‘Am I wheezing?’”

The 24-year-old star also discussed why he first got into making movies. He enjoys watching films which make him emotional.

“I’m a pretty sensitive guy,” he told Australian radio’s The Kyle and Jackie O Show. “Movies get me. I think that’s why I love films in general. That’s why I became an actor.”