Zac Efron tells the strange story of how he made Michael Jackson cry

"I was a mess."
 By 
Sam Haysom
 on 
Zac Efron tells the strange story of how he made Michael Jackson cry
Watch Next

Zac Efron never met Michael Jackson face-to-face, but he does have one pretty random claim to fame: he once made the singer cry over the telephone.

During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show on Friday, Efron explained that he was put on the phone to Jackson by his then-director Kenny Ortega when they were having dinner.

The first conversation was pretty one-sided, but Jackson apparently rang Ortega back when he realised he'd just been talking to the star of High School Musical. It turned out he was also a big fan of Efron's work.

"I lost it," says Efron in the clip above. "I just lost it. I lost my balance, I think I fell over into the wall. I was like, 'You know who I am! What?!'. I just started crying, I was a mess."

Soon Jackson was crying too, and the conversation turned into one big, beautiful sob-fest.

Topics Celebrities

Mashable Image
Sam Haysom

Sam Haysom is the Deputy UK Editor for Mashable. He covers entertainment and online culture, and writes horror fiction in his spare time.


Latest Videos

Stephen Colbert reacts to the Artemis II moon mission
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage, gesturing.


'The Daily Show' reacts to judge halting Trump's White House ballroom
Desi Lydic presents "The Daily Show" beside an image of Donald Trump.


A24's 'Mother Mary' trailer is worth it for the FKA twigs track
Anne Hathway is dressed in a red pop star outfit with religious overtones in a film still from "Mother Mary."

Jon Stewart has a brutal reaction to Trump waffling about pens
A man in a suit sitting behind a talk show desk looks angry. In the top left is an image of the president holding up a pen.

Stephen Colbert gleefully recaps the best signs at the 'No Kings' protest
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage, smiling. The caption at the bottom reads, "I like that one."

Riz Ahmed is troublingly intense in new 'SNL UK' promo
A close-up of a man grinning in a slightly creepy way.


The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!