Zac Efron Shares Embarrassing First On-Set Kiss Story

It’s been 20 years since Zac Efron’s first on-screen kiss, but the memory is still fresh—and a bit fishy. The High School Musical star recently shared with Elle a candid recollection of his youthful mistake during a kissing scene on the TV show Summerland with co-star Kay Panabaker.

“I was really young. It was my first kissing scene. It was on a show called Summerland and I didn’t realize that eating fish right before that was probably not a good idea,” Efron admitted.

At just 16 years old, Efron went ahead with the scene without considering the impact his lunch might have on his breath, much to Panabaker’s dismay.

“And I kissed my costar and she went, ‘Did you eat fish for lunch?’ and everybody laughed. I’m scarred for life,” he recounted, clearly still feeling the sting of embarrassment.

This isn’t the first time Efron has relived this awkward moment. Since 2004, he has shared the story in several interviews, each time no less embarrassed about his fishy breath making the scene less than pleasant for Panabaker.

Efron’s latest film, A Family Affair, co-stars Joey King and Nicole Kidman. In the film, Efron plays a selfish actor who transforms into a loving partner. During the interview where he recounted his infamous first kiss, Joey King, who was sitting beside him, listened empathetically, acknowledging that it indeed sounded like a very embarrassing ordeal.

Source: Elle