Interview

VAN SANT: So you haven’t been to Oregon in a while, but have you traveled all over the world in the last four years?

EFRON: Yup. I’ve seen places I never dreamed of. I’ve just been exposed to a lot. The most interesting trip I took recently was probably going to Japan.

VAN SANT: Really?

EFRON: Oh, yeah. It’s just amazing. I’ve only been in and around Tokyo.

VAN SANT: Kyoto is good.

EFRON: Everyone keeps saying that: “Go to the hot springs.”

VAN SANT: One of the reasons Kyoto is really fascinating is that they have many Zen Buddhist temples. A lot of them have been turned into museums, but there are some that are still operating. The Japanese emperors, when they were battling, would get really nervous, naturally, and so Zen Buddhism was a way for them to focus and get un-nervous for their next encounter. Have you ever been to Russia?

EFRON: No, I haven’t been to Russia yet.

VAN SANT: That’s a pretty intense place. But then South America—have you been down there?

EFRON: Actually, I went to Brazil recently, but that was more of just a quick trip.

VAN SANT: Did you go to Rio?

EFRON: Yeah, I checked out Rio for a day. What a place . . . I wish I could have spent more time there.

VAN SANT: Did you walk on the beach?

EFRON: I tried. As much as I wanted to, I don’t think that was in the cards for us this time.

VAN SANT: Oh, really? Is it too crazy for you to do something like that?

EFRON: There are just a lot of people in one area, so it was too congested to walk around. VAN SANT: So that brings up the question of the paparazzi. Do they hound you and drive you crazy?

EFRON: Yeah. It’s hard to talk about it. The more attention you give to the paparazzi, the more it just, like, validates everything . . .